Hawaiians Moore and Payne Crowned 2013 Drug Aware Margaret River Pro Champions

MARGARET RIVER, WA/Australia (Sunday, March 24, 2013) - Carissa Moore (HAW) and Dusty Payne (HAW) have both claimed victory at the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro in solid surf today. Both surfers fought through a stacked field of the world's best to claim their respective wins and etch their names in the history books as winners at the world-class Surfers Point, Margaret River, WA, Australia.

Stop No. 2 of 8 on the ASP Women's World Championship Tour, the 2013 Drug Aware Margaret River Pro has seen Tyler Wright retain the ASP Women's World No. 1 position after finishing runner-up to Moore. The rest of the surfers moved and shuffled around the rankings, with last year's top 4 further stretching the gap between them and the rest.

The Drug Aware Margaret River Pro is the first men's ASP PRIME rated event for the 2013 season, offering maximum points towards 2014 ASP World Championship Tour qualification campaigns. The final four surfers left standing in this event were all elite ASP World Championship Tour surfers, taking the lion's share of all the points and prize-money on offer.

Carissa Moore (HAW) claimed her first ASP Women's WCT event win in over a year, showing how deadly she can be in big and powerful surf. Moore now moves up to be the ASP World No. 2 ranked surfer, in what is already shaping up to be an exciting ASP Women's World Title race after only two events.

'I didn't win an event last year and it was hard for me. It definitely fired me up!' Carissa Moore

"I'm feeling really, really amazing right now!" said Moore. "I'm stoked to walk away with the win and to be up on the podium again. I didn't win an event last year, and it was hard for me, but it definitely fired me up. It's only been two events and it's already looking like it will be a close ASP Women's World Title race, but there are girls who didn't make it to the final day who are capable of causing upsets and winning events. It will be really interesting to see how it all pans out."

Tyler Wright (AUS) posted an event high 9.50 (out of a possible 10) in her Semifinal win over Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), but got washed over shallow reef shortly after and severely corked her thigh. The soreness in her leg and challenging conditions in the Final held her back from unleashing her trademark turns and she had to settle for second place behind a red-hot Carissa Moore.

"It's only the second event of the year and in no way am I looking at being number one at all!" Wright said. "I'm up against World Champions, a three times world runner-up and the rest of the tour as well. I'm just being me more this year and I'm really happy and I think it's showing in my surfing. I've done a lot of growing up over the past two years and I'm enjoying the tour. My brother Owen has been a great support to me, he was at this contest but went home. He called me this morning and we had a massive conversation and that helped me to the podium today."

Dusty Payne (HAW) was the form surfer of the 2013 Drug Aware Margaret River Pro and stormed through the draw all the way to his first major ASP event win. Payne showcased his raw and powerful brand of surfing in the solid waves at Surfer's Point all event and sealed his win with a near-perfect 9.23 (out of a possible 10) in the final.

'I've never won anything before. This is my first major win and this is an amazing event!' Dusty Payne

"I've never won anything before, this is sick!" Payne said. "This is my first major win and this is an awesome event. I'm so glad to win in Western Australia, I love it over here! I was in good rhythm at the event, which never happens, lucky I guess. I'm just so stoked right now. I was injured for half of last year and had to sit on the sidelines and watch my friends surf and win events, and now here I am. It feels great."

Josh Kerr (AUS), 2010 Drug Aware Margaret River Pro champion today had to settle for a runner-up finish as another Australian couldn't get past a red-hot Hawaiian.

"I'm stoked for Dusty (Payne), he's been surfing so good at this event," Kerr said. "I almost penciled him in for the win before I paddled out for the final because he's been surfing so good. I also made some errors out there and was behind in the end, but I'm super stoked to be in the final. It was one of those ones where a bit of luck went my way in a few heats so you've got to be happy when that happens."

Event info, photos, videos and more - www.margaretriverpro.com