Simao Ramao : photo Aleko Stergiou

Rio Surf Pro International
Presented by Oakley

ASP Men’s WQS 6 Star event
ASP Women's WQS 4 Star event
ASP South America Surf Series 2008
Praia do Arpoador, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
06 - 12 october 2008

Live Coverage  |  Results/Photos/Videos etc 

Brazilian Simao Romao champion Rio Surf Pro International   >  Portuguese

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 12 October, 2008 : - - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Brazilian Simao Romao, 22 years old, leads the party on the crowded Arpoador beach during the last day of Oakley presents Rio Surf Pro International. He started the day breaking the score record of the first WQS in the Arpoador history. The local from Arpoador dismissed two campaigners before beating the experienced South African Greg Emslie, 31 years old, in the great final.  

Greg won the WQS at Barra da Tijuca, back in 1997. The swing of ASP South American goes on at Praia Brava, Itajai, Santa Catarina (south of Brazil) from Tuesday to Sunday with 2.500 points 6 stars and will be over the week after in Ubatuba, north shore of Sao Paulo. Simao took the U$15.000 prize and jumped from 45th to 18th position in the rating that classifies the best 15 for the top 42 in the ASP World Tour. Simao fulfilled a dream with this victory coming true. 

“I had a dream two years ago. It was about an important competition here and I would win it, would climb the rock and remained there beating my chest.  So I did it all just like in my dream, that event was a dream and I would like to thank all the locals, my friends, my family and my sponsors who supported me all the way. That victory goes especially to my dad (Paulo) because today is his birthday”, cheered Romao. 

Willian Cardoso photo : Aleko Stergiou

“That dream was weird and it is amazing that it came true. The heat was hot, there were almost no waves and I knew I had to surf my best to beat Greg (Emslie) who is a WCT level surfer. Unfortunately there were no waves to surf as I wanted to but I made everything possible to win. I didn’t think it was possible, I had very tough matches, especially against Willian Cardoso in the semifinal, but when I overcame him I just kept the dream alive”, told the first WQS Champion in the Arpoador’s history. Before today Simao had won only the WQS in Costao do Santinho (2007). 

The vice champion Greg Emslie would like to repeat the victory he had here 11 years ago, but even in second place he was happy with the result that launches him from17th to ninth place in the WQS Rating, in the classification zone for the Dream Tour. The South African won the 1997 WQS event at Barra da Tijuca, but in the Arpoador final he was beaten by local Simao Romao. Greg, 31 years old, had overcame two younger surfers, Hawaiian Dustin Barca, 26, in the quarter finals and 22 years old Michel Bourez from Tahiti in the semifinal.  

“I really wanted to win but unfortunately there were almost no waves in the final. Simao got the best one and deserved the victory”, recognized Greg Emslie, happy with the second place in the Rio Surf Pro International. “It was good to be in another final in Brazil, as I said before, I get lucky here and the result gives me more confidence to go after my place in the ASP World Tour. I am now in the classification zone and will try keeping it this way till the end of the season.” said Emslie. 

While the South African was only confronting international surfers until the final of the Rio Surf Pro International this decisive Sunday, local Simao Romao surfed only against Brazilians. He established a new and definite record of 17 points riding the first heat of the day against Bernardo Miranda and after got a scare in one of the best matches of the week. It was a wave by wave dispute till the last second. The final result, 13.43 X 13.33,  proves this. 

Greg Emslie : photo Aleko Stergiou

“It´s pretty hard to swallow the result. I thought I had made it with my last wave, but the judges have the last word”, complained William Cardoso, who went from 52th to 40th position in the WQS. “It was good to start well this Brazilian season but it could have been better. Let´s forget about this one and carry on for the next event at Praia Brava where I will compete at home this time.”

The Tahitian, Michel Bourez shared the third place on the podium with William and also went up in the ranking, from 14th to eighth. “It was a big result for me, these points put me in a better place in the rating, I would have wanted more. I know I had all the chances to make it to the final but I didn’t find the best waves. Now I am out of danger zone and going to Canaries Islands a bit calmer. Once there I want to try good results to guarantee more points on this run for the ASP World Tour”. 

Changes in the G-15 - Michel Bourez was already in this group of 15 that góes to the Dream Tour and the only one to make it into the list during Oakley presents Rio Surf Pro International were the South African, Greg Emslie and the North American, Gabe Kling. Both took Pablo Paulino’s place, who had stopped at the third round in Arpoador and Portuguese Thiago Pires who did not come to Brazil. 

The Oakley presents Rio Surf Pro International was realized with the Oakley sponsorship, Ministério do Turismo, da Secretaria de Esportes, Turismo e Lazer do Estado do Rio de Janeiro e Metro Rio, organize by Adding Produções e Eventos. The event is homologated in the Association of Surfing Professionals – ASP South America, as 37th event of WQS and fifth of the South-America Circuit.  

OAKLEY / RIO SURF PRO INTERNATIONAL – FINAL: 11.33 x 10.60 points:
Champion: Simao Romao (BRA) - scores 6.50 e 4.83 - US$ 15.000 and 2.500 points
Second place: Greg Emslie (ZAF) - scores 5.60 e 5.00 - US$ 7.400 and 2.188 points 

SEMIFINALS – 3th place – US$ 4.500 and 1.875 points:
1.a: Simao Romao (BRA) 13.43 x 13.33 Willian Cardoso (BRA)
2.a: Greg Emslie (ZAF) 12.77 x 9.83 Michel Bourez (PYF)

QUARTERFINALS– 5.o lugar – US$ 2.600 e 1.625 pontos:
1.a: Simao Romao (BRA) 17.00 x 10.50 Bernardo Miranda (BRA)
2.a: Willian Cardoso (BRA) 13.60 x 13.10 Marlon Lipke (DEU)
3.a: Greg Emslie (ZAF) 16.67 x 13.66 Dustin Barca (HAW)
4.a: Michel Bourez (PYF) 13.20 x 10.00 Gabe Kling (USA)  

Check the Full Results

Current WQS Ratings

1	Curran,Nathaniel	USA	13200
2	Davidson,Chris	AUS	12525
3	Boal,Tim	FRA	11888
4	Gudauskas,Patrick	USA	11438
5	Kerr,Josh	AUS	11325
6	Lipke,Marlon	DEU	10950
7	Weare,David	ZAF	10675
8	Bourez,Michel	PYF	10600
9	Emslie,Greg	ZAF	10588
10	Nicol,Yadin	AUS	10500
11	Courtney,Drew	AUS	10475
12	Bettero,Hizunome	BRA	10375
13	Henrique,Pedro	BRA	10263
13	Khodr,Jihad	BRA	10263
15	Kling,Gabe	USA	10088
16	Monteiro,Raoni	BRA	9775
17	Pires,Tiago	PRT	9663
18	Paulino,Pablo	BRA	9600
18	Romao,Simao	BRA	9600
20	Simpson,Brett	USA	9525
21	MacDonald,Phillip	AUS	9450
22	Sedley,Leigh	AUS	9375
23	Gossmann,Shaun	AUS	9363
24	Garcia,Sunny	HAW	9350
25	Barca,Dustin	HAW	9263
26	Dornelles,Rodrigo	BRA	9125
26	Muscroft,Nic	AUS	9125
28	Cansdell,Shaun	AUS	9050
29	Yeomans,Nathan	USA	9000
30	Melling,Adam	AUS	8975
31	Atkinson,Dion	AUS	8851
32	Neves,Leonardo	BRA	8800
33	Robertson,Adam (Vic)	AUS	8715
34	Ware,Austin	USA	8713
35	Sodre,Yuri	BRA	8700
35	Andre,Jadson	BRA	8700
37	Duru,Joan	FRA	8669
38	Hall,Glenn	IRE	8600
39	Centeio,Joel	HAW	8426
40	Cardoso,Willian	BRA	8425
41	Cuizon,Dustin	HAW	8325
42	Alves,Heitor	BRA	8225
42	Wilkinson,Matt	AUS	8225
44	Bacalso,Kekoa	HAW	8176
45	Hedge,Nathan	AUS	8175
46	Bombaci,Rhys	AUS	7925
47	Beven,Patrick	FRA	7850
48	Dantas,Wiggolly	BRA	7738
48	Ross,Daniel	AUS	7738
50	Silva,Andre	BRA	7713
51	Zubizarreta,Gony	ESP	7675
52	Gonzalez,Jonathan	CNY	7638
53	Flintoff,Kirk	AUS	7450
54	Miranda,Bernardo	BRA	7438
55	Gudauskas,Dane	USA	7426
56	Losness,Mike	USA	7350
57	Gudauskas,Tanner	USA	7051
57	Wright,Warwick	ZAF	7051
59	Ziems,Corey	AUS	7025
60	Souza,Adriano de	BRA	6969
61	Thompson,Jay	AUS	6944
62	Savalli,Hugo	REU	6913
63	Padaratz,Neco	BRA	6900
64	Logie,Travis	ZAF	6838
65	Ohno,Masatoshi	JPN	6788
66	Coutinho,Odirlei	BRA	6725
67	Wilson,Blake	AUS	6632
68	Thornton,Blake	AUS	6625
69	Polo,Marco	BRA	6600
70	Collazo,Hodei	ESP	6588
71	Acero,Eneko	EUK	6575
72	Fahrenfort,Damien	ZAF	6557
73	Ward,Shaun	USA	6513
74	Campbell,Ryan	AUS	6500
75	Barron,T.J	HAW	6464
76	Sullivan,Jarrad	AUS	6444
77	Bortoletto,Antonio	ZAF	6313
78	Toth,Brian	PRI	6288
79	Fisher,Paul	AUS	6275
80	Riou,Alain	PYF	6188
81	Galvao,Renato	BRA	6113
82	Aranburu,Aritz	EUK	6094
83	Bastos,Leandro	BRA	6088
84	Silva,Jean da	BRA	6025
85	Hansen,Bobby	NZL	6013
86	Herdy,Guilherme	BRA	5938
87	Rothman,Makuakai	HAW	5844
88	Howse,Jarrad	AUS	5813
88	Laulhe,Romain	FRA	5813
90	Payne,Dusty	HAW	5757
91	Roberts,Gavin	ZAF	5713
92	Geiselman,Eric	USA	5669
93	Benson,Tonino	HAW	5650
94	Rebiere,Eric	FRA	5600
95	Stang,Che	USA	5525
96	Campbell,Luke	AUS	5489
97	Novak,Flynn	HAW	5488
98	Spencer,Sterling	USA	5414
99	Kimmins,Clint	AUS	5313