Samba Style

When the waves are small and beachbreak peaks, the viewers get into something of an apoplexy at the injustice of it all, making rash comparisons to teahupo’o and J-Bay, but few people stop to think that, as the world’s best surfers, they do also have to be able to rip in different conditions and while it is small, it wasn’t totally shit. There were big scores dropping all day, there were barrels to be had, and everyone was carrying on with ripping. The Billabong Pro Rio is part of a tour, and it has its place, just as Pipe does, as Trestles does.

Two top names that dropped out of the first round and went straight into the second round quick death were Kelly and Fanning. Both couldn’t find their rhythm, and both will be surfing again to try and find it. No one seemed very worried however, and round 2 will clear the air.

Talking about air, Jordy went straight into it with some very solid and aggressive surfing above the lip for a win and a ticket straight into round 3. “I feel very at home here, and it was my first ever win outside of South Africa,” said the defending champ. “I kinda slot in on many east coast spots around the world, and it kind of reminds me of Durban here.”

Jordy came up against Travis Logie (as per usual) and Freddy P, and knew that it wasn’t going to be easy. “Both Trent and Freddy are lethal,” said Jordy. “It’s pretty funny, Travis and Freddy are traveling together as team mates, I’ve been giving them a hard time all week, so I’m glad I managed to beat them.”

Freddy P wasn’t taking it easy in the heat, and one long forehand tube to massive gouge showed that he was hungry. Not hungry enough however, as he came in second, with Travis third.

Travis has a blitz-vinnig backhand, but found mainly lefts in the heat, and couldn’t open up his quick backhand cracks that the judges like so much. He’ll get another go though in round two.

Travis has a blitz-vinnig backhand, but found mainly lefts in the heat, and couldn’t open up his quick backhand cracks that the judges like so much. He’ll get another go though in round two.

Immediately after their heat, Toledo took to the stage. He did not fuck around. A huge forehand air reverse in front of a dumping section saw him spin so fast the only way to appreciate it is on the slowmo. He scored an8.87 for it, which is a pretty good opener. He paddled back out, stroked into another clean right-hand and bust for the biggest full rote forehand to land in the flats and ride it out for a 9.41. Sitting with a heat total of 18.3 with 22 minutes to go, he could have paddled in, sipped on a caipirinha, smoked a Brazilian cigar or even a Cuban one, and paddled out at the end for another couple of non-essential rides just to not look too arrogant. He didn’t choose this approach however, he chose to surf 13 waves in his heat, with nothing beating his scoring rides.

Over at the Rio Women’s Pro, our Bianca battled it out in a loaded heat 1, with Nikkie Van Dijk and Coco Ho as her competitors. It was the closest of heats, with Nikki eventually winning and Bianca in second, with about a point between all three of them. Bianca will be surfing in the second round against Tatiana Weston-Webb, the Brazilian born Hawaiian surfer.

We should go live again this arvi - http://www.aspworldtour.com/events/2014/mct/664/billabong-rio-pro

Billabong Rio Pro Round 2 Match-ups
Heat 1: Mick Fanning (BRA) vs. David do Carmo (BRA)
Heat 2: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Peterson Crisanto (BRA)
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Glenn Hall (IRL)
Heat 4: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 5: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
Heat 6: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Dion Atkinson (AUS)
Heat 7: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 8: Miguel Pupo (BRA) vs. Aritz Aranburu (ESP)
Heat 9: Fredrick Patacchia (HAW) vs. Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Heat 10: Bede Durbidge (AUS) vs. Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Heat 11: Sebastian Zeitz (HAW) vs. Jeremy Flores (BRA)
Heat 12: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)

Billabong Rio Pro Round 1 Results
Heat 1: Tiago Pires (PRT) 9.70, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 9.60, Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 6.40
Heat 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.53, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 10.17, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 8.87
Heat 3: Taj Burrow (AUS) 9.60, Brett Simpson (USA) 7.83, Adam Melling (AUS) 7.24
Heat 4: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.67, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 12.20, Glenn Hall (IRL) 8.67
Heat 5: Mitch Crews (AUS) 13.07, Peterson Crisanto (BRA) 8.53, Kelly Slater (USA) 8.64
Heat 6: Kolohe Andino (USA) 13.10, David do Carmo (BRA) 10.30, Mick Fanning (AUS) 10.07
Heat 7: Josh Kerr (AUS) 14.33, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 14.20, Dion Atkinson (AUS) 10.76
Heat 8: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 13.67, Fredrick Pattachia (HAW) 12.50, Travis Logie (ZAF) 9.60
Heat 9: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 18.30, Julian Wilson (AUS) 13.93, Aritz Aranburu (ESP) 10.47
Heat 10: Nat Young (USA) 11.86, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 11.67, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 9.94
Heat 11: Jadson Andre (BRA) 12.13, Owen Wright (AUS) 11.60, Michel Bourez (PYF) 10.03
Heat 12: John John Florence (HAW) 12.16, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 11.53, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 10.80

Rio Women’s Pro Round 2 Match-ups
Heat 1: Dimity Stoyle (AUS) vs. Alessa Quizon (HAW)
Heat 2: Coco Ho (HAW) vs. Johanne Defay (FRA)
Heat 3: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) vs. Silvana Lima (BRA)
Heat 4: Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) vs. Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW)
Heat 5: Malia Manuel (HAW) vs. Alana Blanchard (HAW)
Heat 6: Pauline Ado (FRA) vs. Paige Hareb (NZL)

Rio Women’s Pro Round 1 Results
Heat 1: Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 14.20, Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 13.47, Coco Ho (HAW) 13.17
Heat 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 12.50, Bianca Buitendag (ZAF) 9.17, Dimity Stoyle (AUS) 7.24
Heat 3: Carissa Moore (HAW) 12.77, Paige Hareb (NZL) 12.00, Silvana Lima (BRA) 11.77
Heat 4: Tyler Wright (AUS) 12.60, Pauline Ado (FRA) 11.87, Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW) 9.27
Heat 5: Laura Enever (AUS) 11.53, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 9.60, Alana Blanchard (HAW) 6.20
Heat 6: Lakey Peterson (USA) 12.67, Malia Manuel (HAW) 10.30, Alessa Quizon (HAW) 8.40