TSB Bank Women’s Surf Festival

TARANAKI, New Zealand. The ASP Women’s World Tour is visiting New Zealand’s Taranaki region April 10th – April 16th 2010

The Taranaki Women’s Surf Festival will host the world’s best female surfers along Taranaki’s Surf Highway 45, with mobile venue options including famed locations such as Fitzroy Beach, Rocky Point, Stent Road and Opunake.

The region is ripe with world class waves and it’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase the talents of our outstanding female athletes.

Paige Hareb (NZL), 19, 2009 ASP Dream Tour rookie and current ASP World No. 3, is New Zealand’s first female ambassador at surfing’s elite level of competition, and the addition of another ASP Dream Tour event in her backyard could prove advantageous to the young goofy-footer’s bid for an ASP Women’s World Title.

I’m pretty happy about the ASP Women’s World Tour coming to my home town in New Zealand next year, Hareb said. I know a lot of the girls have never been before and have wanted to come here for a long time. The surf is really consistent around that time of the year so I can’t wait to show the girls what my coast has to offer. It’s going to be pretty exciting!

“This is the first ever World Tour event to be held in New Zealand making this a historic step for both professional surfing and sports in the country,” Brooke Farris, ASP Women’s World Tour Manager, said.

New Zealand’s Taranaki, for their part, are ecstatic to host the world’s best female surfers next season. In addition to adding an ASP Women’s World Tour event to the 2010 schedule, Taranaki will also host an ASP Grade-3 Girl’s Pro Junior, boasting the richest prize purse on the ASP Australasia Pro Junior Girl’s Series, AUD $8,000.

Surfing sits at the heart of Taranaki’s innovation and culture, Stuart Trundle, Chief Executive of Venture Taranaki Trust, said. We’re stoked that Taranaki has been chosen as the venue to host the New Zealand leg of the ASP Dream Tour next year. This event gives us the opportunity to showcase our world-class athletes, the legendary point breaks they call home, and the innovative surf industry that’s grown here.

Come down and enjoy the festival village with free entertainment and activities throughout the week.

The next stop on the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour will be the RipCurl Women’s Pro at Bells beach Victoria, Australia March 30th – April 5th.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com