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Tyler Wright wins O’Neill Women’s World Cup

Wildcard Tyler Wright (AUS), 16, has won the O’Neill Women’s World Cup of Surfing, topping Sunset Beach local Coco Ho (HAW), 19, reigning four-time ASP Women’s World Champion Steph Gilmore (AUS), 22, and ASP Women’s World Tour No. 2 Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 19, in two-to-four foot (1 metre) surf at Sunset Beach.

The final stop on the ASP Women’s World Tour, the O’Neill Women’s World Cup of Surfing also marked the second jewel of the Vans Triple Crown and played a vital role in surfers’ campaigns towards requalification for the 2011 ASP Women’s Dream Tour.

Tyler, competing in the first Vans Triple Crown of her young career, quickly catapulted into the lead in the Final, smashing the event’s highest single-wave score of a 9.57 out of 10 en route to the highest heat total of a 17.24 out of 20 by linking a series of massive forehand hacks and powerful carves to leave the field in a combination situation within the first 10 minutes of the bout to eventually take out the win.

“This feels pretty cool,” she said. “I had fun out there and caught a couple of waves and it started really pulsing at the end, so I was happy and having fun. The girls were ripping out there so it was good.” Tyler, who won her first ASP Women’s World Tour event at 14 as a wildcard, will be competing on her rookie year among the elite in 2011 and used the O’Neill Women’s World Cup as excellent preparation for next season.

Coco Ho, who finished the year 7th overall, made her first final of the season in front of her home crowd at her local break of Sunset Beach and was satisfied that the best result of her year came at her local break. “Tyler (Wright) kind of had it from the start and it was hard to hear out there,” she said. “I just wanted to get two good ones, but I’m more happy then sad. I finally got a final this year and to finish this well at home, I’m really happy.”

The Hawaiian native’s second place finish also secures her spot as one of four competitors who will battle for the Vans Triple Crown Title at Pipeline, the Vans Duel for the Jewel. “Getting in to Pipe kind of all came with it,” Coco stated. “I didn’t expect anything. I knew I had a 7th at Haleiwa, but now I’m going to be in Pipe. It should be so fun with just three girls out and hopefully backdoor will have a few fun ones.”

Steph Gilmore, who wrapped up her fourth consecutive ASP Women’s World Title in Puerto Rico already, worked her way in to yet another final at the O’Neill Women’s World Cup, this time finishing 3rd behind Tyler Wright and Coco Ho, moving her back to second place entering the final event of the Vans Triple Crown at Pipeline. “I guess I’m not in the lead for the Triple Crown, Tyler (Wright) is, and that’s pretty cool. I really struggled out there in my last heat. I didn’t watch it too much and it was extremely shallow.”

Steph, who topped Tyler at the Cholo’s Hawaiian Pro, the first jewel of the Vans Triple Crown, views the young Aussie as a welcome addition to next year’s ASP Women’s World Tour and is looking forward to battling against her throughout the 2011 season. “Tyler is really hungry,” Steph thinks. “She’ll be a good addition to the tour. She’s really good and hopefully we’ll be pushing each other. We need more girls like that on tour and I’m looking forward to the competition.”

The final stop on the 2010 Women’s Vans Triple Crown will see the current top four surfers on the ratings after the first two jewels, Tyler Wright, Stephanie Gilmore, Coco Ho, and Alana Blanchard (HAW), 20, battle for the prestigious ASP Specialty Series title in a one-heat battle at Pipeline, the Vans Duel for the Jewel. The event will take place during the Billabong Pipe Masters waiting period, December 8 through 20th, 2010.

For O’Neill Women’s World Cup highlights log on to triplecrownofsurfing.com

For additional ASP information log on to aspworldtour.com

Final
1 –
Tyler Wright (AUS) 17.24
2 – Coco Ho (HAW) 11.43
3 – Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 10.27
4 – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 9.96

Semifinals
Heat 1:
Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 16.03, Tyler Wright (AUS) 14.50, Silvana Lima (BRA) 14.00, Malia Manuel (HAW) 13.00
Heat 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 13.23, Coco Ho (HAW) 13.00, Melanie Bartels (HAW) 10.60, Carissa Moore (HAW) 10.43

Quarterfinals
Heat 1:
Tyler Wright (AUS) 12.67, Silvana Lima (BRA) 9.43, Bruna Schmitz (BRA) 9.43, Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 9.10
Heat 2: Malia Manuel (HAW) 15.67, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 12.94, Rebecca Woods (AUS) 8.94, Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 5.63
Heat 3: Coco Ho (HAW) 11.54, Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 11.33, Alana Blanchard (HAW) 10.86, Lee Ann Curren (FRA) 6.56
Heat 4: Carissa Moore (HAW) 16.83, Melanie Bartels (HAW) 14.20, Sage Erickson (USA) 11.84, Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS)

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