World Tour Qualification For Hareb, Mason Misses By One Spot

Paige Hareb (Tara) has qualified for the 2012 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Women's World Tour for the fourth consecutive year after finishing fifth at an event in Europe overnight. Meanwhile 16 year old Sarah Mason (Gis) has devastatingly missed qualification on a count-back after finishing thirteenth at the event at the hands of Hareb.

Hareb has finished the year ranked sixth overall while Mason finished in eighth equal.

"It's been a long day, after that first heat where I had to 'sit' on Sarah (Mason) I didn't know what to think and just felt kind of sick cause there was so many emotions going through me" said Hareb of her early match up against fellow Kiwi Sarah Mason.

"It's all done and dusted now though and I feel relieved more than happy" she added.

This year has proven to be a tight battle for requalification, a predicament that Hareb is well aware of being in.

"I guess I lost my way during the year. I had been in touch with my coach Cheyne Horan recently and he talked to me about my heat strategy so I listened to him and tried to change it at the Pantin event and I ended up fifth there so I felt confident and used that heat strategy again for the Azores event and got another fifth" commented Hareb on how the final two events unfolded.

Mason, despite finishing eighth (the cut off point for qualification being sixth), had two surfers ahead of her - Courtney Conlogue (USA), Sofia Mulanovich (PER) who both qualified via the 2011 Women's World Tour rankings.

To make things even more agonising come qualification time, Mason was tied for eighth place with French surfer Justine Dupont who eventually won on a count-back of each of the surfers best three results.

A tense final day of competition unfolded at the Billabong Azores Pro, the final event of the year for the girls. The surf was 1.0m - 1.5m with pumping peaks up and down the beach and offshore wind conditions.

Hareb finished the event in fifth place after losing to eventual event winner Malia Manual (HAW) in the tightest heat of the event 11.40 vs 11.33. Hareb was left requiring a 3.90 point ride but came up short.

Earlier in the day Hareb eliminated Mason in the second round in what was ultimately the end of the qualification road for Mason. It was another close heat where the girls were pitted against Manual who ran away with the heat. Hareb and Mason battled it out for the second qualifying position with Hareb getting the nod 11.07 to Mason's 10.16.

"I approached that heat like any other heat" said Hareb. "It doesn't matter who's in the heat, at the end of the day you have to look after yourself and pretend the other girls in the water with you are just cabbages."

"I think I did feel sick after that heat though because I did have to sit on Sarah and knock her out. It was a crucial heat for her too but it worked out well for me in the end."

The result left Mason with a long day at the beach requiring other results to fall her way. Her three closest opponents were Sarah Baum (ZAF), Justine Dupont (FRA) and Dimity Stoyle (AUS). Mason required Baum to lose in the following round which she did leaving two more threats. Stoyle placed fifth losing to Lakey Peterson (USA) and was out of the race.

Mason then required Dupont to place lower than fifth but the French surfer eased through the third round to tie with Mason on points and that was enough to see her qualify leaving Mason one place short.

Thanks to an early finish to the competitive season this year, Hareb now has five months to prepare for the 2012 Tour. Mason will turn her attention to the ASP World Pro Junior Tour which starts in Brazil in one weeks time before hitting the qualification road again in 2012.

Hareb will take some time out to recharge her batteries and focus on another big year of competition starting with the Roxy Pro at Snapper Rocks, Gold Coast Australia in late February, early March.

"I only really have five months max till the first event next year. I'm going to relax for now and go somewhere random like Ibiza and not surf but I want to train harder and try harder for next year."

"I have had a lot of fun this year but more being a tourist and not a pro surfer. I don't regret it but I guess I would like to really try one year. I also had a few annoying little injuries during the year which didn't help but the last two events things finally started clicking so I'm excited for next year" ended Hareb.

Final 2011 ASP Women's World Rankings
1, Courtney Conlogue, USA, 15780
2, Malia Manuel, HAW, 9660
3, Lakey Peterson, USA, 9080
4, Sage Erickson, USA, 8680
5, Rebecca Woods, AUS, 8200
6, Paige Hareb, NZL, 7800
7, Sofia Mulanovich, PER, 7320
8, Justine Dupont, FRA, 6800
8, Sarah Mason, NZL, 6800
10, Dimity Stoyle, AUS, 6400