The Estoril Billabong Girls 2009

Photo: Sylvain Cazenave
 

Australian Sally Fitzgibbons won at the 05.05.09 the Estoril Billabong Girls, a Women’s 6 Star WQS, with 18.60 out of a possible 20 points, setting the seal on the competition and at the same time the Estoril Surf Festival.

Second place in this three-day event held between Carcavelos, Guincho and S. Pedro do Estoril, went to Hawaiian Coco Ho (with 16.90 points), with Hawaiian Carissa Moore and Australian Jessi Miley-Dyer finishing third ex-aequo.

This is the third time that 18 year-old Sally Fitzgibbons has won a surfing event in Portugal, out of three visits to our country. She performed at the very highest level throughout the event, triggering one of the most competitive women’s surfing finals ever at Bafureira beach in São Pedro do Estoril.

With the weather conditions perfect for the sport, thousands of onlookers crammed the beach to cheer on the competitors, who demonstrated rare finesse and mastery in the way they rode the perfect 4 to 5 feet waves.

The Estoril Coast’s natural conditions for surfing exceeded all expectations, according to Brodie Carr, CEO of ASP International (Association of Surfing Professionals), who said that this was “the place that offered probably the best waves that a women’s contest has seen in recent years”.

The European Surf-photography pioneer, Sylvain Cazenave was there and he made some nice shots. Check it out!