What: Arrive Alive Central Coast Pro, Women’s 4 Star WQS Event
Where: Soldiers Beach, Norah Head, NSW, Australia
When: 11 – 16 March 2008

The Arrive Alive Central Coast Pro saw teenage surf sensation Sally Fitzgibbons defeat 16-year-old Laura Enever in the Women’s Final this weekend. Fitzgibbons, who did not lose a heat all contest, was in sizzling form, unleashing a number of backhand manoeuvres en route to victory at Soldiers Beach.

“It was a great event surfed in really contestable waves,” she said. “I am so stoked with the result today. Laura surfed extremely well and it made it a really good final.”

Australia’s finest female surfers battled it out until Fitzgibbons defeated Enever 15.87 to 11.77 to claim her second World Qualifying Series (WQS) win of the year – backing up her season opening win at Phillip Island and establishing a massive ratings lead.

“I’m enjoying every minute of my surfing at the moment. The past two results have given me an awesome springboard for the rest of the year. To back up my first result in Philip Island is really good.” But Fitzgibbons is not setting her sights on a spot in the 2009 World Championship Tour (WCT) just yet. “I’m not thinking about next year at this stage, I just want to take every event one at a time,” she said retrospectively. “My plan for 2008 is to just do well and enjoy my surfing, one heat at a time.”

For Enever, her second placing marks the best result of her career to date: “I am so stoked to just have made the final,” she said. “When I entered the event I didn’t expect to make the final, so when I made it I didn’t care where I came – I was really stoked to be out there.”

In what already has become a rivalry between the two young guns, Enever was more than content to make the final with Fitzgibbons, after being eliminated by her in the semi finals at Phillip Island. “I’m just really glad to make the finals with her,” she said. “Sally deserved to win she was the best surfer throughout the whole event.”

The Arrive alive Central Coast Pro saw 64 female surfers compete for a prize purse of $25,000, plus valuable early season WQS ratings points. The event website features the full scores, heat by heat results, daily news, photos and video galleries.

Finals
Sally Fitzgibbons def Laura Enever

Semifinals
Semi 1: Sally Fitzgibbons def Amee Donohoe
Semi 2: Laura Enever def Julie De La Rosa Toro

Quarterfinals
Q1: Sally Fitzgibbons def Pauline Ado
Q2: Amee Donohoe def Mizuki Hagiwara
Q3: laura Enever def Laurina McGrath
Q4 Jul De La Rosa Toro def Airini Mason