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Patrick Bevan wins Onbongo Pro Surfing WQS full report

Patrick Bevan : photo Ricardo Macario

Onbongo Pro Surfing

ASP 6 star WQS Mens event
Praia Mole,Florianopolis-Brazil
4 - 9 November 2003

Patrick Bevan wins Onbongo Pro Surfing, eliminates ratings leaders

Franco-brazilian Patrick Beven, 25 years old, saved Brazil in the second edition of the Onbongo Pro Surfing 2003 at Santa Catarina Island. Raised surfing Itacoatiara waves, in Niterói (RJ), and living in Biarritz, France, for the last 10 years, Beven beat local boy Neco Padaratz, #1 in the WQS ratings, in the semi-finals, as well as other three foreigners in the finals to conquer his first victory in a 6 star leg of the WQS. The last day of the Brazilian Leg was marked with beautiful sunshine and good waves 3-4 feet high. In the final Patrick Beven won, Aussie Tom Whitaker took 2nd place, Hawaiian Bruce Irons 3rd place, and Aussie Lee Winkler 4th.

RATINGS WQS 2003 - after 36 events

1o.- 11878 - Neco Padaratz (BRA-SC)
2o.- 11605 - Trent Munro (AUS)
3o.- 9665 - Shane Beschen (EUA)
4o.- 9127 - Paulo Moura (BRA-PE)
5o.- 9116 - Nathan Webster (AUS)
6o.- 9085 - Bruce Irons (HAV)
7o.- 8911 - Raoni Monteiro (BRA-RJ)
8o.- 8824 - Chris Davidson (AUS)
9o.- 8665 - Tom Whitaker (AUS)
10o.- 8507 - Darren O´Rafferty (AUS)
11o.- 8350 - Eric Rebiere (FRA)
12o.- 8168 - Tim Curran (EUA)
13o.- 7870 - Richard Lovett (AUS)
14o.- 7854 - Lee Winkler (AUS)
15o.- 7830 - Victor Ribas (BRA-RJ)
16o.- 7817 - Greg Emslie (AFR)
17o.- 7764 - Marcelo Nunes (BRA-RN)
18o.- 7730 - Toby Martin (AUS)
19o.- 7220 - Chris Ward (EUA)
20o.- 7043 - Peterson Rosa (BRA-PR)
21o.- 6983 - Armando Daltro (BRA-BA)
22o.- 6955 - Renan Rocha (BRA-SP)
23o.- 6894 - Luke Stedman (AUS)
24o.- 6874 - Patrick Beven (FRA)
25o.- 6679 - Greg Emslie (AFR)

Patrick Bevan winner : photo Ricardo Macario

The victory meant a hearty USD 15.000 prize money plus 2.500 points for the WQS ratings which placed him from 59th to 24th place in the WQS standings this year. Up to now, the top 21 in the WQS ratings will qualify for the WCT next year, which includes brazilian Armando Daltro. The last leg of the circuit will be held in Hawaii between and 11 and 23 of november.

"I don´t even know what to say and to thank all Brazil that´s with me right now", were the first words of the Onbongo Pro Surfing 2003 champion, who could not hide his emotions with the victory. "I´ve always believed in my surfing, after many years of training I knew my time was coming soon. I admit I partied a little in the past years, but I got focused in the competitions, so results started to come", said Patrick Beven, that comes from two victories in smaller WQS events in the Canaries Island, which meant for him the European Champion title of 2003.

"This is the title that I liked and needed in my CV. I´m living a special moment in my life, then a win on a 6 stars WQS event makes me happier even better being here in Brazil", said Patrick, who now has real chances to repeat the same steps of another surfer from Rio de Janeiro who lives in France for the last 10 years, Eric Rebiere, who´s also classified for the WCT next year. "In Hawaii, the waves are completely different from Europe. But I´m confident and I´m going for it to make it to the WCT", promised Beven.

Huge spectator crowds : photo Ricardo Macario

Not mentioning his victory in the Onbongo Pro Surfing 2003, another big thing was the fact of stopping #1 in the WQS local boy Neco Padaratz and Aussie boy Trent Munro, in the semi-final. "I´ve practiced all year long and I am very happy to have made my first final in Brazil. I always did very well abroad, but here I´ve always felt the pressure being surrounded by family and friends, my time has come at last", said Patrick, who addmited feeling sorry to defeat home boy Neco Padaratz.

"Everybody was cheering for him, I ask the public to apologize for the public, many times I´ve been on the sand cheering for Neco, but everyone has their turns, I´m glad this one was mine. I´m stoked, topped up", said Beven.

Official results are listed below, and full details (Results/photos/video/reports) in Portuguese are available at the event website http://waves.terra.com.br

Official results:
Beven,Patrick (Fra) 1
Whitaker,Tom (Aus) 2
Irons,Bruce (Haw) 3
Winkler,Lee (Aus) 4

Lee Winkler : photo Ricardo Macario

The results 1n the Onbongo Pro Surfing 2003 didn´t cause a lot of changes in the top of the WQS ratings. Defeated in the semifinals Neco Padaratz kept his place ahead in the WQS rankings followed closely by Aussie Trent Munro in 2nd place. On the other side Chris Ward (USA) and Brazilians Peterson Rosa and Armando Daltro, came up on the top is list of the WQS heading towards the WCT next year. Still, they are needing good results in Haleiwa Beach, in Hawaii, to guarantee their advanding towards the WCT Tour in 2004.

At the moment, the only Brazilian newcomer is Raoni Monteiro from Rio de Janeiro who´s already confirmed with other six surfers from Brazil in the top of the WQS: Neco Padaratz (1st place), from Pernambuco Paulo Moura (4th place), from Rio de Janeiro Victor Ribas (15th place), from Rio Grande do Norte Marcelo Nunes (17th place), from Paraná Peterson Rosa (20th place) and finally from Bahia Armando Daltro (21th place) and last not least Renan Rocha (22nd place) from São Paulo.

Introducing Cotece wears FECASURF organizes Onbongo Pro Surfing 2003 with exclusive sponsorship from Onbongo and co-sponsored by Star Point shops, Central Surf, Sunset, Surf X-Press, Pipe Wave, Kyw Surf and Hot Water, with help from City Council, Municipal Sports Foundation, Praia Mole Park Hotel and Local Motion Surfboards. The Onbongo Pro Surfing has been confirmed as a 6 stars level for the next year. The difference being that next year the WQS event will start before the WCT brazilian.

Beach support : photo Ricardo Macario

Click here for full coverage
Results, Photos, Reports.

Previous report follows below;-

Neco Padaratz : photo Ricardo Macario

Contest advances to quarter-finals

8 November 2003: After two gloomy days with lots of rain, saturday morning came with sunshine and a large crowd to follow the world´s top surfers in their first appearance at the Onbongo Pro Surfing 2003. The top two in the WQS ratings Neco Padaratz (SC) and Trent Munro (AUS) advanced to round 7 in 5 to 6 foot waves. They will continue the fight for the WQS 2003 title Sunday before heading to Hawaii for the final leg.

A victory in Florianópolis (SC) means 2.500 points for the WQS rating plus US$ 15.000 cash out of the total prize money of US$ 125.000 which is being offered in this 6 star event. The competition will start a 9:30 am, with the last heats of the quarter-finals, and the final is expected to start at 2:00 pm at Praia Mole.

The Onbongo Pro Surfing 2003 will finish the Brazilian Leg of the World Tour which was held in Santa Catarina this year. A total amount of around 1 million real (brazilian currency) wwas given to surfers in these two weeks, being US$ 250.000 in the WCT event and US$ 125.000 in the WQS event.

The two top rated surfers for the WQS title in 2003 made a hard job today, both coming in 2nd in their heats. The Australian Trent Munro was 2nd to Shaun Gossmann and local Neco Padaratz was 2nd to Ricardo Azevedo, a gaucho that lives in Florianópolis.

"It was a tough heat, the waves are good but critical. It´s good to surf, but very hard to compete, because there is a lot of water pressure what makes you tired. Thanks God in the end I caught a good wave in the end to assure my place in the next fase (round)", said Neco Padaratz, who doesn´t mind having to fight three heats in order to get to the finals this sunday on the Onbongo Pro Surfing 2003.

"It´s going to be tiring, but I am prepared for it and I hope God helps me with my right foot, I hit it and it´s hurting me a lot. Today we had a wonderful day, with a crowded beach, awesome waves, I just hope that everything keeps the same for tomorrow, and that I make to the finals", said Neco Padaratz, main surfer on Team Onbongo.

UNEXPECTED DEFEATS - Out of the 206 surfers from 16 countries that participated on the Onbongo Pro Surfing 2003, only 24 will compete in the last day of the event at Santa Catarina Island. Sunday promises lots of sunshine, gorgeous girls, as well as great waves. Although very celebrated victory of number 1 in the WQS ratings Neco Padaratz, Brazil sustained unexpected defeats. From São Paulo Renan Rocha, and Rio Grande do Norte Marcelo Nunes and Danilo Costa who are in the fight for the last places from the WQS that will participate in the WCT next year were killed in their first appearance in the event.

THE SEARCH FOR A SPOT - Last year, Danilo guaranteed his spot in the WCT when he reached the quarter-finals on the Onbongo Pro Surfing 2002. Also from Bahia Armando Daltro stamped his passport here last year although he advanced all the way to the last day of the competition. "It was very hard, the first heat is also the hardest, it took me a long time to get my first good wave, I was nervous. Dornelles (Rodrigo) started ahead, thanks God I found two lefts and got to advance", said Mandinho, who expects to repeat his performance from last year, here on the Onbongo Pro Surfing 2002. "Last year it was a lot easier, because I arrived in Brazil in the list of 15, so I just had to maintain myself. Now I´m in the 27th place what makes me need an extraordinary result to be able to be amongst the classifieds to the WCT next year. But, we always come confident for an event which we done great before", said Daltro.

Him and Peterson Rosa, from Paraná, were the best brazilians on the Onbongo Pro Surfing in last year, both coming outh in 5th place. Different from Armando Daltro, three times brazilian champion started with a victory this year here at Praia Mole. "I started good and I hope that the waves keep coming. Today (Saturday), it´s a beautiful day here at Praia Mole and I need a good result as I´m in a dangerous zone in the WCT, 26th in the ratings, and I´m also out of 15 classifieds from the WQS. My goal is to get out of this event classified in order not to depend on a result in Hawaii. Where I was never welcomes and always have had problems with the locals. In 10 years in the WCT this is the 1st time I´m in such a delicate situation. But I´m going for it and I´m sure I will get around this one", said Peterson Rosa.

Introducing Cotece Wear. FECASURF organizes Onbongo Pro Surfing 2003 with exclusive sponsorship from Onbongo and co-sponsored by Star Point shops, Central Surf, Sunset, Surf X-Press, Pipe Wave, Kyw Surf and Hot Water, with help from City Council, Municipal Sports Foundation, Praia Mole Park Hotel and Local Motion Surfboards. This leg offers US$ 125.000 prize money and 2.500 points for WQS tour as well as 15 places on the ASP World Championship Tour (WCT).

João Carvalho
jcarvalho@abrasp.com.br

Click here for full coverage
Results, Photos, Reports.

Previous report follows below;-

The fans are here : photo Ricardo Macario

Onbongo Pro Surfing WQS will make or break some WCT hopefuls

5 Novemvember 2003: Due to the Brazil WCT final, the first day of the Onbongo Pro Surfing started today November 5th at Praia Mole with the round of 208, in good conditions. Waves are breaking around 4 to 6 feet with some closeouts, but with some good barrels too. We ran the round of 208 and 192 and the highlights were Justin Barca (Haw), Dane Reynolds (USA), Fabricio Machado (Brz) and Rodrigo Rocha (Brz) with the highest scores.

Full coverage provided by Surfersvillage partners http://waves.terra.com.br

Click here for full coverage

Enjoy the contest and coverage, (hope your Portuguese improves).