HONOLUA BAY, Maui — With no surf available at Honolua Bay, event organizers for the Billabong Pro Maui have called competition off for the day and have announced the relocation to Ho‘okipa Beach Park on the northern side of Maui
HONOLUA BAY, Maui — With no surf available at Honolua Bay, event organizers for the Billabong Pro Maui have called competition off for the day and have announced the relocation to Ho‘okipa Beach Park on the northern side of Maui for today’s competition.
The final event of the 2008 ASP Women’s World Tour, the Billabong Pro Maui enjoyed excellent waves for the opening day of competition last Wednesday, but have since been in a holding pattern with no surf to speak of at Honolua Bay.
“Today marks the seventh day in a row that the Bay hasn’t had any waves,” Dino Andino, Billabong Pro Maui contest director, said in a release. “We’re running out of time, and looking at the forecast, it doesn’t look like the swell is going to be big enough or the right direction until after the waiting period is finished. With that in mind, we’ll be relocating the venue to Ho‘okipa Beach Park on the other side of the island where we’ll be looking to get the final day of Billabong Pro Maui competition underway at roughly 8 a.m.”
In addition to being the final event of the 2008 ASP Dream Tour, the Billabong Pro Maui also marks the final stop on the women’s Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. The men’s competition wrapped last week.
Australia’s Stephanie
Gilmore, newly-crowned two-time ASP Women’s World Champion and current No. 2 on the Vans Triple Crown ratings, is disappointed that the Billabong Pro Maui won’t finish at Honolua Bay, but is still enthusiastic to get back in the water and claim another title before 2008 is finished.
“It’s a shame that we won’t be able to finish at the Bay but that’s how it is with surf contests,” Gilmore said. “We’re subject to swell patterns and Mother Nature and sometimes we need to make changes. It looks like (today) is going to be the biggest day at Ho’okipa which I’ve heard is a fun little wave so I’m stoked to get back in the water.”
Gilmore trails former seven-time ASP Women’s World Champion Layne Beachley, by a scant 50 points in the race for the Vans Triple Crown Title, also leads Silvana Lima of Brazil by just 125 points.
“It’s really close at the top there and I think whoever finishes highest here in Maui is going to take the Vans Triple Crown Title,” Gilmore said. “It’s pretty exciting and I’m definitely gunning for one more win before the season finishes.”
Gilmore will face fellow Aussie Rebecca Woods, in the quarterfinals when Billabong Pro Maui competition recommences.
“The Billabong Pro Maui has been lucky to have had great waves at Honolua for the past nine years,” Woods said. “There is a back-up plan and it’s a good one. A decent swell is predicted at Ho‘okipa on the other side of the island and being a beachbreak, it will open up the field result-wise. There will be more tactics and wave action will be crucial. It all adds to the flavor and it will be good to compete at another break on Maui. It’s not the Bay, but it’s still a great wave.”
Event organizers will reconvene this morning at 7:30 a.m. at Ho’okipa Beach Park for a possible 8 a.m. start.
First up will be Beachley up against Rosanne Hodge.
Hawai‘i’s Carissa Moore will surf against Melanie Bartels in the third quarterfinal heat. Megan Abubo will face Lima in the fourth.
