Thursday, September 5th, Sintra, Portugal.
The second day of competition started at 8:00 AM with some really good conditions. The waves were still a solid size with a strong current, and the quality of the waves improved, which boosted the competitors’ scores. The action heated up at Playa Grande with some awesome aerial maneuvers.
The organizers decided to keep going with the Men’s division, starting with round 3, which is non-elimination. The top 2 from each heat move straight to round 5, while the rest get another shot in round 4 of the repechage.
Just a reminder that the Top 16 is in action today, so the world title is on the line. Here’s a rundown of what went down on this intense day of top-notch bodyboarding.
ROUND 3 MEN’S DIVISION “Non-elimination”
The first heat of the day kicked off strong, as expected. French rider Yann Salaun took the top spot with a score of 14.5, moving ahead of his fellow countryman Pierre Louis Costes.
The French are really bringing it this time, and Ethan Capdeville made that clear in the second heat, where the current number 8 in the rankings pushed Moroccan Brahim Iddouch to second place.
Canary Islander Lionel Medina did his homework, advancing in first place, which is a great result for his goal of getting back into the top 16, something he’s aiming for between Sintra and the Frontón King. The second spot went to French rider Yon Aimar.
The fourth heat of the day was super tight, with just 0.25 points separating the top three. Portuguese rider Joel Rodrigues took first with 11.75, closely followed by Peruvian Micheel Yancce with 11.6, and in third was Gabriel Braga, the current number 2 in the rankings, who scored 11.5 points and will have another chance in the repechage round.
What a show! That’s the word for what South African Tristan Roberts did in his heat. The former world champion really brought his A-game. He scored the best wave of the event so far, pulling off a 9-point air reverse and a sick backflip, racking up a total score of 16.5, which is also the highest so far. He was super stoked to be back in Sintra for this competition. Coming in second was Brazilian rider Isaias Ravyc.
Then we had Canary Islander Armide Soliveres stepping up, and the world title was on the line since it’s all up to him to grab it. Armide made it clear to his opponents that he’s not going to make it easy for them, putting on an almost perfect performance and finishing first with a score of 15 points. He also had the second-best score of the day with a two-roll wave that got an 8. Maxime Castillo from France moved on in second place.
The number 10 in the rankings, Chilean Joaquín Soto, had a solid battle against number 9 Amaury Lavernhe. They were only separated by 0.75 points, with Joaquín taking the lead over the rider from Reunion Island, and both of them advanced to round 5.
In the last heat of this round, four-time Sintra Pro champ Uri Valadao from Brazil didn’t disappoint, scoring two high waves and totaling 15 points. The second spot went to French rider Louka Zaninotto.
This round wrapped up with improved conditions, and the show goes on in the repechage round where there’s a lot at stake!
ROUND 4 MEN´S DIVISION “Repêchage”
In this repêchage round, the heats are head-to-head, which means the chances are higher, and only one will get to join the qualifiers from the previous round.
The first heat featured two friends from the Canary Islands, David Pérez, who managed to keep competing after a solid battle against Daniel Paniagua, who came from round 1.
Italian Genesio Ludovisi secured his spot with a total of 13 points, finishing ahead of Portuguese Ricardo Rosmaninho, who did a great job but is out of the competition.
In the third heat, it was a showdown between two French surfers, Simon Andrieux and Txomin López, with Simon taking the win and moving on.
Gabriel Braga, one of the title contenders, didn’t miss his chance in the repêchage and made a strong comeback with an impressive score of 14.25, showing a lot of motivation after his win against Portuguese Salvador Rosa.
It was a tight heat for Reunion Island rider Fabien Thazar, who scored 10.25 to edge out Portuguese Francisco Ferreira, who finished with 9.9. Francisco says goodbye to the competition but put on a great show.
Australian Kai De Legh also did his thing, not giving Venezuelan Edwin Aldana any chances, who had shown some good vibes yesterday.
A beautiful battle unfolded between young Spanish surfer Ethan Pérez, a junior rider who’s been one of the tour’s highlights. He qualified ahead of Australian Josh De Legh.
The most exciting head-to-head heat was in the last heat of the day, where Brazilian Eder Luciano and Frenchman Arthur Buggle literally tied on points, both scoring 12.25. It came down to the highest wave score of the heat, which went to Eder, allowing him to advance.
The day ended with high scores, aerial maneuvers, and a tough challenge for the athletes who faced big waves and strong currents. To be the best in the world, everyone has to be able to surf in all kinds of conditions and adapt, and they’ve shown that over both days.
Tomorrow, the organization will kick off check-in at 7:30 AM, and if everything goes as planned, the agenda will start with Round 5 of the Men’s division, followed by the Women’s division, from Round 1 to 4, unless something unexpected comes up.
So, keep your eyes peeled because the world title is on the line in both divisions.
The excitement is real, so don’t miss out and catch the live event at:
Highlights by: Rafael Elías.
Photographer: Joâo Araújo.
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