Hawaiian Carissa Moore Crowned Youngest Ever Surfing World Champion

BIARRITZ, France, July 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- History was made today in Biarritz, France as Carissa Moore became the youngest ever Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Women's World Champion at a mere 18-years old. The Oahu, Hawaii native also added two other records to her already outstanding young career. Moore celebrated the first world title for a Hawaiian in 30 years, since Margo Oberg's crowning in 1981. Additionally, Moore clinched the championship with one event still left to go on the world tour, and made it to the finals in all six events thus far this season, another first in ASP history.

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"It feels amazing to make all these finals and win the title," Moore said. "I have been thinking about this for a long time, since I was a little girl. I have had this goal written on my door and it has been waiting there for a long time to be ticked off, so I can't wait to go home and cross it off." Moore added, "Just to be here right now and being world champ is pretty crazy. I dreamed of surfing at this level my whole life since I was a little kid and I don't think you can ever expect or anticipate the feeling. There are way too many people to thank, but my Dad, he has been here every step of the way and I could not have done this without him. It's so much sweeter having him part of my team. I want to thank my sponsors Nike, Target and Red Bull. I couldn't do it without them. My family, my uncles and aunts and my grandparents."

Hawaii's Carissa Moore has been hailed as one of surfing's most exciting competitors since she was a grom. Before Carissa had even started her sophomore year in high school, she won 11 National Scholastic Surfing Association Championships and became the youngest female ever to grace the cover of SURFER magazine, as well as the youngest-ever Van's Triple Crown event champion. As an Association of Surfing Professionals Tour rookie in 2010, she won multiple events, including the TSB Bank Women's Surf Festival in New Zealand, where the warm, bubbly athlete donated her winnings to a local boardriders' club for children. The same season saw Carissa score an impressive victory at the U.S. Open of Surfing, earning the richest first-place purse in women's surfing history.

SOURCE Red Bull