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COURTESY ASP/ AQUASHOT
Carissa Moore remained locked in a heated battle for this year’s Association of Surfing Professionals crown and kept her 2013 campaign alive with a hard-fought win over reigning five-time ASP Women’s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore, 25 at the EDP Cascais Girls Pro in Portugal today.
Hawaii surfer Carissa Moore remains in the hunt for her second world title by advancing into the quarterfinals of the EDP Cascais Girls Pro competition at Guincho in Portugal Thursday night (Hawaii time).
Moore, 21, is only 200 points ahead of Australia’s Tyler Wright, in the Association of Surfing Professionals Women’s World Championship tour standings.
Wright also advanced to the quarterfinals today. Moore must finish ahead of Wright to win the world title.
Moore beat Australian and reigning five-time ASP World Champion Stephanie Gilmore, 25, to advance in the fourth round in 3- to 5-foot surf.
"It was a nerve-wracking heat," Moore said in a ASP news release. "When we started, Steph (Gilmore) paddled out at a completely separate bank and I had no idea we could even surf it. She is really smart though and you can’t leave someone like Steph alone on her own peak – she’s too good. So I moved down there and it was a close heat. It was tough."
Moore will take on rookie Bianca Buitendag, 19, of South Africa, in the quarterfinals tonight, surf permitting.
Wright advanced over Californian Lakey Peterson, 19 and will face fellow Austalian Sally Fitzgibbons, 22, in the quarterfinals.
Hawaii surfer Coco Ho also advanced and will surf against New Zealand’s Paige Hareb, 23.
On the men’s tour, Hawaii’s John John Florence advanced to the quarterfinals, but lost to Australia’s Mick Fanning in 2- to 4-foot surf at the Quicksilver Pro France today. Fanning went on to win the competition at Len Penon in Seignosse, France.
