The Roxy ASP Women’s World Longboard Championship (WWLC) will take place from July 11-16, 2007. This event is run in conjunction with the Roxy Jam Biarritz and will decide the 2007 ASP Women’s World Longboard Champion. Action will be going down at Côte des Basques, Biarritz, France.
Last year’s winner, inaugural ASP Women’s World Longboard Champion Schuyler McFerran (USA), will be on hand to defend her title against the 47 other hopefuls eager to earn the sport’s highest honor – a world title.
“Winning the event last year was amazing,” McFerran said. “To have won the first ASP sanctioned title, in beautiful Biarritz; against the best women longboarders in the world… it doesn’t get much better. I am very excited to go back in a few weeks!”
Claire Karabatsos (FRA), the local hope who placed third last year, the super smooth veteran Belen Connelly (USA) and Kassia Meador (USA), who is also known as the ‘queen of nose-riding’ are just three surfers in the super strong field expected to figure highly in the fight for McFerran’s coveted title.
So strong is the field it is almost impossible to pick a favorite. McFerran herself found it hard to pick the competitors whom she expects to challenge for her title. “Everyone has the chance to win,” McFerran said. “The girls are surfing so well that you can’t discount anyone. In every heat you will have to give it your best.”
The format for the Roxy ASP WWLC is identical to that used by the Foster’s ASP World Tour. Forty-eight surfers will compete in the event – 32 of whom will be seeded surfers from last year’s event, while the rest will be comprised of qualifiers from Roxy events held in Cardiff, California and Phillip Island, Australia, the Kana Miss Cup in Anglet, France and Banana Boat Pro in Noosa, Australia.
In addition there will be four Roxy wildcards entered in the event. From Round 2, there will be two girls in the water, battling it out in a series of one-on-one match-ups all the way through to the final. In addition to the World Title, this year’s event coincides with the 50th anniversary of surfing’s first appearance in Europe – an appearance which occured at Côte des Basques the site that now proudly plays host to the Roxy Jam Biarritz every year.
The Roxy Jam will incorporate a number of free public events, including concerts, art exhibitions, initiatives and workshops as way of celebrating the strong surfing culture in this part of the world. The weeklong event promises to be an amazing surfing festival, showcasing the best women longboard surfers from all corners of the globe and the beautiful waves and coastline of Biarritz.
