Brazilian upstart Junior Lagosta earned the first perfect 10 point ride of Mahalo Eco Festival competition today.
ITACARE, Bahia / Brazil (Tuesday, Oct, 15, 2013) - The ASP 4-Star Mahalo Surf Eco Festival presented by Skol commenced in fair conditions with sunny skies, onshore winds and waves in the 3-4 foot range (1-1.5 meters) at Praia da Tiririca, in Itacare, Bahia, Brazil. 113 surfers from ten different countries are vying for crucial ASP World Ranking points and U$95,000 in prize money.
Italo Ferreira (BRA) took to the air and scored a 15.84 (out of 20) to obtain the highest heat total of the day. The Round of 128 continued in impressive form when Junior Lagosta (BRA) threaded a barrel and followed by boosting a perfect kerrupt flip to earn a perfect 10-point ride from the judges.
“Wow, that was amazing! When I paddled into that wave I knew it was going to barrel, and when I came out it formed a ramp and I just went for the kerrupt flip,” stated Junior Lagosta. “I’m happy to start the contest off well and hope my luck continues.”
Veteran surfer, Victor Ribas (BRA) qualified in 2nd place behind Lagosta and saw the flip from up close.
“The wave was perfect, it looked like Fernando de Noronha and Junior (Lagosta) did everything right by mixing up a tube-ride and finishing off with an air, it had to be a 10,” said Victor Ribas. “It also feels good to qualify into the next round. This early in the contest it doesn’t matter if you advance in first or in second as long as you advance.”
Fellow Brazilian Ex-WCT surfers who also qualified into the Round of 96 were Danilo Costa and Leonardo Neves, in their respective heats.
“The currents are pretty strong and the onshore winds are intense, but I’m happy to be back in Itacaré after such a long time,” commented Leonardo Neves. “I competed here during the Brazilian National Circuit and it’s a really special place. It was still up in the air if this contest was going to happen or not earlier in the year, so it was a nice surprise. One of my favorite bands is going to play this weekend, the beach is beautiful and the vibe here is great.”
The Round of 128 saw few foreign surfers advance into the next round, with Diran Zakarian (ZAF) and Colin Saunders (VEN) bowing out in their heats before victories achieved by Korak Tinoco (VEN) and Tom Cloarec (FRA).
“It’s my first time to Itacaré and I think it’s beautiful, very lush and the people are great,” said Tom Cloarec. “The waves are really good too but the wind made things difficult and I had a hard time positioning myself in the lineup. But it’s nice to advance and I hope to do well here.”
The Mahalo Surf Eco Festival presented by Skol is produced by Dende Produções and sponsored by Mahalo, Petrobras, Bahiatursa and the City of Itacaré and is supported by Backdoor, the Tourism Institute of Itacaré, the Bahia Surf Federation and the Itacaré Surf Association. The event is approved by the ASP South America as a 4-Star event and is transmitted live on the internet: www.surfecofestival.com.br
