There remained one event on the girl’s side of things over at the ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Maui. And Stephanie Gilmore, coming off her second consecutive world title, beat Melanie Bartels to win the Billabong Pro Maui.

The event relocated from Hololua Bay to Ho’okipa Beach Park because of a lack of swell, the first relocation in the event’s 10 year history. Gilmore heads home to Australia with two ASP Women’s World Titles, a Vans Triple Crown Title and five tour victories.

“To win so much in my short career is incredible and it feels great, but I know there is so much more to accomplish,” said Gilmore. “I had that head with Layne (Beachley) today, and to see what she’s accomplished in her career makes me that much hungrier to continue to perform at my best. Next year is going to be incredible. We have so much talent on the tour and so many young girls who are really pushing the boundaries of surfing. I can’t wait to get home and prepare for next season.”

The event had as much significance for Layne Beachley, because this marked the final contest for the former seven-time world champion. Beachley will still compete in the occasional event as a wild-card, but her full-time competitive career is over.

“I think it was a great way to go out,” said Beachley. “We all have to lose sometime and to go down to Steph (Gilmore), who I consider my protégé and the one I am passing the torch to, is probably the most fitting way.”

Returning surfers to the 2009 ASP Women’s World Tour will be Stephanie Gilmore, Silvana Lima, Sofia Mulanovich, Amee Donohoe, Samantha Cornish, Melanie Bartels, Rebecca Woods, Jessi Miley-Dyer, Jacqueline Silva, and Rosanne Hodge. 

New faces to next year’s ASP Women’s World Tour will be Sally Fitzgibbons, Bruna Schmitz, Paige Hareb, Alana Blanchard, and the controversial Coco Ho.