Red Bull New Zealand

A gifted sportswoman from the word go, Australian surfing sensation Sally Fitzgibbons excelled in numerous sports as a child but chose to focus her attention on riding the waves.

At the age of 14 she became the youngest ever rider – male or female – to claim a victory on the ASP Pro Junior Tour. In the years that followed Sally won pretty much everything there was to win on the junior circuit, including an ISA World title and two ASP Pro Junior Tour crowns.

Her transition onto the World Qualifying Series proved equally effortless and in her first full season she again made history by becoming the quickest rider ever to qualify for the 2009 Women’s World Tour. Victories at the Roxy and Arrive Alive Central Coast Pro competitions pushed Sally way up the standings and her place was effectively sealed with runner-up spots at the Midori Billabong Surf Eco Pro event.

After a fierce battle for the ASP 2010 title, Sally narrowly missed out on the crown after Carissa Moore defeated her in the semi-finals in Puerto Rico. Moore was then beaten in a dramatic finale by Stephanie Gilmore who went on to take the overall title for the third consecutive year.

Despite this defeat, Sally finished as the highest ranked female surfer in the women’s world rankings (formerly the WQS) for the second year in a row in 2010 and received yet another trophy for the mantelpiece. The future is most certainly bright for this remarkable Aussie talent.