04/26/24
December 17, 2005
Chelsea wins world title.: Well, OK, not that Chelsea. Ms Chelsea Georgeson is the new world surfing champion, as rival and former champion Sophia Mulanovich is knocked out of the Billabong Pro in Hawaii.
Competitive surfing is something I don't know nearly enough about. It's cool to see the wide range of countries participating at the worlds, though. This is cool to know about. Thanks for posting this, owlhouse.
posted by chicobangs at 07:00 PM on December 17, 2005
No problem, chico. If you want to see something really serious, google 'Teahupoo', the Tahitian break and check out the photos. I wouldn't even paddle out. Chelsea's reign may not last very long, however. Stephanie Gilmore, another one of our NSW north coast home girls, is turning pro next year. She's only 17 and stayed home to finish high school. Stephanie only surfed one tournament this year (Snapper Rocks), and won it.
posted by owlhouse at 01:20 AM on December 18, 2005
Good, I can editorialise now. I first saw Chelsea Georgeson a few years ago when she was a teenager. The occasion was the expression session at the Roxy Pro at Snapper Rocks on the Gold Coast. She was in the water with Layne Beachley (and others) and absolutely blew the leading surfers away. I've never seen such power and big wave confidence. Layne Beachley is supposed to have once asked 'Who's that guy?' when she first saw Chelsea Georgeson in Hawaii. The world title means that she has now harnessed discipline to her talent. Unfortunately this usually means not being as spectacular. Which is why expression sessions are better than the actual tournament rounds.