ASP European Women's Champion 2009 to be crowned at Estoril Festival

The international field will have to face Europe's rising generation of promising talents including reigning ASP Women's World Junior Champion Pauline Ado.

The Estoril Billabong Girls Festival, an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) Women's 6-Star event, will run its third edition in a month on the famous surf coast of Estoril at Guincho, Portugal, where some of the world's best female surfers will gather for a shot at the valuable points on offer.The event, which is the only confirmed stop on this year's ASP European WQS Women's Tour, will also crown the 2009 ASP European Women's Champion with the best European performer in the Estoril Girls Festival being crowned at the end of the event on May 3rd, 2009.

"The organisers have done a great job and managed to find the support to run this only event in Europe," ASP Europe Manager Julie Audibert said. "Therefore, the best European female surfer in the event will become our 2009 ASP European Women's Champion and we expect a great show as many girls of the ASP Women's World Tour have already confirmed their entry into the Estoril Girls Festival." With a month only before the crucial event gets underway in Portugal, the presence of several elite ASP Top 17 girls including last year's winner Jacqueline Silva (BRA) and runner-up Rebecca Woods (AUS) as well as ASP Women's World Tour rookies Paige Hareb (NZL), Bruna Schmitz (BRA), Alana Blanchard (HAW) and rising phenomenon Carissa Moore (HAW), is confirmed.

"The entry list so far is impressive and with the level displayed so far by the girls on tour the ASP WQS 6-Star Estoril Girls Festival promises to bring a spectacular show," ASP Europe Tour Manager Gregoire Puget said. "The international field will still have to face Europe's rising generation of promising talents including reigning ASP Women's World Junior Champion Pauline Ado (FRA)." The European contingent will be much awaited in Portugal with 18-year-old Ado leading a solid group of young and more experienced surfers including former ASP Top 17 member and second French and European surfer ever to qualify for the Dream Tour Caroline Sarran (FRA). History shows that the ASP European title has been revealing the talents of great surfers in both men and women divisions and this one-off battle for the 2009 crown will bring even more climax to the prestigious gathering of female surfers.