There are only a few weeks left before Rochelle Ballard (HAW)—the lone female challenger— takes her place alongside the guys: Sunny Garcia (HAW), Taylor Jensen (USA), David “Rasta” Rastovich (AUS), Fabio Gouveia (BRA), and defending champion Taylor “TK” Knox (USA).Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, is the ocean stage for the world’s most luxurious surfing contest.
Rochelle paved the way for female surfers to master the tube with her pioneering performance on Hawaii’s hollow, hard-breaking waves in the 1990s. From 1993 to 2001, she won eight circuit events and was a regular “Top 10” finisher in the world titles—most recently securing the 2012 Women’s Division ISA World Masters Surfing Championship. Since retiring from pro surfing, Rochelle has run her own successful “Surf into Yoga” wells retreat on Hawaii’s North Shore.
Featured in the movie, “Blue Crush,” Rochelle is also the co-founder of International Women’s Surfing (IWS), an organization dedicated to the progression of women’s competitive and recreational surfing. Definitely one of surfing’s elite, she’s perfectly poised to give any competitor, male or female, a run for their money. “It’s an honor to be a part of this speciality event in the Maldives,” says Rochelle, “I am really excited to be taking a surfing trip to such a beautiful destination.”
Adds event coordinator Mark Winson of Tropicsurf, “We’re stoked to have Rochelle on board. She adds another dimension to the competition—it’s both a battle of the sexes and a clash of world champions! and it’s really great to have a female surfing icon for all the local girls taking part in the Four Seasons Maldives Domestic Champions Trophy to look up to.”
“We’re stoked to have Rochelle on board. She adds another dimension to the competition—it’s both a battle of the sexes and a clash of world champions! and it’s really great to have a female surfing icon for all the local girls taking part in the Four Seasons Maldives Domestic Champions Trophy to look up to.”
The fourth annual Surfing Champions Trophy will take place at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, August 4th through the 11th, and comprises six ex-world champions battling for US $25,000 prize money across three epic events—single-fin, twin-fin, and triple-fin thrusters—all aboard the Maldives’ finest luxury surf vessel, Four Seasons Explorer.
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