I remember my first visit to a surf shop well. The smell of resin mixed with wax and a slow burning patchouli oil joss stick. That pungent aroma of neoprene and a hint of Moroccan hash drifting in on the ozone from the forecourt outside. The racks of shiny boards were mesmerising, stacked in ascending heights from small fish to big guns with foam sparkling through the resin. Guys ding-fixing out the back and groms hanging out the front, gone feral in the school holidays. Tales of sessions and adventure from various interlopers, guys meticulously eyeing rockers and feeling rails. Others in animated conversation over surfboard dynamics using their arms and swooping movements as they discussed the way their boards turned, came off the top or cutback in dream sessions. The surf shop owner advising on the fit between tail shapes and surfing style, rail shapes, templates and most importantly doing their best to sell you a board that YOU would love. Not any board at the click of the mouse to bank your money. Or a board with a great profit margin. A board YOU would covet, polish, and sleep with so when the time came to buy another you would return with your custom for more advice. Surf shops, ah yes, real surf shops run by surfers: dens of iniquity, mines of information, hangouts, clubhouses and shrines to THE most important pieces of equipment we will ever hold in our dear hands: the surfboard.

Unfortunately, real surf shops with real knowledgeable salesmen are now under threat from a ridiculous change in behaviour from you, the reader, and some surfboard suppliers i.e. some of you think you can buy and sell boards online. To an extent, this is true. If you are a sheep, you can pick up the latest mass produced model at the click of a mouse. If you really know what you are doing, which waves you want to surf, have a good grip on what suits your height, weight and ability, have tried lots of boards and know exactly what you want, you can get away with it. But for most it can easily be compared to the mail order bride industry. You may buy a partner that looks pretty in pictures, but when they arrive on your doorstep they may have unadvertised attributes such as a willy or knife wielding tendencies… They can ruin your life.

No, you really aren’t doing yourself justice unless you have held said board in your hands, looked down the rail, considered different sizes, and at least two alternatives. Of course developing a relationship with a shaper is the ultimate way of getting a board you love. Having a go on mates boards is great, but having a qualified knowledgeable salesman, who you can show your old board, explain what you like, what you don’t like and what you want, and then tap into their knowledge is priceless. They know their stuff. If you like a particular boards attributes, but feel a little let down on paddling, they will know another model. Want to step up, or step down, they know the board for your height, weight and ability. Brought a board back from your hols that isn’t working in our summer slop? They will know why. If something new comes along and it’s right up your street, they will know. If it’s not the board for you they will know. All of this is saving you money, time and frustration. More importantly they can put a board in your hand for you to look at and carry out the ultimate surfboard test i.e. pick it up, put it under your arm and jiggle it a bit. Every truly experienced surfer and shaper in the world will do the jiggle test. Sure it ain’t very scientific and no, I have no idea why this works, (an intuitive feel for balance I assume) but it does work! Can you do the jiggle test online? No.

If you are not already convinced by the need to visit a shapers factory, outlet or a surf shop consider this: if everyone bought boards online there would be no surf shops left. Imagine that. No racks of boards to salivate over, eye, paw or compare. No local legend behind a counter to offer sage advice on plan shapes, rockers, concaves or fins. No choice, but to deal with those who have a geek dominating the pay per click. If surf shops die most of you will be reliant on some Internet geezer who knows nothing about boards, doesn’t surf, doesn’t give a toss how you surf and just wants your money. The iconic surf shops, the racks of gleaming sticks, all those sweet smells, our very own cultural learning centres, would be history.

So while you are gazing at these boards, whether you are just browsing, looking to buy, or an industry mogul keeping their finger on the pulse, consider a life without the iconic surf shop for a moment. There are few pleasures greater than checking out a well stocked rack. Buying surfboards, as with surfing, just isn’t the same on the Internet. So do yourself a favour and go check out what they have in stock and support your local surf shop. In the long run you may be glad you did!

BARRA DA TIJUCA, Rio de Janeiro/Brazil (Wednesday, May 16, 2012) – John John Florence (HAW), 19, has won his maiden ASP ASP World Championship Tour event, taking out the Billabong Rio Pro over Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, in barreling three-to-four foot (1 metre) waves at Barra da Tijuca.

Florence, currently in his rookie year on the ASP WCT, proved unstoppable on the final day of Billabong Rio Pro competition, topping prodigious Australian Julian Wilson (AUS), 23, and Josh Kerr (AUS), 27, on his way to triumph over Parkinson.

“This is the best feeling in the world,” Florence said. “I had that bad heat at Arpoador to start and we had a couple of lay days and I had to just sit and think about it. I can’t even believe this right now. I’m in shock. I was just sticking to my game plan and not thinking about the other guys. I’m so happy right now.”

Florence, who now sits at No. 6 on the ASP WCT, will look to carry the momentum from today’s massive victory to the upcoming ASP WCT events in Fiji and Tahiti.

“This helps my confidence so much,” Florence said. “I have a lot of confidence going into events with barreling waves like Pipe. Obviously I have a lot of confidence in barrels from my experience at Pipe, but coming here, I wasn’t expecting a big result. I was just hoping to make a few heats.”

Parkinson utilized his complete skill set at Barra Da Tijuca, driving through barrels, lofting airs and unloading powerful carves en route to his Finals berth, but was unable to find a rhythm against Florence and finished runner-up overall.

“I’m a little bit disappointed as I never really got a start in that final, but overall, I’m stoked,” Parkinson said. “The quality of waves here were unreal. Yesterday, we had full barrels and good sections for turns and airs, it was good for the event.”

Parkinson’s finish today propels the Australian into the frontrunner position for the ASP World Title, but Parkinson was humble in claiming his spot atop the rankings.

“It’s a good feeling I suppose,” Parkinson said. “It’s a long way to go and I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, but I’m stoked. I’ve had a couple of really nice consistent results. I have been in this position before though so I’m hoping to maintain my performance level throughout the rest of the year.”

Josh Kerr (AUS), 27, put in an amazing performance at the Billabong Rio Pro with an astounding array of barrels and airs to take an equal 3rd place finish. Kerr surfed strong on the Final day of competition, but was unable to surpass Florence in their Semifinal bout.

“I tried an air on the first wave I got and turned around and saw John John (Florence said) in the most perfect barrel,” Kerr said. “Out here in this beachbreak you’ve got to keep an open mind. The wind came up from the south in my heat so I was looking for the backhand airs. John John got the perfect barrel and there’s not much I could do about that.”

Kerr’s equal 3rd place finish at the Billabong Rio Pro matches his career-best result as he continues to build momentum against the world’s best surfers.

“I’ve had three Semifinals now, but it’s better than no Semifinals,” Kerr said. “I’ve had three back-to-back results and for me, going from 33rds on my previous years on tour until last year, it’s good progress and hopefully I can keep it going.”

Kerr was responsible for a big upset in the Quarterfinals, eliminating 2011 Billabong Rio Pro champion and local favorite Adriano de Souza (BRA), 25, when he took to the air in the back half of their bout.

“I was definitely on the back foot,” Kerr said. “Adriano (de Souza) had a 14 point heat total and I just relaxed and figured it’s a couple of 7s. I knew my airs could get me those scores. I was lucky to land that one at the end. I knew I had to launch into the flats because there’s no soft landing, it just dumps. I was lucky to keep it steady under my feet.”

Mick Fanning (AUS), 30, two-time ASP World Champion, eliminated Brazilian Alejo Muniz (BRA), 22, in the Quarterfinals but lost a hard-fought heat to close friend Joel Parkinson in the Semifinals to finish equal 3rd overall.

“It’s always fun surfing against Joel and we started out bang-for-bang,” Fanning said. “That’s just the way it goes, but it’s always fun. Even though you lose, your friend’s in the Final, so you win. I would have liked to make the Final but I just didn’t get the right waves and Joel (Parkinson) surfed great.”

Kelly Slater (USA), 40, reigning 11-time ASP World Champion, was absent from the Billabong Rio Pro, citing an ankle injury. The Floridian’s absence relinquished his former frontrunner status on the ratings and Slater now sits at ASP World No. 8.

To watch highlights from the Billabong Rio Pro log on to wctbrasil.com/

The Billabong Rio Pro is proudly supported by Monster Energy Drink and Xperia Sony Smartphone.

The next stop on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour will be the Volcom Fiji Pro, which holds a waiting period from June 3 through 15, 2012.

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

Winning photo: ASP/Kirstin. Framegrabs: Billabong Webcast

BILLABONG RIO PRO FINAL:
1 – John John Florence (HAW) 16.37
2 – Joel Parkinson (AUS) 11.44

BILLABONG RIO PRO SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 15.83 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.00
SF 2: John John Florence (HAW) 17.94 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 11.86

BILLABONG RIO PRO QUARTERFINAL RESULTS:
QF 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.90 def. Tiago Pires (PRT) 12.60
QF 2: Mick Fanning (AUS) 16.57 def. Alejo Muniz (BRA) 5.90
QF 3: John John Florence (HAW) 14.94 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 9.43
QF 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) 15.84 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.27

Current ASP WCT Top 10 (After Billabong Rio Pro):
1. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 19700 pts
2. Mick Fanning (AUS) 18250 pts
3. Josh Kerr (AUS) 18200 pts
4. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 17200 pts
5. Taj Burrow (AUS) 15750 pts
6. John John Florence (HAW) 15750 pts
7. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 15700 pts
8. Kelly Slater (USA) 13700 pts
9. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 12250 pts
10. Owen Wright (AUS) 12150 pts

Surfers Against Sewage Education Tour

Coastal environmental education programme reaches out to schools in the North East.

Surfers Against Sewage’s innovative environmental education programme will be visiting the North East of England from the 21st to 26th May, with the support of the Quiksilver Foundation. The SAS education team will be visiting locations from Mablethorpe to Newcastle, visiting schools and colleges along the way.

SAS educational sessions provide up-to-date information and local actions that can be taken by the students in tackling marine pollution, complementing the cross-curricular syllabus at primary and secondary levels. SAS believes that inspiring young people and providing them with the tools to help protect our oceans, waves and beaches, will help create a new generation of environmental ambassadors.

Dominic Ferris, SAS Campaigns & Education Officer says: “Through our educational programme we hope to share the beauty and complexity of our marine environments, giving students and the wider community the inspiration, knowledge and tools to help protect the UK’s precious waves, oceans and beaches.”

SAS’s school presentation is delivered in classrooms, assemblies and even on beaches, and includes a specially designed presentation and interactive environmental board game, ‘Marineopoly’. The lessons cover all of SAS’s latest initiatives including campaigns on sewage pollution, marine litter, climate change, toxic chemicals, shipping and wave protection.

Every student participating in the sessions will receive a ‘SAS Green Ambassador’ certificate and an ‘SAS Quiksilver Education Tour’ interactive educational booklet, along with the chance to win special SAS & Quiksilver prizes for contributions during the presentation. The SAS educational programme has received very positive feedback from schools across the country and has already communicated the importance of protecting UK beaches to thousands of students nationwide.

“The talk that Surfers Against Sewage gave was brilliant! We filled the lecture theatre and some people actually had to sit on the stairs.” Falmouth University Student Union.

Surfers Against Sewage is an environmental charity protecting the UK’s oceans, waves and beaches for all to enjoy safely and sustainably, via community action, campaigning, volunteering, conservation, education and scientific research. SAS projects target environmental issues affecting beaches including marine litter, sewage pollution, climate change, toxic chemicals, shipping and coastal development. SAS has over 50,000 active supporters across the UK.

The Quiksilver Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to benefiting and enhancing the quality of life for communities of boardriders across the world by supporting environmental, educational, health and youth-related projects. The Quiksilver Foundation is a long-standing supporter of SAS’s educational programme, so please do take a moment to check out all the projects they are involved with – the-quiksilver-initiative.com/Foundation

For more information please contact Dom Ferris, SAS Campaign & Education Officer, 01872 553 001 or dom@sas.org.uk

For more information on Surfers Against Sewage campaigns and environmental initiatives please visit www.sas.org.uk

This year, with the Diamond Jubilee on the same weekend as the contest, the organisers of have decided to crown a king and queen of Crap Surfing, with third place going to a duke or duchess.

Last year’s event, despite typically appalling weather and poor surf, brought a crowd of several hundred to Praa Sands where with the aid of willing helpers, generous sponsors, sporting judges, a great commentator and most importantly, really crap competitors, the whole championship was a riot of ridiculousness.

The competition was typically intense. The total commitment and genuine lack of surfing talent finally saw theatre director Bill Bankes-Jones crowned as the World Champion of Crap Surfing.

Organiser and BBC Radio 6 resident poet Murray Lachlan Young said: “What really stood out was the incredibly friendly atmosphere of the event. People chatted, laughed and made friends; in short, everyone had a cracking time.

“We were thrilled to see that a broad range of ages attended. We had everyone from surfing grannies and grandpas, harassed parents, wild young 20-somethings, teens and assorted kids plus plenty of rug rats to complete the feeling of a great day out.”

This year’s World Championship of Crap Surfing will see more fun and games on the beach. There will be the grand parade of crap surfers and a crap surfing warm up routine. The championship will be followed by a beach barbecue and beach dance. There will also be the usual spot prizes for feats like the best beach strut, the best mullet and worst wetsuit as well as the hugely popular kid’s competition.

The Crap Surfer’s Ball takes place the evening before the championships at the Sand Bar, Praa Sands, where DJ Ry Spenceley of Love Riot and the mysterious Barons of Funk provide the soundtrack to an evening of surftastic sounds.

Murray added: “All we ask is that competitors are expected to have a rudimentary knowledge of surfing: For the complete novice and those wanting to up their game, there will be surf lessons.”

The World Championship of Crap Surfing takes place on Sunday, June 3, at noon at Praa Sands. The Crapsurfers Ball takes place at the Sand Bar, Praa Sands, on Saturday, June 2, at 9pm.

Tickets and more information are available from www.crapsurfer.com

Each day, outdoor activities included surfing, fishing, or walking and are intuitively beneficial in terms of physical and mental well being and research is now showing the benefits of a connection to nature in terms of its calming and positive outcomes. One of the most fun days was the fly fishing at Tree Meadow Trout Fishery at Gwinear Downs and the rainbow trout we kept were kindly cooked beautifully for the group by the team at Bosweddon House.

Veterans were also introduced to the more holistic therapies such as mindfulness, yoga, tai chi and art therapy and can all be used to help reduce the feelings of anxiety and stress and be additional tools to also cope with the effects of PTSD and can be very effective. These residential weeks funded by Dial a Flight and help Surf Action return to Prussia Cove in June for their third week.

The second event was the return of the Not Forgotten Association at the end of April. The NFA who have been operating for 92 years provide leisure and entertainment to injured service men and women and also veterans as a form of respite. Surf Action welcomed eight men and women to St Ives where they took part in three days of surfing which again had great positive results.
Rosie Thomson from the NFA says” I love these weeks and the whole Surf Action team make it such a fun week we never want to leave and we shall be back this year”.

Surf Action arranged for Nikki Stone to also be on hand for some massage treatments and all round pampering for every one on the week. The group included a injured Sniper Carl Ansty who last year rowed across the atlantic. Carl was injured in Afghanistan and had his leg shortened due to the blast from a misfire which killed two comrades. Carl is also an avid surfer and will be returning as much as possible as this week just gave a taste of things to come.

Rich Emerson says “It is these activities that truly help these guys come to terms with their injuries and if surfing can help them realise that anything is possible and we put a smile on their faces then we are doing our job”.

The third major event is our move to Heartlands in Pool. Directors Rich Emerson, Russ Pierre and Chris Hines are delighted to be part of the Heartlands project. It means we are less isolated and more accessible to the veterans and ex services we are supporting. The charity have taken two units that will provide a drop in centre and operational headquarters and also another which will be an art studio that incorporates a private therapy room and sensory area. The art studio has been part funded by Falmouth University and will help develop collaborations between the veterans and the students and lead to some great creative workshops.

Russ Pierre stated ” Since moving we have already seen a steady flow of veterans and ex-services coming in to see us looking for support. We are closer to the beach at Gwithian Towans and will help us to be much more accessible and better provide the support and facilities to our veterans and ex service men and women.

Oh and finally we have been part of Camelots National advertising campaign for the Lottery. Creating more awareness of the work we do, this campaign highlights the projects that have been supported by lottery funds and helps to show that for every lottery ticket sold, it can make a difference to lots of lives in all walks of life.

If anyone would like to know more about our activities then please contact us.

NOTE: Surf Action meetings are held each Wednesday and Friday at Gwithian Towans, nr Hayle, Cornwall. We meet at 11.30pm at Sunset Surf Café.

For those wanting to help raise funds for Surf Action please contact the team on 01209 613300 or drop by our office between 10am and 4.00pm at Unit 5, Artist Muse, Heartlands, Pool, Redruth TR15 3QY

Hawaii usually means big boards when we talk surf. Dave Rastovich included. Though the difference between your guns and his, is that he still rides them with 2 fins not 3. Rasta never discriminates against any board, stating that they simply resemble different types of musical instruments all playing a different sound.
There’s no such thing as a “bad” board for Dave.

The Billabong Rio Pro returned to the powerful beachbreak of Barra da Tijuca for the second consecutive day in three-to-five foot (1-1.5 metre) barrels which provided the ideal canvas for the world’s best surfers to push the limits of high-performance beachbreak surfing.

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, current ASP World No. 5, rebounded after a Round 4 loss, threading the needle on two deep barrels to earn the day’s highest heat total of a near-perfect 18.33 out of 20 eliminating powerhouse Jordy Smith (ZAF), 24, in the process.

“It was just one of those heats where I waited for a while and got one good one and thought ‘that could be amazing, just that one wave.’” Parkinson said. “Then I got another one. Poor Jordy (Smith) really got nothing. It was a lot like home, the good ones have a really nice draw on the water off of the bank. It’s really dumpy, so you air drop into it and it’s hard to find a rail. Who would have thought you’d come to Brazil and get two 9s getting barreled?”

Parkinson has now faced off against Smith four times in the three ASP WCT events this year and admits their seesaw battles have created a friendly-but-competitive rivalry between the two surfers.

“I think there is a rivalry,” Parkinson said. “We don’t talk about it, but we just keep catching each other. We’ve had three events and it’s four times that we’ve surfed against each other and it’s been back and forth.”

Parkinson will face Tiago Pires (PRT), 32, in the Quarterfinals when competition resumes.

Josh Kerr (AUS), 28, was clearly in rhythm with the afternoon’s barreling conditions. The talented natural-footer put on a dominant performance, earning one of the day’s highest heat totals of 17.84 to relegate defending event champion Adriano de Souza (BRA), 25, and Jeremy Flores (FRA), 24, to Round 5 of competition. The Australian admitted to being spurred on by De Souza’s Perfect 10-point ride acquired early in the heat.

“I saw Adriano’s wave go down and we were sitting in a different spot than everyone else,” Kerr said. “We were getting 9s and 10s and I feel bad for Adriano (de Souza). I wasn’t expecting a little backdoor shootout and I’m stoked to get some good waves.”

Kerr will take on Adriano de Souza (BRA), 25, in Quarterfinal No. 4.

Adriano de Souza put in a valiant effort today, posting the event’s only perfect 10-point ride for a critical forehand barrel ride. De Souza went on to take a Round 5 win in a rematch of last year’s final, topping Taj Burrow (AUS), 33, in a tough battle to advance to the Quarterfinals.

“I was focused on the right, but I knew there was a little channel and I went over to the left,” De Souza said. “Luck is really going my way and I’m stoked. The waves were really hard and I’m stoked to make it through this heat.”

De Souza admitted that advancing to the Quarterfinals alleviates some of the pressure that came along with competing as defending Billabong Rio Pro champion and is hoping to carry the momentum into the Final day of competition.

“Making it through that round, some of the pressure is off,” De Souza said. “Being defending event champion, I’m really looking to do well here and head to Fiji without pressure. Hopefully the crowd is going to push me to the Final.”

John John Florence (HAW), 19, took an amazing come-from-behind victory in his Round 4 heat to advance to the Quarterfinals. In need of two scores to overtake Julian Wilson (AUS), 23, Florence drove through a lengthy barrel for a 9.63 to take him out of a combination situation before finding another barrel in the dying seconds, earning 8.10 for the ride and claiming victory.

“It was Taj (Burrow) and Julian (Wilson) and those are two guys you never want to have in a heat,” Florence said. “It was windy when I first paddled out and I was trying to do airs and have fun with it. Then the wind stopped and I got the one in the middle of the heat that was a pretty decent barrel. I finally got that last one and there was only 10 seconds left. I wasn’t even sure I had gotten the score when I hit the beach.”

Florence, who is highly-regarded for his barrel-riding ability, was surprised to find barrels at this year’s Billabong Rio Pro and is elated to come away with a guaranteed 5th place finish in Brazil.

“I couldn’t get a good wave and dug my rail a lot at the start of my heat,” Florence said. “That one good barrel came through and I was just trying to figure out what the conditions were doing. I was searching for any kind of peak and couldn’t find one, then I got the wave at the last second. I’m stoked to make the Quarters here in Brazil. For me to be able to make Quarters here is amazing.”

Florence will face Julian Wilson (AUS), 23, in Quarterfinal No. 3.

Alejo Muniz (BRA), 22, was responsible for two big heat victories today. The young Brazilian bested fellow countryman Heitor Alves (BRA), 30, in Round 3 and went on to topple Australian icons Mick Fanning (AUS), 30, and Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, in Round 4 to advance directly to the Quarterfinals, his best result of the season.

“My heats are always like that, where someone is always getting a score at the end to get through,” Muniz said. “I’m just happy. Mick (Fanning) and Joel (Parkinson) are two of my favorite surfers. I knew there were a couple of lefts and for some reason my board didn’t feel good on the rights, but on the lefts, it felt good.”

Muniz, who has been working to recover from an ankle injury sustained this past December, is nearly at full strength and the talented natural-footer was relieved to have a breakthrough result to help rebuild his competitive confidence.

“My ankle is feeling better,” Muniz said. “Everyday it’s feeling a bit better. It’s feeling better than the first round at Arpoador even, but running on the beach is still a little sketchy. I’m just stoked that it’s feeling better so I can show a bit of my surfing.”

Tiago Pires (PRT), 32, continued to find success in the challenging surf at Barra da Tijuca, besting Tahitian charger Michel Bourez (PYF), 26, and Jordy Smith (ZAF), 24, in their three-man non-elimination Round 4 bout to advance directly to the Quarterfinals.

“It was a tough heat,” Pires said. “The wind got really strong and the rain doesn’t help either. I knew it was going to be a tough heat because those guys are really complete surfers and they have the whole bag of tricks. I was just looking for a good nugget and a good barrel. I waited and waited and that wave came from heaven.”

Pires, current No. 25 on the ASP World Title Race, has a deep relationship with Brazil and is using his paramount support from his local fans to march to his best result of the 2012 season thus far.

“I love Brazil, I’ve been coming here for so many years and I’ve had some really good results here,” Pires said. “It’s been a nice event and I’m really focused and it’s all going well for me.”

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 6:30am local time for a possible 7am start to the Billabong Rio Pro. To watch the event LIVE log on to wctbrasil.com/

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

The Billabong Rio Pro is proudly supported by Monster Energy Drink and Xperia Sony Smartphone.

BILLABONG RIO PRO QUARTERFINAL MATCH-UPS:
QF 1: Tiago Pires (PRT) vs. Joel Parkinson (AUS)
QF 2: Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. Mick Fanning (AUS)
QF 3: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Julian Wilson (AUS)
QF 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Adriano de Souza (BRA)

BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 5 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 18.33 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 7.00
Heat 2: Mick Fanning (AUS) 14.00 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 7.20
Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) 11.43 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 10.77
Heat 4: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.73 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 7.90

BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 4 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Tiago Pires (PRT) 14.40, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 12.67, Michel Bourez (PYF) 7.50
Heat 2: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 11.90, Mick Fanning (AUS) 11.43, Joel Parkinson (AUS) 10.73
Heat 3: John John Florence (HAW) 17.73, Julian Wilson (AUS) 17.50, Taj Burrow (AUS) 13.20
Heat 4: Josh Kerr (AUS) 17.84, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.10, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 5.97

BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.37 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 6.33
Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.00 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 4.17
Heat 5: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 13.34 def. Heitor Alves (BRA) 8.50
Heat 6: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.07 def. Peterson Crisanto (BRA) 12.67
Heat 7: Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.50 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 13.70
Heat 8: John John Florence (HAW) 16.23 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 14.14
Heat 9: Julian Wilson (AUS) 15.90 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 8.94
Heat 10: Josh Kerr (AUS) 10.73 def. Adam Melling (AUS) 7.33
Heat 11: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 13.33 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 10.17
Heat 12: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.10 def. Travis Logie (ZAF) 11.77

The annual Vintage Surfboards UK Meet is on again this summer on July 14th in Newquay. It’s a great opportunity to dust down your old boards for a show, swap or sell or just for a meet up amongst surfers who love vintage boards and paraphernalia. It will be held at the Lusty Glaze car park, 10am-1.30pm and is totally free. For more info go to www.lustyglaze.co.uk or check out Alex Lindsay’s blog www.vintagesurfboardcollectoruk.blogspot.co.uk

BARRA DA TIJUCA, Rio de Janeiro/Brazil (Monday, May 14, 2012) – After a four-day break from competition, the Billabong Rio Pro launched back to action at the primary venue of Barra da Tijuca as world’s best surfers did battle in challenging four-to-six foot (1.5 – 2 metre) barrels at the primary venue.

Adam Melling (AUS), 27, led the day’s proceedings with superior barrel-riding skills. The powerful natural-footer charged into two deep tubes, earning the day’s highest single wave score of 9.67 out of 10 en route to the day’s highest heat total of 17.00 out of 20.

“I was pretty happy with that one,” Melling said. “I snuck out of that first one that was a bit of a close out and on my way back out that other one doubled up real well and ran off. I was stoked to get that one on the way back out. It was sucking out off of the bank pretty well. It feels really good to get good waves in a heat. They’re definitely out there.”

John John Florence (HAW), 19, led the rookie class with unmatched versatility this morning, driving through barrels and punting critical airs in the pounding conditions to take a dominant Round 2 victory over replacement surfer Willian Cardoso (BRA), 26, with a strong 16.20 out of 20 heat total.

“It was a really hard heat and I was so tired,” Florence said. “We’ve been sitting around these last couple of days. There really haven’t been any waves and then we were straight into these conditions. I try to take the heats as a free surf. It seems like I surf the best when I’m having fun, but obviously you’ve got the jersey on and you know you need to finish your waves off.”

Florence, current No. 10 on the ASP WCT ratings, was relieved to avoid an equal 25th place finish after a tough Round 1 loss and knew his Round 2 draw against Brazilian powerhouse, Cardoso, would be no easy task.

“I had a really bad heat at Arpoador the other day and I was kind of nervous going into this one,” Florence said. “I just wanted to make it through. Willian (Cardoso) is such a good surfer and I’m just happy to make it out of that round.”

Florence will now face fellow rookie Miguel Pupo (BRA), 20, in Round 3 of competition.

Peterson Crisanto (BRA), 19, Billabong Rio Pro Wildcard, began the day by delivering a big upset, eliminating event favorite and fellow countryman Gabriel Medina (BRA), 18, in the opening heat of Round 2. Crisanto focused on the barreling rightnhanders while Medina struggled with the strong current and thumping waves.

“I knew that heat wasn’t going to be easy with Gabriel (Medina) so I just tried to stay on the rights and try and find the barrels,” Crisanto said. “I almost made the first barrel, but I made the second one, so I’m happy to get through to the next round. I just tried to stay relaxed and find the right waves.”

Crisanto will take on Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, in Round 3 of the Billabong Rio Pro.

Michel Bourez (PYF), 26, was extremely patient in his Round 2 matchup against Billabong Rio Pro Wildcard Tomas Hermes (BRA), 25, and his strategy paid off. The Tahitian drove through two righthand barrels, picking off his first ride in the opening minutes and waited until the dying seconds of the bout to post his second score.

“I was waiting for that one for so long,” Bourez said. “I got my first wave at the beginning and got my second one at the last second. I love these conditions, it fits my surfing. I like to wait for the right ones and get the big barrels. Sometimes you have to go big and do big turns, but I expect to find the barrels today.”

Bourez would go on to eliminate an in-form Brett Simpson (USA), 27, in the final heat of the day, advancing through to Round 4 of competition.

Tiago Pires (PRT), 32, prevailed over the day’s stormy beachbreak conditions to take out two heat victories, topping Australians Kai Otton (AUS), 32, in Round 2 and Owen Wright (AUS), 22, in Round 3.

“Adam Melling must have been surfing another break out there,” Pires said. “You get out there with the psych and I could not find the waves. There were lots of close outs and it was just really tough. I’m stoked to make it through though, it’s my first time advancing to Round 4 this year.”

C.J. Hobgood (USA), 32, navigated through the tough conditions brought on by building wind and dropping tide to post an 8-point score which proved to be enough to secure his win over ASP WCT Rookie Yadin Nicol (AUS), 26, in their Round 2 match-up.

“These conditions are a giant equalizer no matter who you have,” Hobgood said. “You know you’re not going to get many chances. You could go from a dog fight trying to find 2s and 3s, that’s how slim it is and luckily a little later I got a chance on a left. It’s tough, there are not many out there. It looks easy from the beach and when you’re taking off you’re thinking, ‘I hope I make the drop here.’”

Hobgood will take on Patrick Gudauskas (USA), 26, in Round 3 when competition resumes.

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow at 6:30am to assess conditions for a possible 7am start.

Highlights from today’s Billabong Rio Pro will be available via wctbrasil.com/

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

The Billabong Rio Pro is proudly supported by Monster Energy Drink and Xperia Sony Smartphone.

BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Tiago Pires (PRT) 10.40 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 6.40
Heat 2: Michel Bourez (PYF) 8.70 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 8.53

BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Peterson Crisanto (BRA) 10.83 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 7.17
Heat 2: Michel Bourez (PYF) 15.10 def. Tomas Hermes (BRA) 12.66
Heat 3: John John Florence (HAW) 16.20 def. Willian Cardoso (BRA) 7.16
Heat 4: Heitor Alves (BRA) 6.00 def. Taylor Knox (USA) 5.47
Heat 5: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 9.83 def. Damien Hobgood (USA) 7.46
Heat 6: Brett Simpson (USA) 9.33 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 8.60
Heat 7: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 12.00 def. Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) 2.64
Heat 8: C.J. Hobgood (USA) 11.36 def. Yadin Nicol (AUS) 7.97
Heat 9: Travis Logie (ZAF) 9.33 def. Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 5.70
Heat 10: Tiago Pires (PRT) 10.90 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 10.20
Heat 11: Kolohe Andino (USA) 12.16 def. Kieren Perrow (AUS) 6.50
Heat 12: Adam Melling (AUS) 17.00 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 14.26

All photos: ASP