Caption: Lower Trestles, the jewel of Southern California high-performance surfing, will host the ASP Top 17 for the first time ever at this season's Swatch Women's Pro Trestles.
Credit: ASP/Rowland
LOS ANGELES, CA/USA (Tuesday, September 2, 2014): The Swatch Women's Pro Trestles, stop No. 7 on the 2014 Samsung Galaxy ASP Women's World Championship Tour (WCT), will make history as the event welcomes the world's best females surfers to its cobblestone shores for the first time ever. With just four events remaining on this year's WCT, the Swatch Women's Pro Trestles will be a crucial stop in the hunt for this year's world surfing crown and an opportunity for surfers to gain vital points towards requalification.
Southern California's Lower Trestles has hosted a men's WCT event, the Hurley Pro at Trestles, for the past 15 years and this year the Swatch Women's Pro Trestles will join the ASP Top 17 with the ASP Top 34 for the first time from September 9 – 20, 2014.
Universally-regarded as one of the most high-performance waves on the planet, Lower Trestles peels across a rocky coastline. The left is a quicker, hollower, punchier wave, while the right is longer and more even-paced. The break is a perfect platform for the world's best female surfers to showcase their skills and push the limits of high-performance surfing.
“I'm so excited that in 2014 the women get to surf at Lower Trestles,†said reigning two-time ASP Women's World Champion Carissa Moore. “It's a dream to compete at such a world-class wave, it's been one of my favorites waves since I was little.â€
“I've been waiting for an event at Lower Trestles all my life,†said five-time ASP Women's World Champion Stephanie Gilmore. “It's just so exciting to get to compete there.â€
The wildcard for the event has been awarded to 16-year-old Mahina Maeda from Hawaii. Maeda was the highest placed ASP Qualification Series surfer at the Swatch Girls Pro in France, which ran in Hossegor last weekend. Maeda finish second after WCT rookie Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) and will compete alongside the ASP Top 17 and complete the field for the Swatch Women's Pro Trestles.
“I'm really excited, this is going to be my first time competing in a CT event,†Maeda said. “It's going to be a new experience, I've always watched the wildcard surfers with a little jealousy. I always look up to Carissa (Moore), Coco (Ho), Malia (Manuel) and Alessa (Quizon) as well. I surf everywhere with them and I'm excited to surf against them in an event, most young Hawaiians don't have that opportunity.â€
Swatch Pro Trestles Round 1 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Malia Manuel (HAW), Dimity Stoyle (AUS), Alessa Quizon (HAW)
Heat 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Laura Enever (AUS), Paige Hareb (NZL)
Heat 3: Carissa Moore (HAW), Nikki Van Dijk (AUS), Mahina Maeda (HAW)
Heat 4: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Coco Ho (HAW), Alana Blanchard (HAW)
Heat 5: Tyler Wright (AUS), Courtney Conlogue (USA), Pauline Ado (FRA)
Heat 6: Lakey Peterson (USA), Bianca Buitendag (ZAF), Johanne Defay (FRA)
The Swatch Women's Pro Trestles will be held from Tuesday, September 9, until Saturday, September 20, 2014 and will be webcast LIVE via aspworldtour.com.
The Hurley Pro at Trestles, Event No. 8 on the 2014 Samsung Galaxy ASP World Championship, will run in conjunction with the Swatch Women's Pro Trestles.