Career best finish for Southern Cape surfer

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

South Africa's Bianca Buitendag produced her career best performance to reach the final of the Roxy Pro Gold Coast presented by BOQ, before finishing runner-up at the first stop on the 2014 Samsung Galaxy ASP Women's World Championship Tour (WCT) at Snapper Rocks, Queensland, Australia on Tuesday. .

Buitendag, 20, (Victoria Bay) posted a convincing victory over Lakey Peterson (USA) in their semi-final match-up held in excellent one to 1.5 metre waves to reach the final of a WCT event for the first time in just her second year at the top level of women's surfing.

The 2013 ASP Women's Rookie of the Year's hopes of a fairytale maiden victory were dashed by five time ASP Women's World Champion and Snapper Rocks local, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), who won her fifth Roxy Pro title with a dominant showing.

Buitendag's confidence boosting run to the final, during which she also defeated 2013 ASP No. 2 Tyler Wright (AUS) in the quarter-finals, Alessa Quizon (HAW) in Round 4 and Laura Enever (AUS) in Round 2, sees the South African jump to No. 2 on the 2014 Women's WCT going into the next event, the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro in Western Australia, starting on 2 April.

The Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast presented by BOQ, Stop No. 1 on the Samsung Galaxy ASP WCT, was won by Gabriel Medina, 19, who became the first Brazilian winner of the event and the first goofy-foot surfer (rides with right foot in front) to clinch the title since 2004.

Medina scored a sensational come-from-behind victory over home-town favourite and 2012 ASP World Champion Joel Parkinson who had led throughout the 35 minute final after opening his account with a ride of 9.0 (out of 10). As he had done against Taj Burrow (AUS) in the semis and three-time ASP World Champ, Mick Fanning (AUS), in the quarters, Medina kept his challenge going until the final seconds of each heat, scoring buzzer-beating victories on each occasion.

South Africa's Travis Logie finished 13th overall after defeating Hawaiian prodigy John John Florence in Round 2 before falling to Burrow in Round 3. Jordy Smith, ranked No. 4 at the end of 2013, was uncharacteristically eliminated early in the event to finish equal 25th.

All the action from the Quiksilver and Roxy Pro Gold Coast events can be found at www.aspworldtour.com