What: Rip Curl Pro Mademoiselle, ASP Women’s World Tour Event #3
Where: Hossegor/Seignosse France
When: 28 August – 1 September 2008

The Rip Curl Pro Mademoiselle, event No. 3 of 8 on the 2008 ASP Women’s World Tour, begins its waiting period today with swell reports predicting clean conditions with 4-6 foot surf for the ASP Top 17 to sink their rails into. We’re keeping our fingers crossed…

The first Dream Tour women’s event since the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach back in April, the Rip Curl Pro Mademoiselle will see the race for the 2008 ASP Women’s World Title reignited, and while frontrunners Sofia Mulanovich (PER), 25, and Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 20, will be the favourites, a bevy of hard-charging females are looking to make their move in the picturesque French beach breaks.

Amee Donohoe (AUS), 27, current No. 4 on the ASP Women’s World Tour, has been prepping in Europe since competing in the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) event in Portugal earlier this month, and is hoping that her time in France will pay dividends at the Rip Curl Pro Mademoiselle: “I’ve been in Europe a long time and hopefully that preparation pays off for me,” Donohoe said. “I’ve been sick the past couple of days because of the water I think, but I’ve gotten plenty of surfs in and my boards are feeling good so I’m hoping for another result here in France.”

Layne Beachley (AUS), 36, former seven-time ASP Women’s World Champion and current ASP Women’s World No. 5, is a four-time past winner in France and will look to awaken her own ASP Women’s World Title campaign at the Rip Curl Pro Mademoiselle: “I’ve had great success in France in the past but the last time I won here was back in 2002 so I’m definitely hungry for another victory,” Beachley said. “France holds so many special memories for me and the waves really suit my surfing. It’s been a fair break since the first two events of the season and things can really start turning for people here at this event.”

Atherton, current No. 11 on the ASP Women’s World Tour, is eager to return to competition after the interim and is approaching the remainder of the season with renewed vigor:
“It feels like a brand new start,” Atherton said. “During our Dream Tour interim, I took some time off from the WQS to focus on my surfing and equipment. I was also able to let some niggling injuries heal and get fit. It was the longest break I have had in four years. I used the time to refresh myself and get organized.”

Atherton, in her rookie year amongst the world’s best, is hoping to kick off her requalification campaign for 2009. “I haven’t had any solid results thus far and I am really hoping to get off to a strong start in France,” Atherton said. “I think punchy beachbreaks can be a strong point for me. It’s what I grew up surfing. So far this season, the events have been really fun, but the waves have been pretty small and inconsistent. I’m just looking forward to catching more waves in my heats and surfing at my peak.”

The Rip Curl Pro Mademoiselle will be the first event of 2009 in which all 17 of the world’s best female surfers will be in attendance, with the 18th spot being filled by Lee Ann Curren, who won the wild card in yesterday’s Rip Curl Women’s Pro Junior.

The waiting period for the 2008 Rip Curl Pro Mademoiselle runs from today until September 1st, 2008.

Rip Curl Pro Mademoiselle Round 1 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Layne Beachley (AUS), Megan Abubo (HAW), Nicola Atherton (AUS)
Heat 2: Amee Donohoe (AUS), Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), Julia De La Rosa Toro (PER)
Heat 3: Sofia Mulanovich (PER), Serena Brooke (AUS), TBA
Heat 4: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Jacqueline Silva (BRA), Karina Petroni (USA)
Heat 5: Samantha Cornish (AUS), Rosanne Hodge (ZAF), Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS)
Heat 6: Silvana Lima (BRA), Rebecca Woods (AUS), Melanie Bartels (HAW)