GRANDE PLAGE, Lacanau – France (Sunday, August 19, 2012) - Filipe Toledo (BRA) 17 has just won the ASP 5-Star Soöruz Lacanau Pro in clean 2-3Ft surf at La Grande Plage of Lacanau. Toledo managed to outsurf Jack Freestone (AUS) in an exciting final where the heat lead changed a few times before the flying Brazilian comboed his opponent with a near perfect 9.53 and a 8.00 point ride netting the highest heat total of the event in the process.
Filipe Toledo started his final day with a convincing performance in semi-final number 2 of the Soöruz Lacanau Pro where he defeated Dion Atkinson using his full aerial repertoire including a big air reverse and a kerrupt flip high over the face of the wave. After a short break to re-energyze, Toledo paddled out for the final very determined to impose his style over Freestone.
“I’m super stoked !!” Toledo started. “This is my best result so far for sure, I don’t have words to describe how I feel it’s just amazing, unbelievable ! I know Jack surfs pretty much like me and I tried not to do too much airs but you know you got to do what it takes to get the score !”
Currently ranked 25th on the ASP World rankings before this Lacanau event, Toledo is virtually qualified for the 2013 World Championship Tour, and this Win in Lacanau will count as his fifth best result this year so far to help him climb further into the ‘qualification zone’.
“These 2000 points are essential in my season and towards my main objective of qualifying for the World Championship Tour and I feel amazing, pretty relaxed, I surf good so everything’s great ! I’m going to Virginia now and you’ll see me again in a couple of weeks in the next European event !!”
Jack Freestone (AUS) 20, blew up in the first semi-final today defeating Irish surfer Glenn Hall but fell short in the final heat against an impressive Toledo. The 2010 ASP World Junior Champion in the hunt for a coveted spot on the Elite World Championship Tour collects an important 1500 points that will help him climb a few spot on the rankings.
“It was a really fun event for me,” Freestone said. “It’s a nice result and I’m stoked for Filipe ! The final started off really slow but it was still competable and I had a lot of fun ! I look forward to our next event in Virginia, I think Filipe’s going to be a force to be reckoned with and there’ll be some big matchups against him next year or later this year for sure..”
Ranked 60th before the Soöruz Lacanau Pro, Freestone launches his European campaign strongly now after a deceiving 25th place in Newquay last week. Off to North-America now, European surf afficionados will have more occasions to witness Freestone’s progression when he comes back for the upcoming 6-Star events in Zarautz and Azores Islands.
“My objective this season is to try and get as many good results as possible with the qualification in the back of my mind. I already had a couple good results and this second place will help a lot as well with plenty more events to come so I’m looking forward to the back half of the year !”
Glenn Hall (IRE) 30, couldn’t match Freestone’s rythmn in the first semi-final today in Lacanau. Sooruz’s team rider managed to find a great righthander that opened well and allowed him a combination of three aggressive turns rewarded by a 7.33. Unable to match the Australian’s aerial repertoire and find a decent backup, Hall was defeated but collects an excellent third place nonetheless.
“To me he’s one of the next big things (Jack Freestone). He’s an incredible surfer and a very cool guy too so it’s good to see him get a good result and hopefully he gets a lot more ! I got a week off now, I’m going to cruise and surf in Hossegor and then I’ll surf in Zarautz and the Azores.”
Sitting in 15th position on the ASP World Rankings before the Soöruz Lacanau Pro, Hall adds another strong result that will be counting at the end of the year towards qualification for the prestigious ASP World Championship Tour he’s aiming for.
“I’m stoked I surfed a couple of good heats” Hall said. “Obviously it’s good to get another bit of a result, it’s not a huge amount of points but it’s bettering my account a little bit so I’m kind of one step closer !”
Dion Atkinson (AUS) 26, faced the same situation in Semi-Final number 2 where he couldn’t rival with Filipe Toledo’s flying skills in the small waves. The experienced Australian tried to select the better sets and push harder each of his turns but couldn’t find long enough waves that stood up for him.
“I’m pretty happy with this result” Atkinson stated. “It’s a pretty good feeling to come here to France and have a third place in Lacanau, and hopefully find some form for the rest of the events here in Europe. Hopefully I can surf good, keep making heats and I’ll be stoked !”
A powerful surfer that distinguished himself the previous days when Lacanau got bigger and hollow, Atkinson had a hard time trying to match his adversary’s skills in a slower and smaller lineup today offering less potential for huge turns.
“When it’s one foot and rights, he’s almost impossible to beat you know, it’s hard to combat it ! We really surf different the two of us, I’m big and trying to be a powersurfer and he’s a bit of a lightweight and does big airs, and on little beachbreaks like this he’s a freak ! I went out there knowing that, and I tried to get the better waves, but it didn’t really happen.”
The ASP 5-Star Sooruz Lacanau Pro was scheduled from August 14-19, 2012. in Lacanau. For all results, photos, video highlights, press releases log on to http://www.sooruzlacanaupro.com.
The Sooruz Lacanau Pro is made possible with the support of the following event partners: Airwalk, Ville de Lacanau, Lacanau Surf Club, Region Aquitaine, Conseil Général de Gironde, Fédération Française de Surf, Super U, Sport +, Medococean, Smurfit Kappa, RTL2, 20Minutes, MCM, GoPro, Unbottle Yourself amongst others.
SOORUZ LACANAU PRO FINAL RESULTS:
1 - Filipe Toledo (BRA) 17.53 2 - Jack Freestone (AUS) 13.50
SOORUZ LACANAU PRO SEMI-FINALS RESULTS:
Heat 1: Jack Freestone (AUS) 17.03 def. Glenn Hall (IRL) 12.00 Heat 2: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 16.66 def. Dion Atkinson (AUS) 11.50
