Three women from three different countries will be surfing for more than national pride at the Billabong Pro Maui.

The 2007 world championship of women's surfing will be on the line during the contest.

After seven of eight events on the World Championship Tour for women, only three surfers remain in contention for the title: Stephanie Gilmore of Australia, Sofia Mulanovich of Peru, and Silvana Lima of Brazil.

"I've been trying to approach every event the same way," Gilmore said. "It can be very easy to get caught up in all the world title talk, but I'm just focusing on round one at Honolua."

The Billabong Pro Maui is the final event of the 2008 tour. It will run at Honolua Bay on the two days when conditions are best between tomorrow and Dec. 20.

Gilmore, who is 19 and in her rookie season on the tour, enters the Maui contest ranked No. 1. She is seeking to become the first rookie ever to win the world title.

Mulanovich, who won the world championship in 2004, is ranked No. 2, and only 101 points behind Gilmore. A victory at Maui will be worth 1,200 points.

Mulanovich won the Roxy Pro at Sunset Beach last week to gain significant ground on Gilmore.

"I have a lot of confidence after my win at the Roxy Pro, and I am really looking forward to getting over to Maui," Mulanovich said.

In essence, Gilmore must finish ahead of Mulanovich to win the world title, and vice versa.

Lima is No. 3 and has greater odds against her. She must reach the final of the Maui contest, and hope Gilmore and Mulanovich are eliminated in the earlier rounds. Lima is seeking to become the first surfer from Brazil to win the world championship.

The Maui contest will feature 18 of the world's top female surfers, so several others could play a key role in the world title race.

Hawai'i surfers in the contest are Megan Abubo, Melanie Bartels, Rochelle Ballard and Leilani Gryde.

The 2007 men's world title has already been determined. Australian Mick Fanning clinched his first world championship last month at a contest in Brazil.

The final event of the men's tour — the Billabong Pipeline Masters — will run on the four best days between tomorrow and Dec. 20 at the Banzai Pipeline.

NORTH SHORE AMATEUR CONTEST COMING UP

The 38th annual Hale'iwa International Open is scheduled to run Dec. 21 to 31 at Hale'iwa Ali'i Beach.

The contest is for amateur surfers only, ranging in age groups from boys (12 to 14) to grandmasters (50 and older).

The contest prides itself as "the only big-wave amateur surf contest in the nation," and will feature both shortboard and longboard surfing.

Entry fee is $30, and deadline to enter is Dec. 14. For information, visit www.hiohawaii.com or pick up an application at the Surf N Sea store in Hale'iwa.