The sport’s biggest name, Kelly Slater (Fl, USA), made a welcome return to competition in Brazil. The 11-time world champion withdrew from last year’s Rio Pro tournament due to a foot injury and some say that it may have cost him a 12th world title.
But today the 41 year-old surfing legend locked in two of the day’s highest scoring waves to advance direct to Round 3 and relegate Australian Kieren Perrow (Byron Bay, NSW) and local wildcard Gustavo Fernandes (BRA) to Round 2.
After two events, Slater sits atop the world ratings, having won the season opening event on Australia’s Gold Coast.
At the recent Bells Beach Pro (Mar 27 – Apr 7), Slater had issues with his back and says he is getting closer to being 100% fighting fit.
Current world rated number four and former event winner, Adriano de Souza (Sao Paulo, BRA) easily won his opening match-up, finishing well ahead of Australians Matt Wilkinson (Copacabana, NSW, AUS) and Yadin Nicol (Margaret River, WA).
De Souza found two good scoring waves in the tricky conditions, registering waves of 6.00 and 6.07 points to advance directly to Round 3.
De Souza is coming off a career high, winning the previous event at Bells Beach in Australia. He is a former winner of the Billabong Rio Pro, taking out the event in its inaugural year, 2011.
Young Brazilian superstar, Gabriel Medina (Maresias, BRA), left the beach with the day’s highest two-wave combined heat score, the electric 19 year-old managing 18.00 points out of a possible perfect 20.
Medina navigated his way through a couple of excellent backhand tube rides to advance directly to Round 3 and send Hawaiian Dusty Payne (Maui, HI, USA) and Floridian Damien Hobgood (USA) packing to sudden death Round 2.
Reigning Men’s ASP World Champion Joel Parkinson (Gold Coast, Qld, AUS) was another clear heat winner. Parkinson did it easy finishing on 13.34 points, ahead of local wildcard Messias Felix (BRA) and Brazilian Miguel Pupo (Sao Paulo).
Parkinson currently sits at No. 5 on the ASP WCT rankings, following a runner-up finish to Slater on the Gold Coast and an uncharacteristic equal 13th place finish at Bells Beach. He finished second behind Hawaiian rookie John John Florence last year in Brazil and will be looking for a similar podium finish this week in Rio to keep himself high in the ratings.
Gold Coast stable mates, Mick Fanning (Gold Coast, Qld, AUS) and Bede Durbidge (Stradbroke Is, QLD, AUS) also won their way direct to Round 3 with heat wins today.
Jordy Smith (ZAF), 25, current ASP WCT No. 7, was another surfer to impress today. Long-heralded as one of the premiere surfers on the planet, Smith been in blistering form in 2013 and opened up his Billabong Rio Pro campaign with an impressive 16.94 out of a possible 20 showing today to advance directly into Round 3.
Rounding out today’s action was a stellar showing from the 2013 rookie class with Sebastian Zietz (HAW), 25, Glenn Hall (IRL), 31, and Nat Young (USA), 21, all posting Round 1 wins.
When competition resumes, up first will be Taj Burrow (AUS), 34, and Gustavo Fernandes (BRA) in the opening heat Round 2 of the Billabong Rio Pro.
For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com
BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 11.50, Josh Kerr (AUS) 10.27, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 1.40
Heat 2: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.07, Yadin Nicol (AUS) 7.56, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 1.83
Heat 3: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 15.66, Ricardo dos Santos (BRA) 8.93, Taj Burrow (AUS) 8.67
Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.20, Filipe Toledo (BRA) 8.27, Jack Freestone (AUS) 7.96
Heat 5: Joel Parkinson (AUS) 13.34, , Messias Felix (BRA) 9.83, Miguel Pupo (BRA) 2.47
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) 16.30, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 4.63, Gustavo Fernandes (BRA) 1.46
Heat 7: Glenn Hall (IRL) 15.46, Travis Logie (ZAF) 10.00, Julian Wilson (AUS) 1.46
Heat 8: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 18.00, Dusty Payne (HAW) 7.26, Damien Hobgood (USA) 4.04
Heat 9: Nat Young (USA) 11.46, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 9.74, Jeremy Flores (FRA) 9.37
Heat 10: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 16.94, Adam Melling (AUS) 12.44, Kai Otton (AUS) 5.53
Heat 11: Bede Durbidge (AUS) 11.27, Michel Bourez (PYF) 9.77, Brett Simpson (USA) 9.27
Heat 12: Kolohe Andino (USA) 12.43, Adrian Buchan (AUS) 8.56, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 7.43
BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 2 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Gustavo Fernandes (BRA)
Heat 2: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Messias Felix (BRA)
Heat 3: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Jack Freestone (AUS)
Heat 4: Jeremy Flores (BRA) vs. Ricardo dos Santos (BRA)
Heat 5: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Yadin Nicol (AUS)
Heat 6: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 7: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
Heat 8: Kai Otton (AUS) vs. Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 9: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 10: Travis Logie (ZAF) vs. Kieren Perrow (AUS)
Heat 11: Alejo Muniz (BRA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 12: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) vs. Filipe Toledo (BRA)
COLGATE PLAX GIRLS RIO PRO ROUND 1 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Lakey Peterson (USA), Bianca Buitendag (ZAF), Rebecca Woods (AUS)
Heat 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Paige Hareb (NZL), Sage Erickson (USA)
Heat 3: Carissa Moore (HAW), Silvana Lima (BRA), TBD
Heat 4: Tyler Wright (AUS), Malia Manuel (HAW), Philippa Anderson (AUS)
Heat 5: Courtney Conlogue (USA), Laura Enever (AUS), Alize Arnaud (FRA)
Heat 6: Coco Ho (HAW), Alana Blanchard (HAW), Pauline Ado (FRA)
