On a blustery Sunday afternoon at Newcastle Yago Dora showed the world that all you need is a an onshore breeze and a three foot close-out to produce some of the best surfing ever seen in a WQS final. The Brazilian goofy footer punts like a cat that swallowed a propeller. His rail game also has shades of Machado, but in the final of the Maitland and Port Stephens Toyota Pro it was the silky-limbed, tweaked-out, monster airs that saw Yago claim a captivating victory.
While the super-junk conditions may have had the average Aussie surfer bailing for a Sunday arvo schooner, Yago only found reason for inspiration in the lineup.
“I knew it was a long heat and I knew that I was going to have a lot of opportunities and I thought I would just go for airs. Conditions are really good for airs, the tide got lower and it was kind of closing out,” Yago told Tracks while champagne suds still dripped from his contest singlet.
Early in the final Yago made his intentions clear, blasting the fins out the back and slinking into a big double grab for a 6.33. His next scoring wave was a little wilder, featuring a layback slash and an air rev’ that spun so fast the lithe Brazilian became a blur of rubber and fiberglass. The judges punched in an 8.00 and within ten minutes fellow finalist and good friend, Jesse Mendes, was looking like minced meat.
The rout continued with a huge off axis air rev’ that saw the early 6.33 ditched for an 8.83. With an almost unsurpassable lead established Yago took the air show to another level, projecting way beyond the white water with another giant front-side spin that slotted him an 8.27. Mendes tried to rally but his well-timed tail wafts looked pedestrian alongside Yago's nitro-circus act. Sensing his momentum was irrepressible Yago launched into a cloud-tickler, corked out air reverse that drew unanimous tens from the judges, who were enjoying an easy final. It was Yago’s first ever ten in a WQS, but given his virtuoso aerial talents it is unlikely to be his last.
After he’d hoisted the trophy high before a stunned Newcastle crowd, Tracks asked Yago if he had more or less free-surfed the final.
“I was feeling like that before the heat. I was really stoked to just be in the final so I went out there thinking I’m just going to surf and have fun and see what happens and it happened good.”
Although nailing dizzying free-surfing clips has been a focus for the young Brazilian, he has declared his intention to zone in on competition, and admitted that he can have just as much fun in a heat.
“That was probably the best surf I’ve had in Australia. The waves were really good for airs … I was just having fun out there. Everything happens when you have fun. That’s when you get in rhythm and you are never going to fall.”
While he still hovers in the clouds after his win at Newcastle, Dora will join the rest of the WQS contingent in Manly for this week’s Australian Open. Only five WQS results count towards WCT qualification and although it’s early in the season, if Dora can post another good result at Manly he will be well on the way to securing a slot on next year’s WCT. There’s little doubt that his unique approach would deliver a whole new dimension of stylish, technically difficult aerial surfing to the tour.
In the Anditi Women's Pro Johanne Defay's sublimely timed forehand rail carves were sufficient to conquer a resurgent Paige Hareb. Meanwhile Australia’s world junior champion, Macy Callaghan, proved that she is already a threat in the big leagues, after eclipsing Sally Fitzgibbons and Bronte Macaulay en route to a semi finals birth.
