Carissa Moore (HAW), 20, current ASP WCT No. 2, is coming fresh off a victory in Western Australia and poised to make a run at the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach.
BELLS BEACH, Victoria/AUS (Monday, March 25, 2013) – The Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Fiesta, the third stop on the 2013 ASP Women’s World Championship Tour, is set to commence this Tuesday at the iconic Australian pointbreak of Bells Beach and the event will mark a pivotal point on the ASP Women’s World Title Race.
Tyler Wright (AUS), 18, ASP Women’s WCT ratings leader, has been in impeccable form during the Australian leg of the season and is fired up to head down to Bells to take part in what is slated to be another historic event.
“I’m really excited to get down to Bells tomorrow,” Wright said. “I’m looking forward to surfing fun waves at the bowl, catching up with my Rip Curl family and spending some quality time over Easter with Owen, Sam and Kirby.”
Wright, who won the season opening event on the Gold Coast, is now looking to further her position as the frontrunner for the ASP Women’s World Title. The talented Australian would love to add the prestigious Bell to her list of accolades at a destination that has become a sentimental stop during her ASP World Title chase.
“Winning Bells would be a great achievement,” Wright said. “The Bells event has so much history and prestige attached to it that it would mean a lot to anyone.“Last year we had a team dinner and Claw came along,he got talking about how Rip Curl came to be and how the event came along. Hearing his stories and excitement, that’s where it becomes special for me. It was probably the best story time ever.”
While Wright sustained a leg injury at the previous stop at Margaret River, she’s still looking to put in her best effort at the upcoming Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.
“It’s sore and will be for the next few days I’m sure, but it could have been a lot worse,” Wright said.
Carissa Moore (HAW), 20, 2011 ASP Women’s World Champion and current ASP WCT No. 2, clinched her first ASP WCT victory of the season at Margaret River and the talented Hawaiian is looking to carry her momentum to the Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve been on the podium so it feels really great to get a win,” Moore said. “It’s a great confidence boost heading into Bells and I’m really looking forward to next week.”
Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 22, defending Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach and current ASP Women’s WCT No. 3, started off her 2013 campaign with a 2nd and 3rd respectively, and is looking to find her way back on the podium at Bells.
“I’m not feeling any pressure to defend my title, I’m excited,” Fitzgibbons said. “I’ve done well at Bells the last couple of years due to the fact that I love surfing the wave. It was great week in Margaret River, but it’s time to pack up and head to Bells and I’ll try to learn from that Semifinal loss and hopefully go better at the next one.”
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 25, reigning five-time ASP Women’s World Champion and current ASP WCT No. 4, has taken out three Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach titles over the course of her career and will look to capitalize on her comfort in the Bells Beach lineup to make up crucial ground on the ASP World Title Rankings.
“I love Bells,” Gilmore said. “I always seem to do well there and I think it’s because I’m really comfortable out there and I enjoy the wave. I’ve got really good equipment for there and I always get excited about going back to Bells. It’s interesting that the same four girls have made the Semifinals two events in a row. I’ve got two thirds which is new territory for me, but I’m right there with them and it makes things exciting.”
The Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Fiesta runs from March 27 – April 1, 2013 and will be webcast LIVE via http://www.live.ripcurl.com
