Toledo lands massive air for the first 10-point ride in Round 4 of the Oi Rio Pro. So the commentators are saying it's the biggest air of the comp so far, quite frankly he's in orbit and travelling such a distance that it's the biggest air we've seen for a long time, landing smoother than a crooner. Go Toledo, yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew.
for more on the comp go to worldsurfleague.com
The Oi Rio Men’s Pro kicked off on Monday in four-to-six foot (1.2 - 1.8 metre) waves at Barrinha, the event’s backup location famous for its hollow tubes and powerful waves. The fourth stop on the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT), the Oi Rio Pro, witnessed a strong showing from the Brazilians in men's Round 1. Out of the 14 Brazilian men in the draw today, seven will advance to Round 3 after the completion of Round 1 and the first six heats of Round 2.
Jeep Frontrunners Italo Ferreira (BRA) and Julian Wilson (AUS) both advanced to Round 3 after winning their opening heats. The two competitors, who are equally ranked World No. 1 on the Jeep Leaderboard, earned just enough to progress, with Wilson capturing a 12.93 (out of a possible 10) and Ferreria a 10.64. Each surfer will await the remaining six Round 2 heats before they know who they will match-up against in elimination Round 3.
“I feel so good and confident, especially here in Brazil,” said Ferreira. “I missed this event last year because I was injured, but now I am just enjoying all the fans and my home. The fans in Brazil are the best part. I am just trying to feel this feeling and leave the pressure in the water.”
“There is so much excitement from the local people and it is hard to not get caught up in all of that,” said Wilson. “We’ve been waiting a few days, so that energy also builds up. I think WSL made a great decision to come up to this end of the beach. There are a lot of quality waves here and it is exciting.”
In a major upset, Adriano de Souza (BRA), the defending event winner and 2015 WSL Champion, was eliminated by CT sophomore Ian Gouveia (BRA) in Round 2 Heat 4. Gouveia left no room for the CT veteran by earning the highest two-wave total of the men’s event so far, a commanding 15.53 (out of a possible 20). Gouveia’s victory marks his first heat win of the 2018 season, and De Souza’s first 25th-place result since Trestles in 2016.
“I am stoked, but at the same time I am kind of bummed,” said Gouveia. “We’ve been competing on only right-handers and this morning I was really bummed because I want to surf lefts too. I thought we could be at Itaúna. We had three events right and the next two events are rights. I did not want to surf right again. This morning my mind wasn’t there, but this got me fired up. It is really good to have everyone here, all the family and friends. Just yeah, sometimes we want to go left.”
“I think I did well out there,” said De Souza. “Ian (Gouveia) chose the right waves and surfed amazing. Also, I fell off a couple of waves. Could have been a good chance for me to be in the lead, but now I am going to go back home and get some energy, and straight to Bali for two events. I am happy for Ian, and good luck to the other Brazilians.”
Reigning WSL Champion John John Florence (HAW) looked in incredible form to take his second heat win of the season but was stopped by injury replacement Mikey Wright (AUS). The two-time WSL Champion charged out of a huge barrel and hit an unruly closeout section, landing miraculously on his feet for a 9.10 (out of a possible 10). Despite being awarded the near-perfect score, Florence could not find a second wave to defeat Wright.
“This definitely makes me want to be on the tour more,” said Wright. “This makes me want to keep doing and getting results on the QS, and getting these spots as a replacement. I am trying to make the most out of these opportunities."
Florence was forced to surf again in elimination Round 2 against event wildcard Deivid Silva (BRA). The 2016 event winner was on the ropes toward the end of the heat but surpassed the needed score with a 5.07 on his final ride.
“I was stoked to get through that heat,” said Florence. “The waves are really fun, but it is definitely difficult. It is just a matter of being in the right spot. Everyone keeps saying that I’ve had a super slow start, but I feel really good. I’ve only lost two events, and they canceled Margarets, so I am where I was at any other year. I’ve lost two events every year so I feel good. Hopefully, I can do the same that I did in 2016 and win here and be back in the World Title race.”
Filipe Toledo (BRA) earned the day’s first win for the Brazilian Storm in the opening heat of Round 1. Toledo’s powerful carves landed him a 13.70 combined score, just a 0.83 lead over Kanoa Igarashi (JPN).
The all-Brazilian matchup in Round 1 Heat 5 saw 2014 WSL Champion Gabriel Medina take the win over rookie Jesse Mendes and injury replacement Alejo Muniz. The entire battle had the crowd to their feet, but Medina delivered the heat’s most exciting performances with a 7.10 and 7.07. The Brazilian superstar now advances straight to Round 3.
“Jesse (Mendes) and Alejo (Muniz) are gnarly,” said Medina. “I used to compete a lot with them in the past and I knew that was going to be a tough heat. I just tried to surf and find my waves. I just thank God that the heat came on my side. I just want to do good here and hopefully get into the Finals and win this thing. Hopefully, we can get some lefts.”
Muniz, who was relegated to elimination Round 2 after failing to overcome Medina, was paired with Owen Wright (AUS), current World No. 4. Knowing that this heat was his only opportunity to continue through the event, Muniz took an aggressive approach to oust the top seed by 0.17 points. Wright now leaves with his first 25th place result of the year.
Miguel Pupo (BRA), injury replacement for Caio Ibelli (BRA), will also advance after defeating Jordy Smith (ZAF) and Tomas Hermes (BRA) in Round 1 Heat 2.
The 2018 CT Rookie class delivered strong performances today with wins by Griffin Colapinto (USA), Yago Dora (BRA), Wade Carmichael (AUS), and Willian Cardoso (BRA).
At Margaret River, Colapinto was eliminated in last place, but his aerial rotation today made it clear that he is back in business and ready to go big at this event. The 19-year-old explained that he did not feel confident in the heat but was able to reach into his progressive repertoire to take down the defending event winner De Souza and fellow rookie Michael February (ZAF).
“I know Adriano (de Souza) has huge fan support in Brazil, and I just knew that our heat was probably going to have a lot of people on the beach and it did,” said Colapinto. “I surfed that heat pretty poorly; I was scrambling all over the place and never really got a set wave. That air really did it for me, and I just safety surfed it so hard, but I got the score and I am stoked to make it.”
Dora, who was the 2017 event stand out, made his intentions clear with his early win against Michel Bourez (PYF) and Conner Coffin (USA). Later in the afternoon, Bourez was eliminated by Keanu Asing (HAW) in Round 2 Heat 5. Coffin will face rookie Hermes in the upcoming Round 2 Heat 11.
Smith survived his Round 2 heat against Wiggolly Dantas (BRA), in addition to 2017 event runner-up Adrian Buchan (AUS) who dispatched February.
The WSL Commissioner’s Office will reconvene tomorrow morning at 6:45 a.m. local time to assess the conditions and make the next call for a potential 7:00 a.m. start at Barrinha.
The Oi Rio Pro will be broadcast LIVE on the WSL's Facebook page, WorldSurfLeague.com, and the WSL app. Also, check local listings for coverage from the WSL's broadcast partners.
Surfline, forecast partner of the WSL, is calling for:
Strong SSW swell continues Tuesday morning with favorable wind, with the surf easing through the day. The swell mix trends down on Wednesday but still offers fun/rippable waves during the morning. The next run of SSW/S swells shows on Friday and likely continues over the weekend, with the most favorable wind currently expected for Fri-Sat.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
Oi Rio Men’s Pro Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 13.70, Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 13.07, Ian Gouveia (BRA) 9.73
Heat 2: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 13.10, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 10.66, Tomas Hermes (BRA) 8.23
Heat 3: Wade Carmichael (AUS) 12.60, Owen Wright (AUS) 11.26, Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 11.17
Heat 4: Mikey Wright (AUS) 14.83, John John Florence (HAW) 13.93, Joan Duru (FRA) 10.93
Heat 5: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.17, Jesse Mendes (BRA) 13.43, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 12.86
Heat 6: Julian Wilson (AUS) 12.93, Deivid Silva (BRA) 10.30, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 8.83
Heat 7: Italo Ferreira (BRA 10.64, Connor O’Leary (AUS) 10.47, Keanu Asing (HAW) 10.36
Heat 8: Griffin Colapinto (USA) 11.60, Michael February (ZAF) 11.47, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 11.00
Heat 9: Yago Dora (BRA) 12.13, Michel Bourez (PYF) 10.67, Conner Coffin (USA) 2.87
Heat 10: Ezekiel Lau (HAW) 13.60, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.30, Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 6.57
Heat 11: Willian Cardoso (BRA) 11.16, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 9.60, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 9.30
Heat 12: Kolohe Andino (USA) 13.40, Frederico Morais (PRT) 11.76, Michael Rodrigues (BRA) 7.00
Oi Rio Men's Pro Round 2 Results (H1-6):
Heat 1: John John Florence (HAW) 12.24 def. Deivid Silva (BRA) 10.94
Heat 2: Alejo Muniz (BRA) 10.57 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 10.40
Heat 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 12.70 def. Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 9.94
Heat 4: Ian Gouveia (BRA) 15.53 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 11.83
Heat 5: Keanu Asing (HAW) 9.77 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 9.66
Heat 6: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.63 def. Michael February (ZAF) 3.96
Oi Rio Men's Pro Remaining Round 2 Matchups (H6-12):
Heat 7: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Michael Rodrigues (BRA)
Heat 8: Frederico Morais (PRT) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 9: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Jesse Mendes (BRA)
Heat 10: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) vs. Joan Duru (FRA)
Heat 11: Conner Coffin (USA) vs. Tomas Hermes (BRA)
Heat 12: Connor O’Leary (AUS) vs. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
Oi Rio Women’s Pro Round 3 Matchups:
Heat 1: Tyler Wright (AUS), Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Keely Andrew (AUS)
Heat 2: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), Nikki Van Dijk (AUS), Caroline Marks (USA)
Heat 3: Lakey Peterson (USA), Johanne Defay (FRA), Silvana Lima (BRA)
Heat 4: Carissa Moore (HAW), Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), Sage Erickson (USA)
Yeah I know…More wave pools. BUT this kind of looks like summery Caribbean fun to me. Little sections to hit, fun bowls, shared sessions, all the things that the ruler edged wake of the Ranch don’t offer. Sure you can get endlessly barrelled there, if you are the in the richest 1% of the world club. And sure you can get air there.. if you are Toledo. (You can’t really count Jordys, I don’t really think he would either). BUT for the rest us of… ain’t happening. No one is going to get a go on this thing for a long, long time.
Waco, however, is opening. To you and me, and for friends. And it is user friendly. But whats it that draws the eye? I think for most the world population it is because it looks like your favourite summer spot. It’s not perfect, but somehow the little warbles and kinks add to the waves allure.
St Austell Brewery is set to continue its sponsorship of the UK Pro Surf Tour through its Korev Cornish Lager brand across 2018 with the first key event, the UK Surfaced Pro, scheduled for 12th- 13th May at Watergate Bay.
Signing up for the renewed sponsorship, Brewery Trade Marketing Manager Marc Bishop said, “Korev is fast becoming synonymous with the Cornish surf culture, so it’s really important for us to be linked with truly authentic organisations that are working to develop the sport and nurture local talent. The UK Pro Surf Tour is a great advocate in both of these areas and we’re delighted to be a part of the Tour that provided such an exciting series of events across 2017.”
The UK Pro Tour is the only series of pro surf events held in the UK. Events that are held in some of the best surf locations, from the world class waves of Scotland to the hustle and bustle of the south west coast. The tour aim is to encourage the development of surfing talent in the UK right from the grass roots groms through to the World Tour contenders. This is achieved by competing in a wide variety of locations for a substantial financial reward.
As UK Pro Surf Tour Director Dave Reed commented, “Linking with partners that truly buy in to the sport at all levels is really important for us and we’re looking forward to working with St Austell Brewery again not just for the support they give to the tour but also for the way they support local talents like Newquay’s Luke Dillon and Lucy Campbell from Woollacombe in competition both at home and around the world.”
Team Korev rider Lucy won the 2017 UK Pro Surf Tour Women’s Championship and is looking forward to defending her title again this year, saying, “The Pro Surf Tour is special because of the very different challenges posed by the venues across the UK. Everyone can get used to their own home surf but when you have to compete in such a wide variety of surf and location, it’s a great leveller and makes the title that much more special. I was thrilled to win the Tour last year and really looking forward to getting started at Watergate again this year.”
Following the Watergate event in May, the Tour will take in familiar and challenging venues such as Fistral, Thurso and Scarborough as well as the increasingly popular WaveGarden wave lagoon at Dolgarrog in Wales for the SurfSnowdonia event.
The Tour, which includes men’s women’s and junior competitions will culminate at Fistral for all categories in October, followed immediately by the presentation of the 2018 titles at the UK Pro Surf Tour Awards night.
Full UK Pro Surf Tour Schedule 2018 Men’s
Awards: 28th October
C-Skins are thrilled to announce today that World Surf League competitor Wade Carmichael has joined their Slaves International team.
Wetsuit manufacturer C-Skins are thrilled to announce today that World Surf League competitor Wade Carmichael has joined their Slaves International team.
Last year, Wade finished his best and most consistent year on the QS, grabbing a 3rd at both the Azores Airline Pro and Vans World Cup, and dropping in at 4th place on the 2017 qualification rankings. Wade will spend the rest of the 2018 season going head-to-head against the world’s best.
Wade couldn’t be happier about coming into the C-Skins fold. “I’m super stoked to be on the C-Skins team and excited to be warm and flexible all year round in C-Skins rubber” says the 25 year old rookie. “I’ve worn the wetsuits in the past and they’ve always performed so well for me, so I feel really confident jumping back into them.”
The World Surf League (WSL) has confirmed that Event No. 3 of the 2018 WSL Championship Tour (CT), the Margaret River Pro in Western Australia that was cancelled last month due to shark activity, will be completed at the world-class wave of Uluwatu on the island of Bali, Indonesia.
“The cancellation of the Margaret River Pro was due to unique circumstances this season and we look forward to returning to Western Australia in 2019,” Sophie Goldschmidt, WSL CEO, said. “After consulting with Surfing West Australia about completing the event in 2018, we felt that the shark activity that prompted the event cancellation had not significantly improved and returning was not in the best interests of the surfers this season. We extensively explored various alternatives before deciding to invest in completing the event at Uluwatu in Bali.”
The event will commence within 48 hours after the conclusion of the Corona Bali Pro at Keramas, and finish no later than June 13th, 2018. In the men’s event, 24 competitors remain in the field and competition will recommence with Round 3. In the women’s event, eight competitors remain in the field and competition will recommence with the Quarterfinals.
“As highlighted when we cancelled the Margaret River Pro, there were extenuating circumstances surrounding this season’s event and we committed to trying to finish the competition if possible,” Kieren Perrow, WSL Commissioner, said. “It’s a significant investment for the WSL, but it’s the right thing to do. Uluwatu is a world-class wave and we’re excited to be completing the event there.”
“It’s fantastic that the WSL is finishing this event,” Lakey Peterson, current WSL No. 2, said. “We love Western Australia and it’s unfortunate what happened to the event this season. That said, Uluwatu is an amazing wave and the surfers are very appreciative of being able to finish the event and have a fairer crack at the WSL Title.”
“I love Western Australia and I’m looking forward to coming back in 2019 but it’s awesome that we’re going to complete the event this season at Uluwatu,” Owen Wright, current WSL No. 4, said. “It’s a high-performance wave and I’m frothing to get out there. It’s great that the WSL is investing in completing the event’s competition.”
