Nissan Super Girl Surf Pro Wraps With a Cinderella Finish: Samantha Sibley Bests Tatiana Weston-Webb to Earn Her First Title and Become the Contest's Youngest Champ; Caroline Marks and Bronte Macaulay Tie for Third
Record-Breaking Crowds Packed the Iconic Oceanside Pier for the Competition, Nissan Concert Series with Natasha Bedingfield, New Adaptive Surf Heat & More
OCEANSIDE, Calif., July 30, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Seventeen year-old emerging star Samantha Sibley (San Clemente, CA) overcame a stacked field of top-ranked competitors to top the Nissan Super Girl Surf Pro podium, earning her first World Qualifying Series (QS) title and becoming the youngest champion to wear the coveted contest cape. Previous Super Girl Pro champ, Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) finished second, with last year's runner-up Caroline Marks (USA), and Bronte Macaulay (AUS) earning equal third.
With her win today, Sibley skyrockets from No. 52 to No. 6 on the QS rankings and now has a strong shot to land a spot on the Championship Tour (CT) next season.
"This is the best day of my life! I can't believe I just won the Super Girl Pro," exclaimed an overwhelmed Sibley. "I've been coming to this event ever since I was little, standing on this beach, taking pictures with all my heroes, and now to be the Super Girl . . . I'm at a loss for words."
Sibley's versatile approach helped her garner some of the day's highest scores -- including the event's highest heat total of a 15.76 (out of a possible 20) in Round 5 and a single wave score of 8.00 (out of a possible 10) in the Final.
The friendships amongst the competitors in this event is well-known and even more evident after the Semi-finals, when the first person to congratulate Sibley was Weston-Webb.
Weston-Webb, a CT veteran, has attended the Super Girl Pro contest every year and has rarely found herself not competing on finals day. The 23-year-old fought her way through the likes of Teresa Bonvalot (PRT), Leilani McGonagle (CRI), and Bronte Macaualy (AUS) with impressive numbers of her own, including a 15.10 heat total in the Semifinals.
See www.supergirlpro.com/super-girl-pro-results for full contest results and http://bit.ly/SGP2019vidimages for images and broll.
NEW THIS YEAR: OLIVIA STONE WINS FIRST ADAPTIVE SURF COMPETITION
More young sensations topped the winner's podium. Sixteen year-old Olivia Stone and 11-year-old Faith Lennox finished first and second, respectively, in the first ever Super Girl Surf Pro Adaptive Heat. Retired USMC Captain Sarah Bettencourt earned third.
With famed pro-surfer Bethany Hamilton (HAW) providing commentary, six female adaptive surfers took to the water, inspiring everyone on the beach. Stone, a congenital bilateral above the elbow amputee, earned top honors.
"To be announced as the winner was a moment I will always remember," said Stone. "If you have a passion and you want to pursue it, just keep charging. I want to show everyone that women are strong and we are super!"
BEYOND THE SURF: NISSAN CONCERT SERIES, SUPER GIRL GAMER PRO, MORE
The weekend-long event saw record-breaking crowds, women-powered entertainment and inspiration in and out of the water. Natasha Bedingfield headlined the 20-act Nissan Concert Series and the only all-female, multi-title esports tournament in the U.S, Super Girl Gamer Pro, drew gamers to the beachfront Esports Arena.
"We are committed to the Super Girl Pro Series of surf and snow events and their mission to celebrate female empowerment and strength," said Shawn Mirabal, regional vice president, Nissan North America. "As a company, we have the opportunity to help inspire the next generation of women through action sports. We look forward to continuing our support in 2020."
Contact:
Jennifer Chidester
858-472-1952
[email protected]
SOURCE ASA Entertainment
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