Hawaii surfer Carissa Moore wins in Australia
Carissa Moore scored a 9.4 and a 9.03 in the finals of the Roxy Pro at Snapper Rocks in Australia.
Hawaii surfer Carissa Moore won the first event of the World Surf League Championship Tour, beating Australian Stephanie Gilmore in the final.
Moore scored 9.4 and a 9.03 waves in Thursday’s final, leaving no room for Gilmore, the reigning world champion, to come back.
With the victory, Moore leads the WSL women’s standings and will wear the yellow jersey at the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach, starting on April 1.
“It’s amazing! The crowds are incredible today! I’ve never been welcomed by such loud and cheering enthusiasm, to have so many people share it in that moment with you is the raddest feeling,” Moore said in a WSL news release. “It definitely feels good to win. Steph’s an incredible surfer and I’m sure she’s going to come back to Bells hungry and fired up so I’ll just enjoy it, relish in it for a minute but I’ll have to get back to work soon. Yellow is my favorite color so I’m stoked to have the yellow jersey back.”
Gilmore praised Moore after the finals.
“It was a tough one but Carissa was unreal and I made a priority mistake so I was on the wrong side of the rhythm,” Gilmore said. “In the final Carissa absolutely smashed me. I love watching her surf and she’s a real asset to women’s surfing. She makes me rise and surf better and she definitely put on a clinic out there and she’ll take that confidence into the next event. I’m happy with a second place. It’s definitely not the worst and it’s not the best, but I’ll take it and it’ll definitely be a keeper in my end of year results.”
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“It’s an amazing time for women’s surfing and it’s such an honor to be a part of that,” continued Moore. “This year is going to be insane and the girls are on fire. It’s special to watch the other girls surf and have them push you but at the same time be happy for them because as a sport you’re changing it. You’re going to leave it better for the next generation so I think we’re all really proud of that.”
Hawaii women’s tour rookie Tatiana Weston-Webb defeated fellow Hawaiian Malia Manuel in the quarterfinals before losing to Gilmore in the semifinals.
