Women light up Arugam Bay at SriLankan Airlines pro

ARUGAM BAY, Sri Lanka (Wednesday, August 31, 2011) – Day two of the SriLankan Airlines Pro started in similar conditions to day one, two to three foot waves peeling down the Arugam Bay point. But it soon became apparent that the swell was dropping so a shorter day was called.

Sarah Mason (NZL) one of the event’s youngest competitors at just 16-year-old took control of her heat and scored the highest wave score of the event so far, a 9.25 out of a possible 10.

“I don’t really get intimidated, I just go out and surf,” Mason said. “That 9-point-wave was so much fun, it lined up and let me do a few turns and I’m really glad to make it into the next round.”

Alizee Arnaud (FRA) current ASP World Junior Champion was triumphant in heat two, along with young Australian Nikki Van Dijk, caused the upset of the day by eliminating current ASP Top 17 surfer Alana Blanchard.

“I am so happy to have won the heat, I think it was the hardest heat in the whole round,” Arnaud said. “I have a knee injury so I have to surf in a wetsuit, it’s so so hot out there I wish I could wear a bikini!”

Lakey Peterson (USA) was another of the young crew to impress the judges, winning her heat with her trademark modern manoeuvres.

“I’m really blessed to be able to come to places like this and surf,” Peterson said. “This wave is a lot like some of the waves at home in California, so I surf right pointbreaks all the time, except this place is so hot!”

Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) ASP Women’s World Tour veteran belted the A-Bay waves on her backhand and progressed through to the next round and is already accumulating points to help her re-qualify for next year’s ASP Women’s World Title Series.

“I know I need a result here, but I’m just doing my thing,” Miley-Dyer said. “The waves are really fun, even on my backhand. I just love competing and seeing all the young girls coming up, I might even start to boss them around.”

By 1pm the tradewinds had picked up so bad that competition had to be called off for the day. A call will be made at 6:30am local time tomorrow morning to see if it will be the Men’s ASP WLT or the Women’s ASP 6-Star hitting the water.

The event will be webcast live on www.srilankanairlinespro.com

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com



SriLankan Airlines Pro Women’s Round 1 Results

Heat 1: Malia Manuel (HAW) 12.75, Jessi Miley-Dyer 9.00, Wini Paul (NZL) 5.55, Skye Burgess (AUS) 5.55

Heat 2: Alizee Arnaud (FRA) 11.50, Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 10.50, Alana Blanchard (HAW) 8.40, Georgia Fish (AUS) 6.85

Heat 3: Sarah Mason (NZL) 17.00, Justine Dupont (FRA) 10.00, Francisca Santos (PRT) 8.85, Faye Zoetmulder (ZAF) 5.00

Heat 4: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 11.85, Laurina McGrath (AUS) 10.00, Amandine Sanchez (FRA) 6.35

Heat 5: Paige Hareb (NZL)11.25, Freya Prumm (AUS) 8.60, Suelen Naraisa (BRA) 6.80

Heat 6: Lakey Peterson (USA) 12.75, Marie Dejean (FRA) 7.35, Tarryn Chudleigh (ZAF) 6.65

Heat 7: Sarah Baum (ZAF) 12.05, Nage Melamead (HAW) 9.60, Maude Le Car (FRA) 9.50, Sarah Beardmore (GBR) 5.15

Heat 8: Pauline Ado (FRA) 12.50, Nicola Atherton (AUS) 6.90, Claudia Gonclaves (BRA) 6.75

Heat 9: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 11.85, Lee Ann Curren (FRA) 11.40, Bruna Schmitz (BRA) 7.20

Upcoming SriLankan Airlines Pro Women’s Round 1 Heats

Heat 10: Cannelle Bulard (REU), Dimity Stoyle (AUS), Anne Cecile Le Talle (FRA), Joana Rocha (PRT)

Heat 11: Sage Erickson (USA), Philippa Anderson (AUS), Joanne Defay (FRA), Nao Omura (JPN)

Heat 12: Rebecca Woods (AUS), Ornella Pellizzari (ARG), Brittani Nicholl (AUS)

    SriLankan Airlines Pro Last 3 Heats Of Men’s Round 1 Results

Heat 14: Ben Skinner (GBR) 11.50, def. Bradley Weare (ZAF) 9.20

Heat 15: Taylor Jensen (USA) 16.75, def. Yasuaki Higashikawa (JPN) 8.90

Heat 16: Tony Silvagni (USA) 14.25, def. Cole Robbins (USA) 12.80