PIERRE TOSTEE / TOSTEE@ASPWORLDTOUR.COM
Rochelle Ballard of Omao, Kauai, advanced to the quarterfinals of the Billabong Pro Maui at Honolua Bay yesterday and takes on Keala Kennelly, also of Kauai, in her quarterfinal heat.
Californian wild card Julia Christian shocked women's surfing in the Billabong Pro Maui yesterday by eliminating four-time ASP world champion Australian Layne Beachley in round three at Maui's Honolua Bay. Beachley bounced
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Christian's victory not only advanced her further in the competition, but may have also cost Beachley a record fifth straight world title.
Beachley could have clinched the record-breaking world title with a second-place or better finish. Her loss has now granted fellow Australian Melanie Redman an opportunity to take over the ASP championship. If Redman reaches the finals, she will assume the points lead and the title.
"Honestly, I'm numb right now with shock and disappointment," said Beachley. "It's frustrating, as I fell on my first wave and that's what lost me the heat. If you want to win heats and world titles you can't fall, and I fell. It comes down to being able to win or lose a world title on one wave in one heat, it's pretty disappointing. It's out of my hands now and I don't like the feel of it."
Earlier in the day, Christian kicked off the contest by winning the Vespa Trials to gain her wild-card entry into the main event. In the first day of the waiting period, Christian defeated Maui surfers Paige Alms, Elise Garrigue, Melissa Proud, Rosalie Nolin and Lilia Boerner in clean 3-4 foot surf.
The victory propelled Christian into the main event where she would begin with a loss to Beachley in the opening non-elimination round of the main event. The 20-year-old then helped eliminate four-time world champion Lisa Anderson in the second round, before meeting Beachley again, head-to-head, in the day's final third-round decider.
Having trailed for the majority of the 35-minute heat, Christian posted her highest score, a 7.75, on her third ride, taking the lead from Beachley for good in the final minutes.
"This contest I'm just a wild card, so I figured I'm just going to have fun and surf my best," said Christian. "That was probably my best wave of the whole contest. I knew it would probably be a good enough score to win the heat, so I was stoked."
Redman will meet 2002 World Qualifying Series winner Pauline Menczer when surfing resumes. Menczer defeated fellow Australian and current No. 3 Lynette MacKenzie.
"I'm fairly relaxed," said Redman, of her world title prospects. "I pretty much have to win the event, so it's dependent on a lot of factors and I haven't got myself worked up over it."
The winner of the Billabong Pro event pockets $10,000 and earns valuable points in the Triple Crown of Surfing championship, a trio of events for women on Hawaii's North Shore.
The ASP world championship and the Triple Crown winner are expected to be decided on the event's final day.
Vans Triple Crown of Surfing
