LA CICER, Gran Canaria (Saturday, May 19, 2012) – Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) just won the ASP 3-star Gran Canaria Santa Pro Junior at Playa de la Cicer, Las Palmas – Gran Canaria. The defending champion re-claimed his crown today in fantastic fashion, dominating the final against Vicente Romero from Spain.

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Last year’s ASP Europe ranked 3rd surfer takes an early lead on the 2012 Title race and will have a great advantage with his win today. At only 18 years old, Ribeiro who already proved himself on the international stage, becomes the European force to reckon with. Starting his final bout with a 7.67 as a first wave, Ribeiro took a lead that he never let go over Vicente Romero.

“I knew it was going to be a tough heat, he (Vicente Romero) was probably the best surfer in this whole event” Ribeiro said. “I got lucky this first wave came to me, and from them I just kept getting waves and he didn’t. I’m super happy to win this important event !”

Winning his second Gran Canaria Santa Pro Junior in a row, Vasco Ribeiro keeps the Portuguese legacy alive in the Canarian archipelago. For the last three years, Portuguese riders have dominated the event and showed that Portugal is great talent pool for European up-and-comers.

“All the Portuguese think there’s something special between us and the Canary Islands because two years ago Filipe Jervis another Portuguese won here, and then last year I won so everybody’s pushing so we win it all here ! I’m just stoked and I want to congratulate Vicente who surfed incredible !”

Asked on his plans for the 2012 European season, Vasco Ribeiro stays humble and appreciates the general level that European Juniors have reached. With more and more surfers emerging from the old continent proving themselves on the World Junior Championships, the level has incontestably stepped up and the European Title race only just started.

“I think it’s going to be the hardest season for sure because all the guys are ripping like Ramzi (Boukhiam), Frederico (Morais), Dimitri (Ouvre) and Vicente” stated Ribeiro. “It’s going to be really hard to win another event this year but I’m going to try and keep pushing myself and perform at my best level. I’m also going to try to do a few Star Events to gain points and get some experience against older surfers.”

Vicente Romero (ESP) 19, has seemed unstoppable up until the final heat of the event but unfortunately didn’t manage to find the rare opening shoulders to display his aerial skills against Vasco Ribeiro.

“I was feeling excellent but in the beginning of the heat Vasco opened with a really good wave and I felt like it was already over. I got the priority and waited for a long time but never got the wave I needed” Romero said. “I eventually found it with 2 minutes remaining in the heat, I did a good air but came up just short of the score I needed.”

The talented natural footer who’s riding a stickerless board, has been trying to prove all week that he’s at the Top European level. Romero, who has surfed on the South-American Junior tours for the last few years, comes back to his roots in Europe and deserves all the attention he’s getting, for he is the best single wave scorer of the week and a multiple resident on the Top 5 best heat totals of the event.

“I felt really confident and of course sometimes a little luck helps but I’ve worked hard to get there and I’m happy all of that work pays off. This was definitely the most important event of the year because of the 3-Star and because it was my first. Now I’ll just keep training and working and hoping for one spot better in the next one !”

In the first semi-final against Romero, Dimitri Ouvre (GLP) was stopped despite incredible efforts to score big using his full progressive repertoire of surfing. Already established in the European Top 5 last year, Ouvre has a clear goal this year to take his young career to the next level.

“I wanted to win off course but a good result is a start my main goal being qualification for the World Juniors to have the opportunity to show what I can do in good waves” Ouvre said. “To be able to surf against the best in the world and on some of the best waves would be great. I’m stoked even if the winner here is getting a huge advantage I’m confident for the rest of the year. My plan is to continue the Pro Juniors obviously to reach the qualification, and I’ll also surf the Star events. I missed the first event this year due to a shoulder injury and I preferred to travel to Bali to try and heal it properly and enjoy surfing again.”

Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 19, was the other 3rd place finisher today in Gran Canaria. After an impeccable run throughout the event, the Moroccan couldn’t match Vasco Ribeiro’s momentum on route to victory. Ramzi Boukhiam will now regroup and focus on the upcoming events of the ASP Europe Junior Series to try and reclaim one of the coveted spots on the World Junior Tour.

The 2012 Gran Canaria Santa Pro Junior is scheduled from May 16-20 at La Cicer, Gran Canaria / Canary Islands. For more information, and all results, photos, video highlights, and press releases log-on to www.grancanaria.aspeurope.com\

For any other media related information, contact us via www.aspeurope.com

The Gran Canaria Santa Pro Junior is made possible with the support of the following event partners: La Santa Surf, the Consejería de Turismo del Gobierno de Canarias, the Patronato de Turismo del Cabildo de Gran Canaria, the Concejalía de Turismo del Ayuntamiento de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the Hotel Best Western Cantur. Also an extended thanks to Halcón Viajes, Armas, InterSport, Café Central y Oceanside, Cajasiete amongst others.

GRAN CANARIA SANTA PRO JUNIOR FINAL
1 - Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) 14.44
2 – Vicente Romero (ESP) 13.53

GRAN CANARIA SANTA PRO JUNIOR SEMI-FINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Vicente Romero (ESP) 14.17 def. Dimitri Ouvre (GLP) 9.67
SF 2: Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) 12.50 def. Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 12.00

GRAN CANARIA SANTA PRO JUNIOR QUARTER-FINALS RESULTS:
QF 1: Dimitri Ouvre (GLP) 10.03 def. Gaspard Larsonneur (FRA) 9.70
QF 2: Vicente Romero (ESP) 13.33 def. Marcelino Botin (ESP) 4.67
QF 3: Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) 8.77 def. Frederico Morais (PRT) 8.00
QF 4: Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 10.84 def. Jorgann Couzinet (REU) 9.13

GRAN CANARIA SANTA PRO JUNIOR RD OF 16 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Gaspard Larsonneur (FRA) 11.84, Marcelino Botin (ESP) 7.97, Ian Fontaine (FRA) 7.70, Tom Cloarec (FRA) 7.07
Heat 2: Vicente Romero (ESP) 14.33, Dimitri Ouvre (GLP) 9.43, Charly Termeau (FRA) 7.73, George Picking (GBR) 4.73
Heat 3: Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) 14.00, Jorgann Couzinet (REU) 12.76, Alex Gironi (EUK) 10.76, Luis Eyre (GBR) 8.63
Heat 4: Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 12.34, Frederico Morais (PRT) 12.27, Kieran Bulard (REU) 10.77, Jose Ferreira (PRT) 3.66

ITAUNA BEACH, Saquarema/Brazil (Friday, May 18, 2012) – For the fourth consecutive year Itauna beach in Saquarema city will play host to the Coca Cola presents Quiksilver Saquarema Prime 2012 from May 22nd -27th. Located 100 Km north of Rio de Janeiro, the wave at Itauna is considered by many to be Brazil’s best.

Categorized as a Prime event by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), the Quiksilver Saquarema Prime is in an elite category reserved for events of traditional value or those held at world-class breaks.

With a $US 250,000 prize money purse to be divided among the field, each of the 96 competing surfers will be vying for the 1st place trophy, US$ 40,000 and 6,500 points towards the ASP World Ranking.

Scheduled immediately after the ASP World Championship Tour stop in Brazil, several WCT surfers will remain in Brazil to do battle for important points in the hopes of increasing their ranking. WCT surfers competing in the event include Brett Simpson, C.J. Hobgood, Patrick Gudauskas, Kolohe Andino, Matt Wilkinson, Adam Melling, Yadin Nicol, Travis Logie, Tiago Pires and defending champion Kai Otton.

Also on hand will be a strong contingent of Brazilian natives including Alejo Muniz, Willian Cardoso (winner in 2010), Gabriel Medina, Miguel Pupo and local Raoni Monteiro who finished runner up last year.

“It was close. I’ve made the final with Kai Otton but couldn’t win. Hope that this year can reach the final again. It will be awesome to be the Champ at Saquarema”, Monteiro said.

Saquarema will be Prime event number 4 of 9 on the 2012 season.The 1st was held in Fernando de Noronha, Brazil with Miguel Pupo taking top honors. John John Florence secured the win at the 2nd in Margaret River, Australia. And Trestles, California hosted the 3rd Prime event seeing another Brazilian, Gabriel Medina, on top of the podium.

“It´s a great for everyone involved to be able to generate this event for a fourth consecutive year,” Said Event Organizer Sergio Lindermann. “This competition is becoming one of the most important on the Tour. Saquarema has a strong link with surfing, famous for world-class waves and has generated several talented surfers. It´s certain to score good waves with high level of surfing. We’re very happy to have Quiksilver involved, since last year they presented theB razil Open of Surfing at Arpoador (RJ) and now they will sponsor the Prime at Saquarema.”

The Coca Cola presents Quiksilver Saquarema Prime 2012 is sponsored by Coca Cola and Quiksilver, supported by Rio de Janeiro State Government, City of Saquarema, CCR Via Lagos, 900 Graus Surf Shop, Saquarema Association of Surfing and Rio de Janeiro State Surfing Federation. Official Media Partners: ESPN Brazil TV channel, Waves website and Fluir Magazine.

La Cicer, Gran Canaria (Friday, May 18, 2012) – Improved conditions made for a full day of exciting surfing on day 3 of the ASP 3-Star Gran Canaria Santa Pro Junior. An incoming swell in the 3-4Ft range and lighter winds today at La Cicer allowed the event to run through two full rounds of competition. Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) 18, was the in-form surfer of the day, showing power and progressive surfing were the key scoring factors today.

Ribeiro, Gran Canaria Santa Pro Junior defending champion, came out firing in his Round of 32 match-up, netting the highest single wave score of the event so far, an excellent 8.17 out of 10. Pushing hard on his every turn, Vasco Ribeiro looked unstoppable from the first minutes of the confrontation.

“The conditions are really hard and I knew the heat was going to be tough with all the other guys in form”, Ribeiro said. “My goal was to go out there and get two good waves in the beginning to get the pressure off. I’m happy I got through and am already thinking about the next round, hopefully the waves will get a little better tomorrow. My approach is different on every wave, if you can only do one turn you got to go big, and there’s also some little ones which you can fit two turns on really fast. Those ones are the ones getting big scores !”

Ribeiro, who finished third on the European Junior rankings in 2011, has seen his closest competition William Aliotti (FRA) stopped in his first heat in the biggest upset of the day. Becoming the legitimate number one in this 2012 edition, Vasco Ribeiro stays focus on the long road still ahead of him.

“Not really feeling anymore pressure, I’m just trying to have fun and get some good waves.. Of course this year my goal is the European Title but I’m trying to not think too much about it and concentrate on my surfing.”

With the completion of the third round this afternoon, only 16 surfers still have a shot at the Gran Canaria Santa Pro Junior event win and despite having had a fantastic start to his 2012 campaign outside Europe, Vasco Ribeiro will have to maintain his consistency throughout the remaining battles coming up tomorrow.

“I’ll have to be at my best in every heat now because everyone else is surfing so incredibly well” stated Vasco. “I don’t think there’s one bigger threat than another, there are many guys that can win the event like Frederico (Morais), Ramzi (Boukhiam), Dimitri (Ouvre), they’re all used to do finals in past events so they’re the one you want to beat, and hopefully doing my best will get me a good result.”

Vicente Romero (ESP) 19, confirmed his excellent run through the event today, winning both his Round 2 and 3 matchups against seasoned European competitors. Romero continued to impress in bigger waves today with an incredible style and flow consistantly posting scores in the good range.

“I just went out there to have fun and do my best” Romero said. “I’ve been training a lot for this first event which I think is the most important on the Junior Tour. I’m feeling really confident and in form, and I have a positive mindset that’s how I think I got through these rounds.”

For his first time competing in Gran Canaria, Vicente Romero has been able to find the right waves in all his confrontations and managed to showcase his abilities. A trained beachbreak surfer coming from Brazil, Romero explains his wins by good tactics and a strong determination.

“I’ve been looking at all the heats before mine to try and find the best spot, and as I said I’m in the right mood to enjoy myself and perform, that’s pretty much my secret. I’ll keep applying the same tactics, and obviously I came here to win, you know I don’t have sponsors at the moment so this is a pretty big opportunity for me !”

Another great performer today was local hero Luis Diaz (CNY), only 13 years old and already a strong competitor. Despite coming third and missing out on the qualification in his third round match-up, Diaz made the local public go wild on each of his waves and came up just short of a small score to get through.

“I was up against the top seeds and it just wasn’t going to be easy but I am really happy with the result” Diaz said. “I am going to try and go to more Pro Junior events during the year but we’ll see. I really enjoyed surfing in front of my home crowd and the pressure didn’t get to me at all. It was a good experience for me and a shame I couldn’t get through this heat but it was really good fun.”

Tomorrow the remaining competitors will gather at 10am for the first Call by event officials. Considering the forecast for the weekend, there’s a strong chance of seeing the event’s champion crowned tomorrow Saturday, May 19.

The 2012 Gran Canaria Santa Pro Junior will run from May 16-20 at La Cicer, Gran Canaria / Canary Islands. For more information, and all results, photos, video highlights, and press releases log-on to www.grancanaria.aspeurope.com
For any other media related information, contact us via www.aspeurope.com

The Gran Canaria Santa Pro Junior is made possible with the support of the following event partners: La Santa Surf, the Consejería de Turismo del Gobierno de Canarias, the Patronato de Turismo del Cabildo de Gran Canaria, the Concejalía de Turismo del Ayuntamiento de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the Hotel Best Western Cantur. Also an extended thanks to Halcón Viajes, Armas, InterSport, Café Central y Oceanside, Cajasiete amongst others.

UPCOMING GRAN CANARIA SANTA PRO JUNIOR RD OF 16 MATCHUPS:
Heat 1: Gaspard Larsonneur (FRA), Tom Cloarec (FRA), Ian Fontaine (FRA), Marcelino Botin (ESP)
Heat 2: Dimitri Ouvre (GLP), Charly Termeau (FRA), Vicente Romero (ESP), George Picking (GBR)
Heat 3: Vasco Ribeiro (PRT), Alex Gironi (EUK), Jorgann Couzinet (REU), Luis Eyre (GBR)
Heat 4: Frederico Morais (PRT), Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR), Jose Ferreira (PRT), Kieran Bulard (REU)

GRAN CANARIA SANTA PRO JUNIOR RD OF 32 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Gaspard Larsonneur (FRA) 10.66, Charly Termeau (FRA) 7.77, Harry Timson (GBR) 6.27, Luke Dillon (GBR) 5.40
Heat 2: Ian Fontaine (FRA) 8.47, George Picking (GBR) 8.30, Luis Diaz (CNY) 7.90, Remi Petersen (NLD), 7.27
Heat 3: Dimitri Ouvre (GLP) 11.50, Tom Cloarec (FRA) 10.00, Simon Sew-Heng ((REU) 6.10, Miguel Blanco (PRT) 5.30
Heat 4: Vicente Romero (ESP) 12.36, Marcelino Botin (ESP) 9.63, Nomme Mignot (FRA) 7.34, Josh Piper (GBR) 5.13
Heat 5: Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) 13.67, Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) 8.70, Borja Agote (EUK) 8.24, Diogo Appleton (PRT) 7.13
Heat 6: Jorgann Couzinet (FRA) 9.67, Kieran Bulard (REU) 7.50, Ander Mendiguren (EUK) 5.63, Luca Dioguardi (CNY) 4.53
Heat 7: Frederico Morais (PRT) 10.80, Alex Gironi (EUK) 9.50, Lucas Jannier (REU) 4.00, Mateia Hiquily (PYF) 2.80
Heat 8: Manex Bikuna (EUK), Luis Eyre (GBR), Diego Mignot (FRA)

GRAN CANARIA SANTA PRO JUNIOR RD OF 64 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Charly Termeau (FRA) 6.84, George Picking (GBR) 6.40, William Aliotti (FRA) 5.64, Tom Good (GBR) 5.24
Heat 2: Gaspard Larsonneur (FRA) 9.34, Luis Diaz (CNY) 8.00, Javier Ascanio Fernandez (CNY) 7.50, Toby Donachie (GBR) 4.63
Heat 3: Remi Petersen (NLD) 10.36, Harry Timson (GBR) 10.17, Pedro Correia (PRT) 8.17, Ugo Robin (FRA) 7.96
Heat 4: Ian Fontaine (FRA) 10.67, Luke Dillon (GBR) 6.43, Ethan Egiguren (EUK) 5.02, Titouan Deffarges (FRA) 2.67
Heat 5: Dimitri Ouvre (GLP) 7.76, Nomme Mignot (FRA) 5.75, Tomas Fernandes (PRT) 5.30, Kosme Fernandez (EUK) 3.87
Heat 6: Miguel Blanco (PRT) 8.74, Josh Piper (GBR) 6.40, Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 6.27, Andy Criere (FRA) 6.17
Heat 7: Vicente Romero (ESP) 13.73, Tom Cloarec (FRA) 8.27, Roberto Letemendia (EUK) 5.10, Will Davey (GBR) 4.70
Heat 8: Marcelino Botin (ESP) 8.16, Simon Sew-Heng (REU) 7.77, Imanol Yeregi (EUK) 7.30, Nelson Cloarec (FRA) 6.17
Heat 9: Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) 13.50, Ander Mendiguren (EUK) 10.77, Charly Quivront (FRA) 5.67, Arthur Lasse (FRA) 4.36
Heat 10: Borja Agote (EUK) 7.27, Luca Dioguardi (CNY) 6.70, Maxime Bobet (FRA) 5.70, Pierre Rollet (FRA) 4.70
Heat 11: Jorgann Couzinet (REU) 13.00, Ramzi Boukhiam (MOR) 12.00, Aldric God (FRA) 7.27, Roberto D’Amico (ITA) 2.80
Heat 12: Kieran Bulard (REU) 13.60, Diogo Appleton (PRT) 10.10, Derek Gomes (VEN) 8.50, Julen Egiguren (EUK) 8.10
Heat 13: Frederico Morais (PRT) 10.06, Manex Bikuna (EUK) 6.16, Alex Iriondo (EUK) 5.40, Saul Torres (CNY) 4.54
Heat 14: Alex Girioni (EUK) 11.03, Luis Eyre (GBR) 8.30, Guilherme Fonseca (PRT) 6.26, Andrew Petrelluzzi (GLP) 5.97
Heat 15: José Ferreira (PRT) 10.66, Mateia Hiquily (PYF) 7.27, Natxo Gonzalez (EUK) 5.57, Maurice Meyerwestphal (REU) 5.40
Heat 16: Diego Mignot (FRA) 9.80, Lucas Jannier (REU) 8.43, Fransisco Alves (PRT) 8.07, Pablo Goncalves (REU) 7.93

La Cicer, Gran Canaria (Thursday, May 17, 2012) – A lay day was called at the Gran Canaria Santa Pro Junior due to small unsurfable conditions at La Cicer. Event officials after meeting with surfers decided to wait for improved conditions with a first call to be made at 7:30 am on Friday 18th May for a possible start to Round Two of competition.

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Mikel Zalakain (EUK), ASP Europe’s Head Judge on the event, held two consecutive meetings with the surfers and event organizers to decide on today’s course of action. A predicted incoming swell was the reason why everyone wanted to wait and see if conditions improved throughout the morning, but at 11am today event officials were forced to make a decision.

“Today is a really hard day, we were waiting for an improvement in the conditions but it’s still not good enough so we just decided not to run today and wait a little bit for the swell that’s coming this afternoon”, Zalakain said. “We feel like it’s better to have a full day tomorrow with two consecutive rounds. It will be a hard day but it’s better for the competitors.”

With the first round of competition completed yesterday, the second round was supposed to see the event’s top seeded surfers join in and battle it out with surfers who qualified yesterday. Everyone was on the same page this morning and the decision to wait for an improvement was unanimous.

“I think all the surfers were very happy with the decision, they didn’t want to compete in poor conditions today” Zalakain stated. “We need about a day and a half to finish the event and there’s a chance we’ll see a champion crowned on Saturday because the forecast shows an important decrease for Sunday.”

The next call has been set to 7:30am tomorrow Friday, May 18. The 2012 Gran Canaria Santa Pro Junior will run from May 16-20 at La Cicer, Gran Canaria / Canary Islands. For more information, and all results, photos, video highlights, and press releases log-on to www.grancanaria.aspeurope.com

For any other media related information, contact us via www.aspeurope.com

The Gran Canaria Santa Pro Junior is made possible with the support of the following event partners: La Santa Surf, the Consejería de Turismo del Gobierno de Canarias, the Patronato de Turismo del Cabildo de Gran Canaria, the Concejalía de Turismo del Ayuntamiento de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the Hotel Best Western Cantur. Also an extended thanks to Halcón Viajes, Armas, InterSport, Café Central y Oceanside, Cajasiete amongst others.

UPCOMING GRAN CANARIA SANTA PRO JUNIOR RD OF 64 MATCHUPS:
Heat 1: William Aliotti (FRA), Charly Termeau (FRA), Tom Good (GBR), George Picking (GBR)
Heat 2: Toby Donachie (GBR), Gaspard Larsonneur (FRA), Luis Diaz (CNY), Javier Ascanio Fernandez (CNY)
Heat 3: Ugo Robin (FRA), Remi Petersen (NLD), Pedro Correia (PRT), Harry Timson (GBR)
Heat 4: Ian Fontaine (FRA), Ethan Egiguren (EUK), Titouan Deffarges (FRA), Luke Dillon (GBR)
Heat 5: Dimitri Ouvre (GLP), Kosme Fernandez (EUK), Nomme Mignot (FRA), Tomas Fernandes (PRT)
Heat 6: Miguel Blanco (PRT), Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), Andy Criere (FRA), Josh Piper (GBR)
Heat 7: Tom Cloarec (FRA), Roberto Letemendia (EUK), Will Davey (GBR), Vicente Romero (ESP)
Heat 8: Nelson Cloarec (FRA), Imanol Yeregi (EUK), Marcelino Botin (ESP), Simon Sew-Heng (REU)
Heat 9: Vasco Ribeiro (PRT), Ander Mendiguren (EUK), Charly Quivront (FRA), Arthur Lasse (FRA)
Heat 10: Borja Agote (EUK), Pierre Rollet (FRA), Luca Dioguardi (CNY), Maxime Bobet (FRA)
Heat 11: Ramzi Boukhiam (MOR), Aldric God (FRA), Jorgann Couzinet (REU), Roberto D’Amico (ITA)
Heat 12: Kieran Bulard (REU), Diogo Appleton (PRT), Julen Egiguren (EUK), Derek Gomes (VEN)
Heat 13: Frederico Morais (PRT), Manex Bikuna (EUK), Alex Iriondo (EUK), Saul Torres (CNY)
Heat 14: Alex Girioni (EUK), Luis Eyre (GBR), Andrew Petrelluzzi (GLP), Guilherme Fonseca (PRT)
Heat 15: José Ferreira (PRT), Natxo Gonzalez (EUK), Maurice Meyerwestphal (REU), Mateia Hiquily (PYF)
Heat 16: Fransisco Alves (PRT), Diego Mignot (FRA), Pablo Goncalves (REU), Lucas Jannier (REU)

La Cicer, Gran Canaria (Wednesday, May 16, 2012) – Organizers have called a halt to action at the ASP 3-Star Gran Canaria Santa Pro Junior at Playa de la Cicer, after the completion of Round 1. Conditions in the 1-2Ft range were on offer this morning and Vicente Romero (ESP) proved progressive surfing to be the key to scoring high in wind affected small waves.

Romero (ESP) 19, was the stand-out in today’s first round of competition at La Cicer. The Brazilian born Spanish resident, impressed for his first time in Gran Canaria, by posting both the highest single wave of the day, an impressive 7.50 out of 10, and the highest heat total of the event so far.

“It wasn’t easy this morning, but I’ve been training a lot for this event and with a good board under my feet I felt great out there”, Romero said. “I’m pretty confident and I’m looking for a big result here this week. I know most of the guys and have a couple friends competing too, so it’s good to be here. I had three good waves in my heat. My 7.50 was a cool wave on which I did a good first turn, followed by a reverse air and another turn to finish. I definitely had a lot of fun out there and today the jellyfishes didn’t bother too much so even better !”

Vicente Romero chose to come back from Brazil this year to live with his family and has established home in the Basque Country. He will be following the whole European Tour hoping for a break through towards the end of his Junior career.

“I came to Tenerife four years ago, but this is my first time competing here in Gran Canaria. I was born in Brazil but have double nationality I’m spanish too. I’ve been competing in Brazil on the Junior tour before, and this year I’m living in Spain near Sopelana with my family and I’ll surf on the European Tour.”

In the last heat of Round 1, Mateia Hiquily (PYF) 16 had a close-fought match-up and had to step-up his game to eventually post a 6.00 point ride and get the heat win over Lucas Jannier (REU). The young French Polynesian who recently was highlighted in the Surfer Mag “Hot 100″ list, didn’t disappoint this morning despite the difficult conditions.

“I started the heat thinking I’d get a couple small waves but they were just too fat and when I saw the other guys getting the sets I figured I needed to move to their peak and get the best ones too”, Hiquily said. “I ended up having a couple of fun waves scoring a 6.00 and a 4.50. It’s my first time competing in Europe and I’ve never been in the Canary Islands before. I arrived a couple days ago, and there are definitely a few fun waves around here, I think Gran Canaria has potential. It’s nothing like home though, we pretty much have only reefs in Tahiti.”

The talented goofy footer adapted to the beachbreak conditions and managed to overtake his opponents in the dying minutes of his Heat. With a strong newschool repertoire and abilities for barrel rides coming from Tahiti, we will see more of Mateia Hiquily during this 2012 European Junior season.

“I’m going to try to do the full European Tour, unfortunately I have to go back to Tahiti in between events as I’m taking the BAC (high-school exams) this year so I can’t stay in Europe for now. I have high expectations for this season, I know there’s a lot of competition with Vasco (Ribeiro) and Frederico (Morais) for example but I’m aiming for the top spot for sure !”

In Heat 7 of the Round of 80 this morning, it’s Saul Torres (CNY) 16, who made the crowds proud, representing well his Canarian fellow residents. Coming over from the East side of the Island, Torres had full local support and a homespot advantage. The local surfer had a better understanding of the conditions, which showed as he navigated through the best waves of his heat.

“It turned out really well for me and I caught some nice waves” Torres said. “The waves were a little soft but in the end I managed to get a few which was good because I got the good ones. I am motivated about being in the next round with the top seeds. Tomorrow I will do what I can and give it my all for sure.”

A first call will be made tomorrow Thursday 17th May at 9.30am for the start of Round Two. The 2012 Gran Canaria Santa Pro Junior will run from May 16-20 at La Cicer, Gran Canaria / Canary Islands. For more information, and all results, photos, video highlights, and press releases log-on to www.grancanaria.aspeurope.com

The Gran Canaria Santa Pro Junior is made possible with the support of the following event partners: La Santa Surf, the Consejería de Turismo del Gobierno de Canarias, the Patronato de Turismo del Cabildo de Gran Canaria, the Concejalía de Turismo del Ayuntamiento de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the Hotel Best Western Cantur. Also an extended thanks to Halcón Viajes, Armas, InterSport, Café Central y Oceanside, Cajasiete amongst others.

GRAN CANARIA SANTA PRO JUNIOR RD OF 80 RESULTS:
Heat 1: George Picking (GBR) 9.06, Javier Ascanio Ferna (CNY) 8.20, Marcos Carmona (ESP) 5.54
Heat 2: Harry Timson (GBR) 9.93, Luke Dillon (GBR) 9.50, Pedro Coelho (PRT) 5.87, Juan Ignacio Sebastia (CNY) 5.06
Heat 3: Tomas Fernandes (PRT) 9.27, Josh Piper (GBR) 8.50, Paul Monborne (FRA) 6.57, Kai Garcia (CNY) 4.66
Heat 4: Vicente Romero (ESP) 13.60, Simon Sew-Heng (REU) 6.10, Woody Bujon (FRA) 3.45, Vincent Vandeputte (BEL) 2.47
Heat 5: Arthur Lasse (FRA) 5.94, Maxime Bobet (FRA) 5.13, Jono Moreira (PRT) 3.60
Heat 6: Roberto D’Amico (ITA) 8.93, Derek Gomes (VEN) 7.14, Alexandre Baudin (ESP) 6.10, Miguel Villalba (ESP) 5.03
Heat 7: Saul Torres Ruano (CNY) 7.53, Guilherme Fonseca (PRT) 6.96, Timothee Bisso (GLP) 5.77
Heat 8: Mateia Hiquily (PYF) 10.33, Lucas Jannier (REU) 8.57, Juan Fernandez (ESP) 5.93, Francisco Duarte (PRT) 5.36

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 http://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

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

John John Florence (HAW), 19, scalped his first elite tour victory at the Billabong Rio Pro today over Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31.

BARRA DA TIJUCA, Rio de Janeiro/Brazil (Wednesday, May 16, 2012) – John John Florence (FRA), 19, has scalped his first elite tour win today, claiming the Billabong Rio Pro over Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, in clean three-to-four foot (1 metre) conditions at Barra da Tijuca.

Full Report coming soon…

BILLABONG RIO PRO FINAL RESULTS:
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

BARRA DA TIJUCA, Rio de Janeiro/Brazil (Wednesday, May 16, 2012) – The final day of Billabong Rio Pro competition is on in clean two-to-four foot (1 metre) waves at Barra Da Tijuca. Today’s action will begin with the Quarterfinals and crown a champion by day’s end.

Yesterday’s competition was graced with firing three-to-five foot (1-1.5 metre) wave at Barra Da Tijuca and saw some banner performances from the world’s best surfers to decide the final eight surfers of the Billabong Rio Pro.

“We’ve got clean conditions on offer this morning at Barra Da Tijuca and plan on finishing the contest today,” Rich Porta, ASP International Head Judge said. “Best of luck to our remaining competitors.”

UP first this morning will be Tiago Pires (PRT), 32, vs. Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, in Quarterfinal No. 1 of Billabong Rio Pro competition.

To watch the Billabong Rio Pro LIVE log on to http://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)

Joel Parkinson (AUS), 31, drove through two barrels to post the day's highest heat total of Billabong Rio Pro competition.

BARRA DA TIJUCA, Rio de Janeiro/Brazil (Tuesday, May 15, 2012) – The Billabong Rio Pro, Event No. 3 of 10 on the 2012 ASP World Championship Tour, 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) 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 http://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

Adam Melling (AUS), 27, will take on Jeremy Flores (FRA), 24, in Round 3 of the Billabong Rio Pro.

BARRA DA TIJUCA, Rio de Janeiro/Brazil (Tuesday, May 15, 2012) – The Billabong Rio Pro is back on in clean two-to-four foot (1 metre) waves at the punchy beachbreak of Barra da Tijuca. Today’s schedule is expected to see the completion of Round 3 with Round 4 on standby.

The Billabong Rio Pro recommenced competition yesterday after a four-day holding period to complete Round 2 in thumping four-to-six foot (1.5 to 2 metre) conditions and while the swell has dropped overnight, the surf is still highly contestable today.

“While the swell has dropped significantly overnight, we’ve still got plenty of waves on tap for today,” Rich Porta, ASP International Head Judge said. “We’d like to capitalize on the swell available and expect to complete Round 3 and have put Round 4 on standby.”

Up first this morning will be Jordy Smith (ZAF), 24, against Kolohe Andino (USA), 18, in Heat 3 Round 3 of Billabong Rio Pro competition.

To watch the Billabong Rio Pro LIVE log on to http://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 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 3: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA)
Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Bede Durbidge (AUS)
Heat 5: Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. Heitor Alves (BRA)
Heat 6: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Peterson Crisanto (BRA)
Heat 7: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 8: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 9: Julian Wilson (USA) vs. C.J. Hobgood (USA)
Heat 10: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 11: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Heat 12: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Travis Logie (ZAF)