Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) took home the first-ever women’s Nixon WTA (Winner-Takes-All) title and award at the Billabong Pro Maui after capturing a heat score of 19.67, the highest-ranking score of the event. Gilmore overtook contenders Melanie Bartels (HAW) and Silvana Lima (BRA) who had heat scores of 17.54 and 16.70 respectively, and walked away with a custom Nixon watch valued at over $10,000. Gilmore also claimed the title as the overall Triple Crown Winner for the second year in a row, as well as being victorious as the winner of the Billabong Pro for her third year.

The custom watch for the women’s WTA features a Swiss Made automatic movement highlighted with four baguette cut rubies, seven baguette cut diamonds, a custom-engraved caseback commemorating the event, a white ceramic band and a Hawaiian flag at the 12:00 position.

The women’s Nixon WTA took place during the Billabong Pro at the world-famous Honolua Bay from December 8–9 where each woman at the event was in the running to win a custom Nixon watch for the highest single heat score. Any round from trials to finals counted, leaving the WTA award open to all contenders during the event.

The Nixon WTA has been a part of four stops along the Men’s ASP World Tour for the past three years and the Billabong Pro in Maui marked the first time the Nixon WTA joined the women along the way.

About the Billabong Pro:
The final contest on the 2009 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Women's World Tour, the Billabong Pro Maui is considered the crown jewel of women’s competition. As part of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing the Billabong Pro Maui showcases the world's top female pro surfers in three Hawaiian tournaments that run concurrently with the men's Series. The WQS at Haleiwa, the Sunset Beach women’s world tour event and the Billabong Pro Maui will collectively determine the 2009 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing champion, and ultimately, the coveted Women’s World Champion. For more information, please visit: triplecrownofsurfing.com

About Nixon
Founded in 1997 in Encinitas, CA, Nixon is the premium watch and accessories brand for the youth lifestyle market. Focused on making the little stuff better, Nixon began with a small line of team-designed, custom-built watches sold exclusively in specialty boardsport and fashion retailers. Currently distributed in over 40 countries, Nixon’s product range has grown to include select men’s and women’s softgoods, leather goods and custom headphones. For more information, please visit: NixonNow.com

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Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, took out the final stop on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour today, the Billabong Pro Maui, in clean four-to-six foot (1.5 metre) conditions at the iconic pointbreak of Honolua Bay over Sofia Mulanovich (PER), 26, clinching her third consecutive Billabong Pro Maui title after three years of competition at the premier event. Gilmore wrapped up her dominating season amongst the Top 17 by claiming her second consecutive Vans Triple Crown title today as well.

Gilmore capped the year off in appropriate form after claiming her third ASP Women’s World Title at the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach, when she advanced over Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 18, in the Semifinals, en route to defending her flawless record at the Billabong Pro Maui while claiming the prized Hawaiian specialty series and the beefed up $25,000 prize purse supplied by Vans.

“Once again, Maui has just been incredible and to win this event three times in a row is just awesome,” Gilmore said. “I couldn’t have been happier with the way things have gone today. Winning the Vans Triple Crown is definitely up there with winning the World Title and it’s definitely one of the biggest accolades of surfing professionally. I can’t believe it’s all happening again, it’s awesome.”

Gilmore absolutely dominated the day’s proceedings, blitzing the highest heat total of the entire 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour season by surfing a near-perfect heat of 19.67 out of 20 to usurp Samantha Cornish (AUS), 29, in her Quarterfinals heat before topping Fitzgibbons and Mulanovich en route to her second ASP Women’s World Tour win of 2009.

“I guess it’s a little surprising,” Gilmore said. “I would have thought that the highest heat total would have gone down yesterday with all of the barrels. Today there are still some rippable waves out there, but I don’t know. I just went surfing.”

Mulanovich campaigned through a lengthy day of competition, topping Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), 23, Australian veteran Rebecca Woods (AUS), 25, and ASP Women’s World No. 2 Silvana Lima (BRA), 25, but was unable to top Gilmore for the victory and claimed a runner-up finish at the final event of the year to finish her season ASP Women’s World No. 3.

“It’s been a great day,” Mulanovich said. “Congratulations to Steph (Gilmore). She’s a champ and a hero to all of us and thanks to the sponsors of the event and my family and friends. It’s been a great event.”

Fitzgibbons navigated the Honolua Bay lineup with poise and maturity beyond her years and posted some amazing scores before falling in her Semifinals bout against Gilmore, but clinched an impressive heat victory over Coco Ho (HAW), 18, in the Quarterfinals on the way to her third place finish.

“I always love surfing heats with Coco (Ho),” Fitzgibbons said. “She always pushes my level up and I usually have my best heats with her. She’s also a really great friend. I wish there were more waves so we could have dueled a little bit more. She surfed amazing this year and my hat goes off to her.”

Lima, who smashed one of two perfect 10-point rides during the Billabong Pro Maui with amazing barrel riding in yesterday’s action, was in stellar form for the final day of competition, but was overtaken by former Peruvian ASP Women’s World Champion, Mulanovich, in the dying minutes of their Semifinals heat, taking a third place finish to wrap up her year while finishing ASP Women’s World No. 2 for 2009.

“The waves were a lot smaller than yesterday, but it was still good,” Lima said. “Sometimes the heats were slow, but the conditions were still great.”

For Billabong Pro Maui highlights, videos, photos and more log on to www.triplecrownofsurfing.com or www.billabongpro.com

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines Final:
1 - Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 18.00
2 – Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 10.17

Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines Semifinals Results:
Heat 1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 16.03 def. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 14.94
Heat 2: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 13.83 def. Silvana Lima (BRA) 11.70

Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines Quarterfinals Results:
Heat 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 15.83 def. Coco Ho (HAW) 15.83
Heat 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 19.67 def. Samantha Cornish (AUS) 7.26
Heat 3: Silvana Lima 16.70 def. Melanie Bartels (HAW) 7.20
Heat 4: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 12.77 def. Rebecca Woods (AUS) 6.50

Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines Round 3 Result:
Heat 8: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 9.50 def. Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 8.17

Final 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour ratings
1. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
2. Silvana Lima (BRA)
3. Sofia Mulanovich (PER)
4. Coco Ho (HAW)
5. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)
6. Melanie Bartels (HAW)
7. Chelsea Hedges (AUS)
8. Paige Hareb (NZL)
9. Rebecca Woods (AUS)
10. Rosanne Hodge (ZAF)
11. Samantha Cornish (AUS)
12. Jacqueline Silva (BRA)
13. Alana Blanchard (HAW)
14. Bruna Schmitz (BRA)
15. Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS)
16. Amee Donohoe (AUS)
17. Megan Abubo (HAW)
18. Layne Beachley (AUS)


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The last of seven stops on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour season, the Billabong Pro Maui presented by Hawaiian Airlines, is on this morning in good six foot (2 metre) conditions at Maui’s iconic pointbreak of Honolua Bay and will crown a champion by day’s end.

The culmination for the ASP Women’s World Tour season plays a critical role in several surfers’ campaigns towards requalification for the 2010 ASP Women’s Dream Tour. The Billabong Pro Maui also represents the final event of the Vans Triple Crown, which boasts an additional prize purse of $25,000 to this year’s winner.

Due to a compromising interference by a non-competitor in the Heat 8 of Round 3 yesterday, this morning’s action will rerun the heat and follow through with Quarterfinals, eventually crowning the 2009 Billabong Pro Maui and Vans Triple Crown champion by day’s end.

“We’ve got good six foot waves today and we want to capitalize on this swell, so we’ll crown a champion this afternoon,” Rodney Kilborn, Billabong Pro Maui Contest Director, said.

Yesterday’s action saw three-time ASP Women’s World Champion and two-time Billabong Pro Maui champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, clinch the day’s highest heat total while overtaking the Vans Triple Crown Ratings. ASP Women’s World No. 2 Silvana Lima (BRA), 25, was also a leader in yesterday’s competition, earning the day’s only perfect 10-point ride with a throttling barrel.

The Billabong Pro Maui will begin at 8am local time. For live scores, heats on demand, photos, video and more, log on to www.triplecrownofsurfing.com or www.billabongpro.com

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com


Billabong Pro Maui pres. By Hawaiian Airlines Quarterfinal Match-Ups:
QF 1: Coco Ho (HAW) vs. Sally Fitzgibbons (HAW)
QF 2: Samantha Cornish (AUS) vs. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS)
QF 3: Silvana Lima (BRA) vs. Melanie Bartels (HAW)
QF 4: Rebecca Woods (AUS) vs. TBD

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The final stop on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour, the Billabong Pro Maui, is on this morning in pumping eight-foot (2.5 metre) surf at Maui’s famed pointbreak of Honolua Bay.

The Billabong Pro Maui is not only critical to surfers’ campaigns on the bubble for requalification for the 2010 ASP Women’s World Tour, but is also the final stop on the prestigious Vans Triple Crown.

The Billabong Pro Maui Trials will kick off this morning’s action and will see top up-and-comer Carissa Moore (HAW), 17, who claimed the last event on the ASP Women’s World Tour at Sunset Beach, battle for a spot in the main event against fellow trialists Felicity Palmateer, Paige Alms, Monyca Byrne-Wickey, Lani Doherty and Kati Minami. Competition will then launch directly into Round 1 of the main event and will continue through to Round 3 to conclude the day’s proceedings.

“We’ve got great surf this morning and are going to start the event off with the trials before beginning Round 1 of competition,” Rodney Kilborn, Billabong Pro Maui Contest Director, said. "We want to capitalize on the great surf at Honolua today and plan on running through Round 3.”

The Billabong Pro Maui will begin at 8am local time and holds a waiting period from December 8 through 20, 2009. Event information, live scoring and heats on demand can be found via www.triplecrownofsurfing.com or www.billabongpro.com

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

Billabong Pro Maui Round 1 Match-ups
Heat 1: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Paige Hareb (NZL), Bruna Schmitz (BRA)
Heat 2: Coco Ho (HAW), Samantha Cornish (AUS), Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS)
Heat 3: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Jacqueline Silva (BRA), TBA
Heat 4: Silvana Lima (BRA), Rebecca Woods (AUS), TBA
Heat 5: Sofia Mulanovich (PER), Rosanne Hodge (ZAF), Megan Abubo (HAW)
Heat 6: Chelsea Hedges (AUS), Melanie Bartels (HAW), Alana Blanchard (HAW)

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