From February 27th to March 10th, 2010, the best male and female surfers on the planet will come together on the Gold Coast of Australia, to compete in the Quiksilver & Roxy Pro Gold Coast; the opening events of the ASP World Tour 2010.
The 2010 edition of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast will host the Top 45 elite surfers of the World. Kelly Slater (USA), the 9-times World Champion, is the only non-Australian to have won this event twice. Australian Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson, respectively double World Champion and 2009 runner up, are both solid contenders for the first victory of the season. Flying the French flag is Jérémy Florès, whose ankle injury forced his withdrawal from the last three events of the 2009 season, and who is today the sole French representative on Tour. He hopes to regain his place inside the World’s Top 10.
The trials event of the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast held on 26th February, is a battle for a wildcard slot into the main event. Only the winner of the trials will join the surfers of “The Dream Tour”. These young stars of the surfing world include: Frenchman Maxime Huscenot who was recently crowned World ASP Junior Champion, Brazilian wonder kid Gabriel Medina winner of ‘The King of the Groms’ 2009, and the Australian junior Matt Banting who was crowned ‘ISA World Champion Under 16’.
The Gold Coast Pro also hosts the World’s Top 18 female surfers of the ASP Women's World Tour 2010. Amongst this Top 18 is the French surfer Lee Ann Curren, the 3rd Frenchwoman in history to qualify for the elite circuit of female surfing. The daughter of the legendary Tom Curren and at only 20 years old, Lee Ann becomes the youngest European to join the upper echelon of the best surfers of the world. To succeed in the big league, Lee Ann will have to compete and hustle against the well-established Australian supremacy. The locals at this event include Stephanie Gilmore (Aus) the 3-times World champion and Sally Fitzgibbons (Aus) ranked 5th in the World. Both will be classed as favourites at this first event of the 2010 World Tour.
Amongst the next generation of female surf stars, is the Frenchwoman Johanne Defay bronze medallist at the ASP World Junior Championships 2009. She will compete in the Roxy Pro Gold Coast Trials, alongside the likes of ASP World Junior Champion Laura Enever (Aus), for a chance to surf against the best surfers on the planet.
