KEY POINTS:
Taranaki surfer Paige Hareb yesterday took a giant step towards a place on the elite World Tour.
The 17-year-old became the first Kiwi woman to win a major world surfing event when she captured the five star women's world qualifying series final at Margaret River in Western Australia.
The victory sent a warning shot to the world's top ranks that the young Kiwi is on the way to breaking into the 18-person elite of the sport.
"I'm so stoked, I can't believe I've won," Hareb said last night.
"I just tried to get off to a quick start and get the best waves I could to build my heat," she said.
Surfing New Zealand spokesman Ben Kennings said last night that the win, in one of the biggest events in world surfing, was very significant.
"Most of the top girls in the world were there. It's the biggest thing for New Zealand surfing since Maz Quinn was on the circuit."
He said Hareb had not planned to qualify for the elite tour this year but she had already made the final of one event and yesterday's win would put her well on the way.
Since the start of the year, when she was second at the world pro junior championships (for under-20s) Hareb was all of a sudden right up with the top competitors and on the way to being a force.
The goofy-footed Hareb yesterday defeated world No 11 South African Roseanne Hodge for her first major tournament victory, the US$4000 winner's cheque and 2000 crucial WQS points. Hodge also posted a career-high with her runner-up result.
The 20-year-old held an early lead before the fit and focused Hareb fired back with her heat high ride of 8 points to take the lead and victory.
Hareb's final heat total was 14.50 to Hodge's 13.57 (out of a possible 20).
Tournament standout Rebecca Woods (Copacabana, Australia) couldn't match her previous event form and had to settle for third. The world No 6 was eliminated by Hareb in the second semifinal 14.10 to 10.33.
Former world tour campaigner Claire Bevilacqua (Perth) was third.
