SAN CLEMENTE, California/USA (Wednesday, August 31, 2016) - Lower Trestles in San Clemente, California will once again welcome the world's best female surfers from September 7 - 18 for the Swatch Women's Pro, Stop No. 7 of 10 on the 2016 Samsung Galaxy World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT).
With just four events remaining on this year's CT, the Swatch Women's Pro will be a crucial stop in the battle for this year's world surfing crown and an opportunity for surfers to gain vital points towards requalification. The hotly anticipated event will witness the WSL Top 17 take center stage at one of the most high-performance waves on the planet.
International icon Bethany Hamilton (HAW) has been awarded the wildcard into the Swatch Women's Pro for the second consecutive year. This will mark Hamilton's seventh appearance in a Championship Tour event and her second this season. The Hawaiian previously caused a series of incredible upsets at the Fiji Women's Pro earlier this year when she blazed through the draw, eliminating world No. 1 Tyler Wright (AUS) and defeating six-time WSL Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) en route to the Semifinals.
"Lower Trestles is a really special place and the perfect platform to showcase women's surfing," said WSL Women's Commissioner, Jessi Miley-Dyer. "I can't wait to see what Tyler and the rest of the Top 17 will deliver this year."
"Bethany is an extremely talented surfer and we are very excited to have her back at the Swatch Women's Pro," continued Miley-Dyer. "After her incredible performance in Fiji, which is the best we've seen from a wildcard in some time, she has earned the opportunity to compete alongside the world's best once again."
Hamilton will face Wright and Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) in Round 1 of competition.
Tyler Wright (AUS) heads into the event as the Jeep Ratings' Leader after a strong third-place finish at the Vans US Open of Surfing. The Australian has had a fantastic 2016 season so far, claiming three out of six CT event wins, and is eager to increase her overall lead with another win at Lower Trestles.
"Trestles is the most rippable wave on tour," said Wright. "You see some of the best surfing of the year happen in the men's and women's events at the venue and it's really exciting. Since the US Open, I did a Search trip, then went home to decompress. I've been in Southern California for a couple weeks now, dialing my boards in and surfing Lowers a lot. These days, everyone is a threat on the women's tour and, at a wave like Lowers, everyone has the opportunity to put up big numbers. There's never been a more dangerous field in women's surfing than the one we have in 2016."
Wright is followed closely by Southern Californian Courtney Conlogue (USA), No. 2 on the Jeep Leaderboard, who sits 550 points behind the Australian. Conlogue has proven herself to be a serious title contender this season, with strong top five showings at all events this year and a win at Bells Beach, Australia. Conlogue will be looking to close in on Wright at this event and take back the coveted yellow Jeep Leader's Jersey. Conlogue will match up against Laura Enever (AUS) and Chelsea Tuach (BRB) in Round 1.
Two-time defending event winner and reigning three-time WSL Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) has yet to lock in an event win this season, but will be keen to defend her prestigious title at Lowers. Moore will take on Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) and Coco Ho (HAW) in Round 1.
Lakey Peterson (USA), 2012 event winner, made her 2016 debut at the Vans US Open of Surfing after a sidelining injury. Peterson proved that she is back in top form with her incredible run in Huntington Beach, where the Californian did not drop a heat until her Semifinal loss to eventual event winner Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW).
The Swatch Women's Pro will be webcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com as well as the WSL app and runs in conjunction with the Hurley Pro at Trestles, event No. 8 on the Men's Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour.
The event is also being carried by the WSL's LIVE broadcast partners Fox Sports Australia, CBS Sports in the United States, ESPN Brasil, Globosat in Brazil, Edgesport, Sky NZ, Sport TV in Portugal, Canal + Deportes in Spain, Channel Nine, MCS France, Starhub in Singapore, and Oceanic Time Warner Cable 250 & 1250 in Hawaii.
Swatch Women's Pro Round 1 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Malia Manuel (HAW), Lakey Peterson (USA)
Heat 2: Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW), Sage Erickson (USA), Alessa Quizon (HAW)
Heat 3: Tyler Wright (AUS), Nikki Van Dijk (AUS), Bethany Hamilton (HAW)
Heat 4: Courtney Conlogue (USA), Laura Enever (AUS), Chelsea Tuach (BRB)
Heat 5: Carissa Moore (HAW), Bianca Buitendag (ZAF), Coco Ho (HAW)
Heat 6: Johanne Defay (FRA), Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Keely Andrew (AUS)