Hossegor, France (Sunday, Aug 27, 2000).
Current two-time world champion and ratings leader Layne Beachley (Aus) today added the 2000 Hossegor Rip Curl Pro title to her vast collection of World Championship Tour (WCT) wins. Up against world number-two Serena Brooke (Aus) in 2-3 ft (1m) onshore conditions, the world champ dominated from the start of their 30-minute final.

Beachley, 28, picked off the best scoring ride of the entire event on her second wave, earning nine out-of-a possible 10-points. While Brooke fought back and made a contest out of it, Beachley's lead was too strong and allowed her to claim her third WCT of the season, making the prospect of her third consecutive world title all the more probable.

"I feel on top of the world," exclaimed Beachley with media crowded around. "I know Serena is such a tough competitor and like me she never gives up until the end. I knew she was just clawing her way back. After I got that 9.0 I had a pretty commanding lead, but I knew she had some pretty low scores and only needed a good couple of waves and she definitely has the ability to do that.

"One strategy that I did have was to keep her off these right-handers that I saw coming through," continued the event winner. "It was like a catch-22. Either I go down there and surf them and try and out-score my scores, or stay up here and hassle her into the hole and keep her away from them. That's the decision that I took and it paid off in the end. I was just trying to improve my scores on every wave.

"It's looking pretty good," she admitted in regard to her third consecutive world title prospects. "But I know Megan's still incredibly fired up and Serena is still in there with a chance. Everyone is surfing so well that I've just got to keep on top of my game and keep working on my surfing and keep positive and focused. I'm really looking forward to (the next event in) Anglet."

Brooke, 24, has reached three WCT finals now in 2000, but is still yet to be victorious. Having already finished behind Beachley twice in the past two world title finishes, Brooke was mad at herself for making the mistake of catching a poor wave with priority and allowing her opponent to catch the wave of the final.

"I was kind of kicking myself because I had priority and then I bogged that wave and it was like a 0.4, and if I had waited I would have caught that wave Layne scored a 9.0 on," explained Brooke. "Then I got a 7.0 and at the end I felt like I could still get it. I needed a wave and waited just hoping something would come, but it didn't. I knew I had to sit and wait and win, or sit and wait and lose. Unfortunately it was sit and wait and lose (laughs).

"It was really tricky out there because the tide was going out and there were peaks all over the place," she continued. "I was trying to line myself up, but looking at a thousand people on the beach it's kind of hard to see where you are. But I'm happy with second. It's better than dead last or something (more laughs). It's good for me to stay up there (on the ratings) and not slip too far behind."

Finishing equal third today in the Hossegor Rip Curl Pro were Brazilian Tita Tavares and Hawaiian Megan Abubo. Beachley accounted for Tavares in the first semi-final, whilst Abubo lost to Brooke in the second.

Abubo, 22, still holds the number-two position on the adjusted ratings, but was visibly disappointed after failing to reach the final. The Hawaiian surfed a strong heat, but her opponent found the best wave and this was the deciding factor.

"There weren't that many waves out there and it kind of came down to this one wave that Serena happened to get it and I didn't," said Abubo after composing herself. "She got a really good score and that's kind of what it came down to because after that we pretty much had similar scores.

"There's a lot of pressure at the moment because it's coming down to crunch time," she explained. "Everyone in the semi-finals is doing really well. I would like to have done better, but you have to take what you get. Hopefully next event I will do a little better."

Tavares, currently rated fourth, is always a major threat, but her diminutive stature imposes on any competitor when the surf is as small as today. Against Beachley, however, the Brazilian was unable to match the power of her rival and never found the scores she needed from the judges.

"We waited on the beach all day and it makes you so tired," Tavares reasoned afterward. "I'm very happy to make the semi-final and congratulations to Layne. I'm looking forward to the next contest in France, and am very happy about being fourth in the world. I'll be trying again next year for the world title."