In an exhilarating final day at the Itacoatiara Pro 2024, Armide Soliveres emerged as the champion, showcasing his exceptional talent and resilience. Battling through intense heats, including a nail-biting quarter-final against debutant Uri Valadão, a semi-final against Ethan Capdeville, and a close Final against Pierre Louis Costes. The event, marked by impressive performances and fierce competition, culminated in a thrilling all-European podium, cementing Itacoatiara Pro 2024 as a highlight in the 2024 IBC World Tour Calendar.
The final day of competition at the Itacoatiara Pro 2024 took place today, in a morning full of action, where the swell held up until the final heat, providing all riders with proper waves to showcase their skills and advance to the upcoming stages.
The day started with the quarter-finals, where the debutant Isaias Ravyc faced the 2-time World Champion, Pierre Louis Costes, in a nerve-racking heat. As had been usual throughout the previous days of competition, Pierre Louis Costes kicked off his campaign with a banger, riding the first wave of the day and scoring a 9.50 in the very first minutes of the heat, leaving the Brazilian in a tough situation. Isaías Ravyc was clearly feeling the pressure of competing in the quarter-finals for the first time, but 7 minutes before the heat finished, Isaias managed to find his first proper score, an 8.25, getting himself back in the heat. The battle prolonged until the very last minute, where PLC, with a 6.90, managed to close the heat with a total score of 16.40, against Isaias’ combined score of 15.25. “My luck in this heat was that I was in position to catch that wave. I mean, it was a perfect wave, a wave that you dream to have in the competition. It’s a very interesting year compared to last year. This year we have about 6 to 8 people that are currently in contention. It still is anyone’s game, really” said Pierre Louis Costes.
In the following heats, two other Frenchmen advanced to the semi-final stage. Firstly, Amaury Lavernhe eliminated Sócrates Santana, and Ethan Capdeville, with a combined score of 15 points, managed to win over Tristan Roberts.
The final heat of the quarter-finals was between Armide Soliveres and Uri Valadão, who had the last opportunity to get the Brazilian flag onto the podium. Nevertheless, Armide Soliveres kept calm and cool, and managed to find two good scores, an 8.25 and a backup score of 7.75, totaling a score of 16 points, advancing into the semifinals with one of the best performances of the day.
With the waves dropping in size but still providing fun conditions for big airs off the lip, we headed straight to the semifinals with the assurance that we would finish the Itacoatiara Pro 2024 with a full European podium.
The first semifinal between the two fellow countrymen, and both two-time World Champions, Pierre Louis Costes and Amaury Lavernhe, finished as close as it gets, with both riders ending the heat with a combined score of 15.75 points. Nevertheless, PLC took the win as he had the highest single score (8.25pts) among the two riders. “Amaury is like a bigger brother to me. He showed me the way, especially at a stage where European riders were not considered a threat on the tour.”
If the first semifinal was a battle of experience and expertise, the second heat was the opposite, showcasing the new generation as Armide Soliveres from the Canary Islands, and Ethan Capdeville from France battled for a spot in the final. Armide managed to find the best waves and advanced to the final with a combined score of 15.75 points, once again, showing for what he came.
Canary Islands against France, new generation versus old generation, Armide Soliveres or Pierre Louis Costes, one of them would win the Itacoatiara Pro for the first time. PLC started stronger with a 7.75, but unable to find a proper backup score, the Frenchman left room for Armide to build his board. With a 7-point ride and an 8-point ride, Armide Soliveres achieved a total score of 15 points, winning his first World Tour event ever in the Men’s Division after coming close to victory in the first event of the season in Morocco (where he placed second).
We are now 7 weeks away from the start of the second half of the season, which will kick off August 1st with the Maldives Pro 2024, extending its window until August 10th. Stay tuned for all updates on the IBC World Tour.
All photos by: TonyDAndrea
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