Team News

National Surf Hero Tiago Pires, a Phenomenon at Every Event in Portugal

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 31 August, 2009 : - - Capbreton -- Surfing in Portugal has been amongst one of the most popular sports for years now and it seems like it is only starting... Since Tiago Pires (Ericeira, PRT) qualified for the ASP World Tour at the end of 2007 after a stellar year on the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS) where he finished No. 4, the Ericeira resident has become a national hero supported by the people and every time the regular footed shows-up for a heat, you can expect the beach to turn into a football stadium.

From national television channels to radios, press agencies and national newspaper, Pires's appearances in Portuguese events always attract a lot of people and shows how passionate the supporters can be cheering the powersurfer on each of his turns and making his opponents' game a pretty tough mission.

“Surfing in front of my people is really great and I am so happy and proud to be Portuguese in times like this especially,” Pires said. “It’s amazing the support we get when competing here and I believe it is one of the only countries where people are that supporting. We are united and I am proud to fly the flag.”
 
Looking backwards, the surfing phenomenon got rocketed to the national headlines in 2005 when Pires was raised in front of a thousand spectators on his home beach of Ericeira after winning the ASP WQS 5-Star Buondi Billabong Pro for his first big win ever. With crowds going mad in the renowned fishermen's town, it was the start of a new era where Pires would remain the best Portuguese surfer ever... But it was without expecting it was only a kick-off to a successful series of wins.

Unhappy of that only major career win, Pires struck a second consecutive time at home claiming the Buondi Billabong Pro in 2006 in front of ASP World Tour rookie at that time Fred Patacchia (Oahu, HAW), posting an impressive 18.00 point heat result to confirm that his victory the year before would not remain a one-shot performance.

Finishing inside the WQS Top 30 that same year, Pires had definitely proven he had the skills to take out big names and handle the growing pressure in front of his home crowds flying the Portuguese flag with more passion than at any other surf locations in the world.

Then came the year of glory, when Pires appeared with a new, fresh approach, the 26-year-old looking sharper than event and eager to conquer his elite ASP Top 45 inception. Posting a series of major results in the first half of the year, Pires was almost guaranteed to move-up amongst the world's best surfers halfway through the year but remained focused and solid until the finish to celebrate the achievment of a career and become a member of the prestigious ASP World Tour.

Since then, Pires has showed up at several events in Portugal, the local organisers being some of the most dynamic supporters of the sport and Pires pleasing his fans by always attending the major competitions at home. While travelling around the world and surfing the best swells on the planet, Pires peaked last year at Bali during the Rip Curl Pro Search "Somewhere in Indonesia" defeating the dominating ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (Florida, USA) before making his way up to the Semifinals, his best result ever in an ASP World Tour event.

Currently in the Azores for the first ASP sanctionned event ever to run in the Atlantic Ocean archipelago, Pires was again the big news in Portugal after winning his first heat in the last seconds cheered by the island's crowds before facing an armada of cameras and mics...

Check out Tiago Pires's profile at www.aspworldtour.com

What's your take on this?
Post your thoughts: SV Forum

New Survey: Map Surfing’s future 

New! B2B News ASBE-Surf   |  Receive News-Alerts

  Updated & Revised European Surforecasts
  More European surfing news available here

Gregoire Puget

Team - Surfersvillage