Sofia and Curren Win US Open Women's Titles

Tom's Daughter, Lee Anne Curren, wins Target Pro Junior.

ASP Women’s World Tour campaigner and current ASP World Junior Champ, Miley-Dyer looked dangerous all week as she steamrolled towards the finals. After taking down defending U.S. Open Champ Julia Christian (Carlsbad, CA) in her morning heat, the powerful goofy-footer looked poised for the podium. Failing to put together a solid combination of scores in the final, she was forced to settle for a second place showing.

“I got one wave but I didn’t get much after that,” Miley-Dyer said. “The conditions changed and Sofia moved down to the rights and I stuck with the lefts I’d been surfing all event which, in hindsight, was probably a mistake.”

Miley-Dyer’s runner-up finish earned her $2,300 and also moved her into first place on the women’s ASP WQS ratings.

“I’ve done all the WQS events this year,” Miley-Dyer said. “I’m not doing too well on the World Tour this season – and since it’s my first year, I knew I would be surfing all the qualifying events. I’ve actually made all the finals now so that’s pretty cool, but I hate coming second. I’ve had three second-place finishes and I’m over it.”

Amee Donohoe (McMasters Beach, AUS) surfed brilliantly throughout the entire event but was unable to find the waves needed to advance past a rampaging Miley-Dyer in the semifinals. Her efforts still garnered her an equal third-place finish, $1,900 and 1,825 ASP points to move her up three spots to eighth on the WQS ratings.

“I’m not too sure but I think I’m in a pretty good spot,” Donohoe said of her WQS campaign. “I’m only counting three events and I’ve got a third, a fifth and a ninth. There are a lot of girls doing well though like Caroline Sarran and Mel Bartels – they’ve got some good results. There’s some really tough competition out there.”

Melanie Bartels (HAW) was disappointed in her semifinal elimination at the hands of Mulanovich, but the equal third-place finish puts the passionate Hawaiian in a good spot to requalify for the elite ASP Women’s World Tour in 2007 (Bartels surfed on the elite tour in 2004 and 2005, but did not requalify for this year’s tour).

“I’m not doing very well this season,” Bartels said. “I’m currently fifth (on the WQS) but anything can happen. I don’t feel like I’ve been surfing to my full potential. All the girls are ripping. I’m just taking it contest by contest and heat by heat. Hopefully one day I make the finals and maybe even win it. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”