Peru’s Sofia Mulanovich won the Ballito Women’s Pro, presented by Billabong, at Willard Beach in KwaDukuza on Wednesday, comfortably defeating top-seeded South African-born Philippa Anderson of Australia in the 25-minute final held in lumpy, high-tide one-metre waves.
For Mulanovich, the 2004 women’s world champion, it was a second event title in the long and storied history of what is now know as the Ballito Pro, having clinched her first title in what was then known as the Mr Price Pro at North Beach in Durban in 2002.
The Peruvian was dominant throughout the marathon day of competition, winning five consecutive heats, including the final, where she racked up scores of 6.0 and 5.25 (both out of 10) while Anderson could only produce a pair of fours, and the Australian was left needing 6.4 points when the siren went to end the encounter.
The first surfer from South America ever to win a world title, she cruised through the bottom half of the draw in Ballito, winning every heat she contested and overcoming the challenge of surfers half her age. Shino Matsudo of Japan, who was beaten in both their one-on-one semi-final and the four-person quarter-final, has reached the final of two events in the past month and is 18, but she was no match for the 35-year-old Mulanovich.
The final result sees Anderson move up to No 11 on the women’s World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) rankings, while Mulanovich jumps 19 places to No 51.
The 32 entries for the QS1,000 rated event were evenly split with 15 international competitors taking on 17 locals in round one, which got under way immediately after the completion of the final four heats in the QS10,000 rated men’s event.
The top local performers were Nicole Pallet (La Lucia), Kai Woolf (Jeffreys Bay) and veteran two-time world masters champion Heather Clark (Port Shepstone), who all finished equal ninth after bowing out in the second round.
Photo: Anderson (left) and Mulanovich celebrate on the podium, by WSL/Cestari