Rip Curl Pro is Still on Hold

Another Lay Day for Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach

BELLS BEACH, Australia (Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2008) � Onshore winds and small surf in the two-to-three foot (1 metre) range prompted event organizers at the Rip Curl Pro pres. Snickers and the Rip Curl Women�s Pro pres. by Ford Fiesta to call competition off for the day, opting to hold out for a projected increase in swell over the next few days.

The second stop for both the ASP World Tour and the ASP Women�s World Tour, Bells Beach has yet to deliver the classic conditions it is renowned for. However, with a waiting period that extends until March 24 for the ASP Top 17 and March 29 for the ASP Top 45, and a solid swell forecast over the next few days, the world�s best surfers could be sinking their rails into Bells� classic walls shortly.

�The swell hasn�t quite hit yet and the conditions today are a bit sub-par,� Damien Hardman, Rip Curl Pro Contest Director, said. �Our swell forecasters are calling for a solid pulse to be hitting possibly Friday and through the weekend, so we�ll be looking to get our surfers out in the best possible conditions.�

When competition commences, Round 1 of the Rip Curl Pro will open up with 2006 ASP World Tour Rookie of the Year Bobby Martinez (USA) squaring off against Luke Munro (AUS) and Royden Bryson (ZAF) in the opening heat of competition.

Round 1 of the Rip Curl Women�s Pro will see the highly anticipated match-ups of reigning ASP Women�s World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) face off against veteran Hawaiian Megan Abubo as well as fiery Western Australian Claire Bevilacqua while current ratings leader Sofia Mulanovich (PER) takes on Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) and 2008 Dream Tour rookie Karina Petroni (USA).

For more information as well as the LIVE webcast, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

Rip Curl Pro pres. by Snickers Round 1 Match-Ups
Heat 1: Bobby Martinez (USA), Luke Munro (AUS), Royden Bryson (ZAF)
Heat 2: Dean Morrison (AUS), Dayyan Neve (AUS), Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 3: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Bruce Irons (HAW), Tiago Pires (PRT)
Heat 4: Pancho Sullivan (HAW), Neco Padaratz (BRA), Jihad Khodr (BRA)
Heat 5: Andy Irons (HAW), Jordy Smith (ZAF), Chris Ward (USA)
Heat 6: Bede Durbidge (AUS), Tim Reyes (USA), Daniel Ross (AUS)
Heat 7: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Ben Dunn (AUS), Nic Muscroft (AUS)
Heat 8: Mick Fanning (AUS), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Stuart Kennedy (AUS)
Heat 9: Taj Burrow (AUS), Leonardo Neves (BRA), Nathan Hedge (AUS)
Heat 10: Kelly Slater (USA), Adriano de Souza (BRA), Troy Brooks (AUS)
Heat 11: C.J. Hobgood (USA), Dane Reynolds (USA), Daniel Wills (AUS)
Heat 12: Kai Otton (AUS), Jay Thompson (AUS), Ricky Basnett (ZAF)
Heat 13: Tom Whitaker (AUS), Ben Bourgeois (USA), Fredrick Patacchia (HAW)
Heat 14: Taylor Knox (USA), Michael Campbell (AUS), Mikael Picon (FRA)
Heat 15: Damien Hobgood (USA), Kieren Perrow (AUS), Heitor Alves (BRA)
Heat 16: Luke Stedman (AUS), Roy Powers (HAW), Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA)

Rip Curl Women�s Pro pres. by Ford Fiesta Round 1 Match-Ups
Heat 1: Layne Beachley (AUS), Julia De La Rosa (PER), Nicola Atherton (AUS)
Heat 2: Samantha Cornish (AUS), Megan Abubo (HAW), Claire Bevilacqua (AUS)
Heat 3: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Jacqueline Silva (BRA), Alana Blanchard (HAW)
Heat 4: Sofia Mulanovich (AUS), Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS), Karina Petroni (USA)
Heat 5: Silvana Lima (BRA), Rosanne Hodge (ZAF), Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS)
Heat 6: Amee Donohoe (AUS), Rebecca Woods (AUS), Serena Brooke (AUS)