Steph Gilmore wins Roxy Pro Gold Coast

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Can anyone stop the three-times world champion surfer and perma-smiling Stephanie Gilmore? Not yet: she's won the Roxy Pro Gold Coast, Australia for the third time, following her win in 2009, and in 2005 when she entered her hometown event as a 17-year-old wildcard.

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Above: Stephanie Gilmore beat Melanie Bartels in finals to come first

The first event of the ASP World Tour 2010, Steph started her season at Snapper Rocks as she means to go on - aiming towards her fourth consecutive world title. But winning the Roxy Pro Gold Coast wasn't easy, as Sydney's famed point break threw up some challenging 1m waves for the finals - when the 22-year-old surfing prodigy beat 27-year-old Hawaiian Melanie Bartels to claim first place.

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Above: Melanie Bartels came second after riding against Steph

Over the 30 minute final of the Roxy Pro, Bartels clocked scores of 6.33 and 4.03, clocking a final two wave score of 10.36. It wasn't enough to beat Gilmore, who nabbed a 6.83 and 5.57 - a total of 12.40 out of 20 to win 1200 ASP points, and a US $15 000 first prize.

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Above: Chelsea Hedges surfed well, and came equal third with Coco Ho

For second place, Bartels scored 972 points and US$9000 cash. In join place, Hawaii's Coco Ho, 18, and Australia's Chelsea Hedges came equal third - taking home 756 points and US$6000 each.

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Above: 19-year-old Coco Ho surfed against the Steph in the semi finals to come third - impressive for the first contest in her debut season on the ASP World tour.

Gilmore and the girls are now headed to the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach 2010 in Victoria, Australia on March 30, where she'll be looking to maintain her current number one ranking - while everyone else will try (and most probably fail) to steal the top spot.