The Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines is coming ! 2008 is the 10th year anniversary of the event !

This prestigious ASP Women’s World Tour contest will be held from Dec. the 8th to Dec. the 20th 2008 in Honolua Bay, Hawaii.

There’s a $85,000 Prize Purse and you can watch it live on Billabongpro.com when the event is on. Don’t miss this great opportunity to watch the best girls in the planet surf this perfect right hander in Hawaii.

Check the teaser here:

As you might have noticed on the HOME page of the blog we just introduced our Winter08/09 Limited Edition Collection called DESIGNERS CLOSET. It’s a smaller and limited edition collection for this winter, in addition to our main Winter 08/09 collection. We’ve gathered a selection of products here for you to check. There’s Jackets, shirts, knits, tees, long sleeves tees, bikinis, accessories, pants, skirts and dresses.

Wondering what the collection looks like in real life ? hehe yep we’ve also compiled a cool batch of pictures from our photoshoot from this Limited Edition Collection with Sanoe Lake. Check all the pictures here.

Billabong welcomes international rider Anne-Flore Marxer to the team. Anne-Flore has been on the frontline of snowboarding for the past years and has had many film parts and awards to back her snowboarding skills. The French rider is going to focus on getting back-country film part for the upcoming years.

Anne-Flore fits the Billabong image perfectly. She is a true athlete with a strong and positive outlook on life. Her riding and her sense of style is a great addition to the already impressive Billabong women’s team that already counts TTR champion Jamie Anderson, X Games Silver Medalist Claudia Fliri and 3rd place in the 2008 Burton Open series Jenny Jones.

Watchout for her profile with pictures and videos very very soon on the Billabong Girls Blog ! We’ll let you know as soon as we’ve got the profile up and going !

Latest news from the Billabong Girls Pro Rio. It’s now over and Melanie Bartels Wins the Billabong Girls Pro Rio !

Below is a quick recap of what went down during the event:

Stop No. 4 of 8 on the 2008 ASP Women’s World Tour
Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
September 10 – 18, 2008
 
Melanie Bartels Wins Billabong Girls Pro Rio
Stephanie Gilmore’s Perfect 10 Not Enough 

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Thursday, September 18, 2008) – Hawaiian surfer MELANIE BARTELS (HAW), 26, won the 2008 Billabong Girls Pro Rio, defeating fellow finalist SOFIA MULANOVICH (PER), 25, in rifling four foot (1.5 metre) barrels at Barra da Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro yesterday.
 
Event No. 4 of 8 on the 2008 ASP Women’s World Tour, the Billabong Girls Pro Rio survived through a grueling five-day lay period to culminate in excellent conditions today, with the ASP Top 17 putting in some of the best performances in ASP history.
 
Bartels, who rockets up from 14th to 6th on the 2008 ASP Women’s World Tour, collects her second career Dream Tour win (her first as a full-time member) with today’s victory at the Billabong Girls Pro Rio.
 
The Hawaiian, who was unable to make the second event of the season, has rebounded in spectacular form today, defeating the reigning ASP Women’s World Champion STEPHANIE GILMORE (Gold Coast, AUS) during the Semifinals in what some are calling the best heat in women’s professional surfing history (19.00 def.18.50) before taking down MULANOVICH in the Final.
 
MULANOVICH, who solidifies her position at No. 2 on the ASP Women’s World Tour ratings with today’s runner up finish, continues to collect consistent results in 2008 with her third Finals appearance of the season. The Peruvian is now just 12 points behind GILMORE on the ASP women’s world rankings. 
 
GILMORE (AUS), 20, reigning ASP Women’s World Champion and current No. 1 on the 2008 ASP Women’s World Tour, was in sensational form today, netting the event’s only perfect 10-point ride and backing it up with an 8.50, but was still unable to overcome Bartels in the Semifinals.
 
GILMORE also earned the Kustom Best Wave Award for her phenomenal perfect 10-point backdoor barrel, reiterating her dominating form, but the young Australian is more aware than ever of how close the race for the 2008 ASP Women’s World Title has become.
 
LAYNE BEACHLEY (Manly, AUS), 36, former seven-time ASP Women’s World Champion was another potential champion this morning, dispatching of local favorite SILVANA LIMA (BRA), 23, in their Quarterfinal bout, but was unable to overcome her Peruvian opponent in the Semifinals.
 
LIFESTYLE VISION COPY
Australian surfer NICOLA ATHERTON (Bronte, AUS) enjoyed the ride of her life in a two-seater plane for a bird’s eye view of Rio de Janeiro’s famous Christ Statue. Rio’s world-renowned landmark, the 75 year-old statue of Christ overlooks the coastal city from 709 metres above sea level. The 2007 Billabong ASP world junior champion posted her worst result in her rookie year at the Billabong Girls Pro Rio with her equal 17th placing but the talented Atherton said the flight was the best ride of her life.
 
Reigning world champion STEPHANIE GILMORE (Gold Coast, AUS) and SERENA BROOKE (Gold Coast, AUS) used a Billabong Girls Pro Rio down day to visit the local surf club at the Rocinha Favela - one of the many squatter settlement situated on the steep hills of Rio that house twenty per cent of the cities population. The pair handing over surfboards and other surfing equipment in an emotional moment to the Favela’s surf club president Ricardo Bocao - following on a long tradition that has seen many international surfers support the local talent over the years.

Highlights from the Billabong Girls Pro Rio can be accessed via http://www.billabongpro.com/rio08/
 
The next stop on the 2008 ASP Women’s World Tour will be the Beachley Classic in Sydney, Australia from October 9 – 14, 2008.
 
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

Billabong Girls Pro Rio Final Results:
1 – Melanie Bartels (HAW) 14.34
2 – Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 10.60
 
Billabong Girls Pro Rio Semifinal Results:
Semifinal 1: Melanie Bartels (HAW) 19.00 def. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 18.50
Semifinal 2: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 11.67 def Layne Beachley (AUS) 9.46
                                   
Here are the current ASP Women’s World Tour Ratings: After Event No. 4 of 8
1 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 3516 points
2 – Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 3504 points
3 – Layne Beachley (AUS) 3036 points
4 – Samantha Cornish (AUS) 2628 points
5 – Amee Donohoe (AUS) 2424 points
6 – Melanie Bartels (HAW) 2112 points
7 – Silvana Lima (BRA) 2028 points
8 – Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 1836 points
9 – Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 1824 points
10 – Rebecca Woods (AUS) 1632 points
11 – Megan Abubo (HAW) 1452 points
11 – Julia De La Rosa (PER) 1452 points
13 – Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 1440 points
14 – Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 1260 points
14 – Karina Petroni (USA) 1260 points
14 – Nicola Atherton (AUS) 1260 points
17 – Serena Brooke (AUS) 1080 points
18 – Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 912 points*

Some news from the Billabong Girls Pro in Rio, the event we presented here on this page.

Australia’s Rebecca Woods Wins WQS Billabong Girls Pro Rio ! Brazil’s Maria Tita Tavares Claims Main Event Wildcard

Here is a quick recap of what went down during the event:

Billabong Girls Pro Rio - Barra da Tijuca; Rio de Janerio, Brazil - 4 star World Qualifying Series (WQS)

Rio de Janerio Brazil (Tuesday September 9th); Australian surfer Rebecca Woods (Copacabana, NSW) made a welcome return to the winners dais today by claiming victory in the star studded final of the 4 star World Qualifying Series (WQS) Billabong Girls Pro Rio in Brazil.

With just two minutes remaining the current world no.8 used a high scoring 8.83 ride to post her first win in over four years in the challenging 1.5 metre beach break waves of Barra da Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro.

Twenty-three year-old Woods defeated reigning world champion Stephanie Gilmore (Aus), former Billabong world junior champion and current world no.7 Jessi Miley-Dyer (Aus) and 2000 WQS champion Maria Tita Tavares (Brz).
“I got heaps of waves on my head when I was paddling out and I was thinking, “Please God send me a good one”, and it came,” said an elated Woods.
“The final was really hard and it was my first time facing world champions in the same heat. That definitely gives me a lot of confidence for the world tour event here in Rio and good value for my victory,” added Woods, who won USD3.500 prize money and jumped to no.2 on the WQS rankings.

Pocket rocket and crowd favourite Tavares used her local knowledge for an early heat lead before current world no.1 Gilmore carved her way to the front, only to be headed in the dying minutes by Woods.

Former world ranked competitor Tavares claimed the coveted wildcard into the Billabong Girls Pro Rio women’s world tour event with her fourth placing as the only finalist not included in the worlds top 17.

The experienced Brazilian has drawn Gilmore and Melanie Bartels (Haw) in round one of the main event. Fresh from her world tour victory in France Gilmore was gracious in defeat stating, “Rebecca got the best wave and won.”
“It’s my first time in Rio, and I like the waves here” added Gilmore

Woods will take on fellow Australian Amee Donohoe and Julia De La Rosa (Peru) in the opening heat of round one when the main event commences, which could be as soon as tomorrow.

The waiting period for the fourth of eight women’s world tour events begins September 10th and runs through to the 18th. The tournament only requires three days to be finalized allowing organizers to use the best possible surf conditions for the worlds best surfers.

Billabong Girls Pro Rio is sanctioned by ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals), CBS (Brazilian Surf Confederation) and FESERJ (State of Rio de Janeiro Surf Federation), sponsoring by Gol airline, co sponsor by Nova Schin, Nixon, Von Zipper and Kustom, and the support from Star Point, Hot Water, Toca do Lobo, Kyw Boardstore, Litoral 655, Overboard, Pacific Beach, Ombak, Promenade Casa Del Mar and Mais Link and the collaboration from Rio de Janeiro Council and the Government of Rio de Janeiro State.

BILLABONG GIRLS PRO RIO WQS –FINAL:
1st.Rebecca Woods (AUS) champion with 13.53 points – US$ 3.500 and 1.500 points on WQS
2nd. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 11.33 – US$ 1.900 and 1.290 points
3rd. Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 9.13 – US$ 1.600 and 1.095 points
4th Tita Tavares (BRA) 8.34 – US$ 1.500 and 1.005 points