Steph Gilmore : photo ASP/Kirstin

Rip Curl’s Stephanie Gilmore has kick started her quest for a fourth consecutive world crown in perfect style by taking out the season-opening event at Snapper Rocks today in front of a raucous hometown crowd.

In punchy 2-3 foot waves, the reigning three-time ASP World Champion was able to capture an early heat lead and defeat Hawaiian veteran Melanie Bartels in the final, claiming her third title at Snapper Rocks.

"It's definitely a dream start," Gilmore said. "I didn't really expect to win here. The waves weren't so great. I definitely didn't put in as incredible performance as I would have wanted to, and I'm sure Mel (Bartels) has the same feeling, but at the end of the day, I'm happy to win, that's awesome!"

Gilmore first won her hometown event as a 17-year-old wildcard in 2005 and claimed top honors again in 2009. The defending event champion led from start to finish in the 30-minute decider, posting a solid 6.83 on her very first ride and later adding a 5.57 to give her a combined two-wave score of 12.40 out of a possible 20.

Bartels tried hard but never seriously challenged the champ, managing only a 6.33 and a 4.03 for a combined two-wave score of 10.36. "I was definitely really relaxed but kind of nervous at the same time - just a little mixture of feelings," Gilmore said. "As defending event champ and defending world champ, I guess it put some pressure on me to win this event so it feels god to win."

Gilmore maintains her lead on the ASP Women’s World Tour rankings as she heads into the second event of the year, the Rip Curl Pro Surf & Music Festival at Bells Beach from March 30 to April 5.

www.ripcurl.com