Sixteen left as Buondi Billabong Pro Ericeira goes mobile

Day 5 action : photo Aquashot/ASP Europe

Buondi Billabong Pro Portugal

Men's 6 Star WQS Event #27
Ribeira d’Ilhas Ericeira Portugal
26 - 31 August 2008

Live Coverage | Results/Photos/Videos etc

Alves Dominates Day 5, Buondi Billabong Pro Champion Crowned Tomorrow > Portuguese embaixo

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 30 August, 2008 : - - Ericeira, Portugal -- It was a tricky day for the remaining ASP WQS 6-Star Buondi Billabong Pro competitors as the swell had dropped to two foot (0.5 meter) during the night but proceedings got underway at 8 AM and some exciting action took place once again.

Sixteen men only will surf tomorrow on the final day of the 2008 edition and valuable points could get the ratings upside down as 5 of the last 8 surfers will have the chance to move closer to the ultimate goal, the 2009 ASP World Tour qualification.

And it was one of the current ASP Top 45 who took top honours at Ribeira d'Ilhas today, Heitor Alves (BRA) keeping his excellent form up to easily dominate his opponents with an impressive 19.00 point heat tally out of a possible 20. Alves, who now had both best single wave score and heat result of the Buondi Billabong Pro, confirmed his intentions and will surely be a favorite for the crown.

"The waves were really small and it was hard to find enough speed to go big," Alves said. "I was lucky to get the two best waves of the heat and I was able to surf them up to the shore. I am super stoked with that result, even better to advance with another Brazilian."

Day 5 action : photo Pedro Duarte Jorge

Alves, who got an near perfect 9.87 point score out of a possible 10 on Day of competition, has been unstoppable thus far in the event and is turned on for the winner's spot even if the waves are supposed to remain in the two-foot range. Having surfed in six events of the ASP World Tour this year, Alves will have the opportunity to use all Man-on-man experience in tomorrow's finals sarting with his heat against ASP World Junior No. 2 Tonino Benson.

"We are professionals and we have to surf in any conditions so I will take what we have," Alves said. "I have a bit of experience now in Man-on-man battles after last year's WQS and this year's ASP World Tour, and surfing against the best in the world has given me confidence and tactics plans I will be looking forward to using."

Alves was joined by fellow Brazilians Pedro Henrique, Wiggoly Dantas, Marco Polo and Rodrigo Dornelles later in the day and all four will be flying the green and yellow flag in front of a Portuguese crowd that should be good support. The European crew will have three representatives ready when Round 6 commences tomorrow morning as Marlon Lipke (DEU), Glenn Hall (IRE) and Aritz Aranburu (EUK) bowed out today.

Tim Boal (FRA), 25, who had to surf on the back up venue of the ASP WQS 6-Star event, was one of the Europeans getting his ticket for the Man-on-man battles after finishing ahead of current ASP WQS No. 6 Drew Courtney (AUS) in Heat 7 late in the afternoon. Boal, who placed 2nd in California, 9th in Lacanau and 5th in Hossegor, will be looking to bettering his lowest ratings' result – a 750 point score – tomorrow and seems in good form.

"I like Ericeira and have had some good results in the past here," Boal said. "That heat was pretty hard because I started with a totally different game plan than Tanner (Gudauskas) and Drew (Courtney) and ended up getting my second best score right where they spent the whole heat. I was calm and confident out there and I am pretty stoked to make it.

Ribeira d’Ilhas : photo Pedro Duarte Jorge

"Boal, who placed 5th in 2005 in the Buondi Billabong Pro Portugal, will have to defeat ASP Top 45 member Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA) to keep his title hopes alive.

If most of the sixteen men advancing today were favorites, two outsiders countered their opponents getting their best result to date with a spot in Round 6. Che Stang (USA), a Californian surfer that has been on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) for four years now, finished his battle with a promissing 16.66 point heat tally (out of a possible 20) and seems to improve everyday since he started the event in Round 2.

"It was pretty tough and three sets only came in during that heat and I was there to catch a wave on two of them," Stang said. "I have been here before and I know the waves are kind of soft and tricky but you just need a bit of luck to get the right ones and it all lines up after that."

Stang, who is not playing any qualification ths year, will still be eager to winning a first major WQS event tomorrow and ASP World Tour surfer Travis Logie (ZAF) will not have an easy task against the outsider. "I am just taking it relaxed and trying not to think too much," Stang said."When you start thinking too much of the results you usually stress out and lose so I am going to paddle out there and have fun."

The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) 6-Star Buondi Billabong Pro Portugal will come to an end tomorrow and fifteen heats remain before the champion is crowned. Officials will meet at 7.15 AM to assess conditions and get proceedings underway.

The Buondi Billabong Pro Portugal is webcast LIVE at www.aspworldtour.com and www.aspeurope.com

UPCOMING ROUND 6 HEATS
Heat 1: Pedro Henrique (BRA) Vs Patrick Beven (FRA)
Heat 2: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) Vs Marco Polo (BRA)
Heat 3: Leigh Sedley (AUS) Vs Wiggoly Dantas (BRA)
Heat 4: Tonino Benson (HAW) Vs Heitor Alves (BRA)
Heat 5: Che Stang (USA) Vs Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 6: Phillip MacDonald (AUS) Vs Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 7: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) Vs Eneko Acero (EUK)
Heat 8: Tim Boal (FRA) Vs Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA)

ROUND 5 RESULTS
Heat 1: Pedro Henrique (BRA) 16.56 pts, Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 16.33 pts, Marlon Lipke (DEU) 10.50 pts
Heat 2: Marco Polo (BRA) 15.00 pts, Patrick Beven (FRA) 12.10 pts, Shaun Cansdell (AUS) 8.74 pts
Heat 3: Leigh Sedley (AUS) 15.50 pts, Tonino Benson (HAW)13.83 pts, Bobby Hansen (NZL) 11.67 pts
Heat 4: Heitor Alves (BRA) 19.00 pts, Wiggoly Dantas (BRA) 14.94 pts, Glenn Hall (IRE) 11.40 pts
Heat 5: Che Stang (USA) 16.67 pts, Phillip MacDonald (AUS) 11.94 pts, Corey Ziems (ZAF) 11.90 pts
Heat 6: Brett Simpson (USA) 14.16 pts, Travis Logie (ZAF) 12.17 pts, Pablo Paulino (BRA) 7.23 pts
Heat 7 : Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 14.60 pts, Tim Boal (FRA) 14.53 pts, Drew Courtney (AUS) 11.77 pts
Heat 8: Rodrigo Dornelles (BRA), Eneko Acero (EUK), Aritz Aranburu (EUK)

The Buondi Billabong Pro Portugal counts once again with important sponsorship from Buondi, and Billabong. Along, well known brands give the contest essential sponsorship: Nokia, B!, Tmn and Jeep. Turismo de Portugal and Camara Municipal de Mafra (Mafra City Hall) also provide huge support.

This contest is organized by Alfarroba, with support from Von Zipper, Ericeira Surf Shop, Kustom, Nixon, Sapo.pt, Pólen Surfboards, Fonte Viva, LG Computers, Konica Minolta, Ericeira Surf Club, Junta de Freguesia da Ericeira, Red Bull, Ribeira d'Ilhas Surf Camp, Vitaminas, and ASP Europe – Association of Surfing Professionals.

To help on the event's diffusion, we count on MegaFm radio, newspaper Destak, tv channel Sport Tv, websites http://surf.sapo.pt , www.Conquilha.com , and magazines FreeSurf, SurfPortugal and Bit.

http://surf.sapo.pt
www.Conquilha.com
www.aspeurope.com
www.buondibillabongpro.com

Day 5 : photo Pedro Duarte Jorge

Portuguese

Atletas na Ericeira ruman aos oitavos de final Buondi Billabong Pro Portugal

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 28 August, 2008 : - - Ericeira, Portugal -- No quinto dia da etapa do Buondi Billabong Pro Portugal iniciou-se a 5ª ronda de baterias com uma forte presença de americanos e brasileiros. Com a maré vazia a competição começou com ondas de meio metro consistente. Os atletas puderam assim fazer uso de toda a sua técnica, assistindo-se a desempenhos de alto nível.

Apesar do bom surf de Marlon Lipke, este não foi capaz de fazer frente a Patrick Gudauskas e ao brasileiro Pedro Henrique – vice campeão desta etapa em 2005. Pedro Henrique referiu “os meus adversários eram muito bons e tive de me esforçar bastante. No entanto, surfar aqui desde há alguns anos foi muito importante para passar esta bateria em primeiro e de forma confortável. Isso, aliado ao meu surf, faz-me estar muito confiante para chegar à final.”

Outros brasileiros que se deram bem esta manhã foram Heitor Alves, que terminou a sua bateria com uma pontuação impressionante de 19 pontos e logo atrás, o finalista do Billabong Pro Júnior de Ribeira d’Ilhas, Wiggoly Dantas, que teve de lutar pelo segundo lugar com Glenn Hall.

Noutra bateria, Marco Polo também rumou aos oitavos distanciado do francês Patrick Beven. O francês da Euro Force, amigo pessoal de Tiago Pires, revelou que as dicas da estrela portuguesa foram fundamentais para passar à fase seguinte. “Foi uma bateria complicada, pois tinha grandes adversários, mas o Tiago explicou-me bem como este pico se comportava e isso ajudou-me bastante.

O apoio dele aqui, durante a minha bateria, também me deu muita força”. De facto, para o público que assistiu à prova era visível a alegria de Tiago Pires e família pela transição de Patrick para a próxima ronda. É também de salientar a boa exibição do júnior Tonino Benson, que não se mostrou intimidado frente aos adversários, e seguiu para os oitavos para disputar uma bateria que não se prevê fácil contra Heitor Alves.

Quem se dirigir à praia, além de assistir às exibições de alguns dos melhores surfistas do mundo, pode também experimentar diversas actividades. Os mais radicais podem “voar” no airbungee do espaço TMN e ou jogar num mikado gigante. É possível também fazer um percurso radical na ravina de Ribeira d’Ilhas nos veículos Jeep.

Ou desenhar, jogar vólei ou fazer escalada no espaço Sapo. A Buondi proporciona momentos relaxantes nas suas espreguiçadeiras, ao sabor do melhor expresso do mundo.

A não perder também, o segundo dia do Festival de Música em Ribeira d’Ilhas que conta hoje com as actuações de 3 Bass Hit, Humble, Perfect & Kanga Roots SoundSistem, Johnny e Stereo Addiction. Bilhetes à venda em www.ticktetline.pt .

Assim, ainda é tempo de vir até Ribeira d'Ilhas, onde o dia ainda terá bom surf e muita música! Amanhã, será tempo de assistir às baterias finais e ver coroar os vencedores, que receberão o troféu criado este ano para marcar esta prova, já habitual no circuito mundial de surf.

Caso não consiga deslocar-se a esta belíssima praia da Ericeira, pode acompanhar a competição em directo através da Internet, em http://surf.sapo.pt ou www.aspeurope.com

O Buondi Billabong Pro Portugal tem o principal patrocínio da Buondi e da Billabong, e seu lado apostam também Nokia, B!, Tmn e Jeep. Tem ainda o importante apoio do Turismo de Portugal e da Câmara Municipal de Mafra.

Este campeonato é uma realização da Alfarroba, com os apoios da Von Zipper, Ericeira Surf Shop, Kustom, Nixon, Sapo.pt, Pólen Surfboards, Fonte Viva, LG Computers, Konica Minolta, Ericeira Surf Club, Junta de Freguesia da Ericeira, Red Bull, Ribeira d’Ilhas Surf Camp, Vitaminas, e ASP Europe – Association of Surfing Professionals.

Para ajudar na divulgação, contamos com a importante ajuda da rádio MegaFm, do jornal Destak, da Sport Tv, dos websites Surf.Sapo.Pt, Conquilha.com, e revistas FreeSurf, Surf Portugal e Bit.

Previous reports:
# 1 : Buondi Billabong Pro Portugal: Mundo vão estar Ericeira
# 2 : Buondi Billabong Pro Ericeira Portugal kicks off tomorrow
# 3 : Brazilians strong Day 1 of Buondi Billabong Pro Portugal

# 4 : Great surf for Buondi Billabong Pro, top seeds surf Thrs
# 5 : Top seeds go big Day 3 of Buondi Billabong Pro Portugal
# 6 : Pires out as Logie leads last 24 at Buondi Billabong Pro