PRESS/MEDIA RELEASE
Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP)
Roxy Pro presented by Boost Mobile
Snapper Rocks, Gold Coast March 1st to 13th, 2005
CATCH IT LIVE ON: www.roxy.com; www.aspworldtour.com


THE ROXY PRO PRESENTED BY BOOST MOBILE HITS THE WATER


WE'RE straight into the action today at Snapper Rocks with round one of the Roxy Pro Presented by Boost Mobile taking to the water from 8am. The six heats of the opening round will be run, each allocated 30 minutes duration, and the two heats of round two will be on standby as well.

Men's and women's representatives met with Contest Director Rod Brooks, and Head Judge Perry Hatchett, at the massive contest set-up just after dawn. Conditions are clean-faced at around 2-3' (1.0m), though the picking the right waves involves an element of chance. Some of the waves that look good are dying mid-break, while some of the more ordinary looking waves at takeoff are in fact walling up and running through to the Little Marley rocks.

'It's fun if you get a good one, but if you don't you're nowhere' commented South African Foster's Men's Tour rookie Travis Logie after an early surf.

'According to our meteorologist team, today and tomorrow will be the best two days of this week's swell window,' said Contest Director Rod Brooks. 'I believe our best waves today will be on the incoming tide between 8am and 11am, and the girl's have consented to surfing around that window of opportunity.'

There's some exciting match-ups in this morning's round one draw, with defending champion Jacqueline Silva (Brazil) up against Megan Abubo (Hawaii) and outstanding young rookie Rebecca Woods (Australia) in the opening heat.

The second heat also holds appeal with the sport's formerly long-reigning queen Layne Beachley (Australia) in against the ever-popular charger Samantha Woods (Australia) and rookie Claire Bevilacqua (Australia).

Reigning World Champion Sofia Mulanovich (Peru) has drawn Western Australia's Melanie Redman-Carr, and the winner of yesterday's trials Stephanie Gilmore (Australia) in heat three. Kingscliff's young Australian champion Gilmore has been on an incredible run of back-to-back wins in recent months and is surfing in brilliant form.

Heat five is an all-Aussie trio with Chelsea Georgeson in against the effervescent Trudy Todd and the popular Serena Brooke who returns to WCT surfing after a year back in WQS ranks. Chelsea suffered a major blow yesterday when her brand new Subaru was stolen from Duranbah car park while she went for a surf.

'At least my boards weren't in the car!' said Chelsea, seeing the cruel loss as only a surfer could. She will be out to turn around her luck today.

The Quiksilver Pro Presented by Boost Mobile, and the Roxy Pro Presented by Boost Mobile, are both made possible by the support of the Gold Coast City Council. Both tournaments will feature the specialty awards made possible by co-sponsor Evian. The Evian Longest Tube Ride is worth $5000 for the winning male and female surfer to slot into the longest Gold Coast barrel of the tournament. Timekeepers will be their eyes on their stopwatches.

-Paul Sargeant