Photo: ASP/Morris
Lima high fins and carves her way to victory at the
5th ASP event of the 2010 Women's World Tour.

On June 8, Lima beat out the number 1 and 2 ASP-ranked women's surfers to take the title at the Movistar Peru Classic. This event is the 5th event on the ASP 2010 tour. Currently, the ASP ranks Lima 3rd overall on the women's world tour, behind Australians Stephanie Gilmore and Sally Fitzgibbons. The women have a break until their next ASP competition in mid-October.

Here is the press release from ESPN:

It's really too bad we're not going to see another women's world tour event until October -- things were just getting interesting. Brazilian firecracker Silvana Lima seems to have found her footing after a string of three fifth-place finishes in a row to start the season. Lima turned it on at the Movistar Peru Classic today, burning through Claire Bevilacqua, World Number One Stephanie Gilmore and Number Two Sally Fitzgibbons on her way to the third tour win of her career. With playful waist to chest high surf on offer in San Bartolo -- "probably the best they've been so far," said Dave Shipley, ASP Women's World Tour Head Judge -- Lima capped off her win by garnering the highest heat score of the event: a 16.50 our of a possible 20.

"I feel great!" Lima exclaimed after exiting the water. "I knew I needed to put up high scores early on because Sally (Fitzgibbons) has been surfing so well all event. I have some really good boards and I fell like I have been surfing well. I'm so stoked right now!"

The win moves Lima up in the rankings from seventh to third, but in terms of points, the big story is that 19-year-old Sally Fitzgibbons continues to reign in three-time world champ Steph Gilmore. By earning her third consecutive second-place finish, the young Australian cut another 200 points out of Gilmore's lead and now sits just 500 points back

Despite the good news, Fitzgibbons expressed some frustration.

"Another bridesmaid," Fitzgibbons said. "It's a good result all the same and great for my rating, but I want to win one really bad. Silvana (Lima) was ripping though. I couldn't really get into a good rhythm in that heat. I felt good all day, but she got the jump on me and I was never able to answer back. It's all good though. We've had amazing support here in Peru and I'm looking forward to the next one."

This should set up a dramatic summer season, but with the next stop on the 2010 ASP Women's World Tour not until the Rip Curl Pro Portugal from October 7 through 11, it would appear the ladies are going on vacation for a while. There's only the U.S Open to break things up the first week of August, but that will have no effect on the World Title battle shaping up between Gilmore and Fitzgibbons.

"I'm going to go home and then on some surf trips to Indonesia," Gilmore said. "I'm working on a film project with Ava Warbick and I'll use the time to recharge before the US Open in July and then onto Portugal after that."

And a recharged Gilmore should give the whole tour something to think about for the next few months.

MOVISTAR PERU CLASSIC FINAL RESULT:
1. Silvana Lima (BRA) 16.50
2. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 10.77

MOVISTAR PERU CLASSIC SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Silvana Lima (BRA) 11.77 def. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 11.00
SF 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 14.60 def. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 11.56

MOVISTAR PERU CLASSIC QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Silvana Lima (BRA) 13.43 def. Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 11.23
QF 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 11.86 def. Paige Hareb (NZL) 10.50
QF 3: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 15.27 def. Coco Ho (HAW) 13.70
QF 4: Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 14.14 def. Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 13.43

Current ASP Women's World Tour Top 5 (After Peru):
1. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 4716 pts
2. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 4224 pts
3. Silvana Lima (BRA) 3612 pts
4. Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 3588 pts
5. Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 3180 pts