Nikki Van Dijk (AUS), 17, issued the upset of the day, eliminating former ASP Women?s World Champion Sofia Mulanovich (PER), 29, in Paul Mitchell Supergirl Pro Round of 48 action.
OCEANSIDE, California/USA (Thursday, August 9, 2012) ? The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) 6-Star Paul Mitchell Supergirl Pro kicked off opening day of competition in peaky two-to-four foot (1 metre) waves at South Oceanside Pier and saw the event?s top seeds take to the water to round out the day.
The Paul Mitchell Supergirl Pro represents the only women?s ASP qualifying event in North America and the crucial points on offer have drawn several of the world?s finest surfers as they look to secure a spot on the ASP Women?s World Championship Tour (WCT) for 2013.
Courtney Conlogue (Santa Ana, CA), 19, top seed in the Paul Mitchell Supergirl Pro, built momentum to take a hard-fought Round of 48 affair while posting the day?s highest heat total of 16.23 out of 20. The talented Californian was equally deadly on both the lefts and rights today, unloading deadly combinations on her forehand and backhand for a pair of 8-point scores.
?I was happy to have a strong start,? Conlogue said. ?I was trying to just warm up for the rest of the event and I had to put a good show on because Ornella (Pellizzari) was having a good heat. It feels good to move on straight from the last event and I?m feeling good out there.?
Conlogue, who finished 5th overall on the ASP Women?s WCT, is well within the cutoff to qualify for the ASP Top 17 next season, but is using the ASP 6-Star Women?s event to hone her competitive skills while supporting her region.
?Doing this event, it?s cool having a 6-Star event in North America and I want to support them and it?s great practice for me,? Conlogue said. ?The waves are fun and I?m stoked to put a jersey on and have a contest in Oceanside.?
Nikki Van Dijk (AUS), 17, who is fresh off of her victory at the US Open Pro Junior, looked sharp in her opening heat at the Paul Mitchell Supergirl Pro and took out her Round of 48 battle over former ASP WCT surfer Rosie Hodge (ZAF), 26, while eliminating 2001 ASP Women?s World Champion Sofia Mulanovich (PER), 29.
?Of course having Sofia (Mulanovich) and the other girls make it really hard,? Van Dijk said. ?No heats are easy. Coming off of the win at the US Open, I?d really like to finish the leg here in California with a strong result.?
Sage Erickson (Ventura, CA), 21, was another top seed to ignite the peaky afternoon conditions and posted a commanding lead to advance to the Round of 48.
?The first round is always a bit nerve-wracking,? Erickson said. ?You don?t really know how the conditions are going to be, but the waves were fun and it was a great heat for me.?
The Paul Mitchell Supergirl Pro will recommence tomorrow morning at 10:30am local time. The event runs from August 9 through 11 and will be webcast on the final day via www.supergirljam.com
