South Africa’s Rosanne Hodge,22, will go into the final event on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour, the Billabong Pro Maui at Honolua Bay, Hawaii, ranked No. 9 and well placed to re-qualify for a fourth consecutive year at the elite level of women’s competition.
Hodge was bundled out of the Gidget Pro at Sunset Beach in last place following two low scoring heats, but SA’s sole representative on the Women’s Dream Tour will be hoping that she can maintain her record at the Honolua Bay event where she has posted her best results for the past two years – a 3rd place finish in 2007 and 5th last year.
Hodge has finished No. 12 in the yearend rankings the past two years, re-qualifying due to retirements in her first year and via her ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) ranking last year. This year she finished outside the WQS qualification spots and needs to retain her position in the top 10 on the World Tour in order to qualify for another year at women’s surfing top table.
The Billabong Pro Maui has a waiting period that runs from 8-20 December.