Roxy South Africa are proud to announce that team rider Rosanne Hodge has qualified for the 2007 WCT.

Rosy, a nineteen-year old surfer who hails from East London, has had an excellent year this year on the World Qualifying Series, and qualifying has been a dream finish for her.

It was a nail-biting finish for all concerned at the final event of this years women’s World Championship Tour event, the Billabong Pro at Honolua Bay. When the dust had settled it was tour rookie Jessi Miley-Dyer from Australia who held the winners trophy, while everyone else was left tallying up points and counting the costs.

In the process South Africa lost Heather Clarke from the WCT, where she has been competing for 7 years. ‘Fergie’ as she is affectionately known, has been a stalwart, and a fine ambassador while on the pro tour, and no doubt the tour will be poorer with her absence. She needed to get through one more heat in the final event, an agonizingly close finish.

For Rosy, finishing off her first year on the World Qualifying Series by qualifying for the World Championship Tour, it is a momentous occasion and step one of her game plan. Rosy has confidently stated that her plan is to first qualify for the WCT, then place in the top five in the WCT before going on to be World Champion. So far her plan is looking good.

Quiksilver’s Barry Wolins, who discovered Rosy when she was just 12 years old, was thrilled with the news. “I personally never doubted that Rosy would qualify,” said Barry. “From the first time I saw her surf I knew she was going to make it as a successful pro surfer. I’m just a bit surprised at how quickly she qualified.”

Barry has always had a plan for Rosy, and his careful nurturing has paid off. “I sent Rosy to Hawaii and to Tavarua before she was competing full-time, in order for her to integrate with the best female surfers in the world and not to feel intimidated by them in contests,” said Barry. ”Now that Rosy is going to be surfing in man-on-man heats, she is going to beat the best female surfers in the world. She has the ability.”

Watch out for Rosy in 2007. She is going to be turning heads.