Jeremy Flores (FRA), 25, earned the day’s high scores at Saquarema.

Last years event winner, Matt Wilkinson (AUS), guaranteed a spot into the Round of 16 with his victory today while fellow WCT surfer Jeremy Flores (FRA) also advanced while receiving an 18.30 (out of a possible 20) for the highest heat-wave total of the day.

“The conditions have completely changed since yesterday,” said Jeremy Flores. “I’m happy to be doing well in the last couple of contests and I feel confident for the next heats.”

Brett Simpson (USA), who has become familiar with the Quiksilver Saquarema Prime, also qualified into the Round of 16 and praised the conditions at Itauna Beach.

“It’s my fourth time here at Saquarema and in my opinion it has the best and most consistent waves in Brazil,” stated Brett Simpson. “The waves are perfect. I just came up from the WCT because I like to compete and I knew I could get some important points in the ranking if I did well here.”

Mitchel Coleborn (AUS), who has been near qualification for the WCT in the past years, looked ready to take his place as an elite surfer with his performance today.

“All I know is that I need to get good results to make it onto the WCT and that’s all I’m really after,” said Mitchel Coleborn. “It was a good heat and the waves are always good here at Saquarema. It’s going to get tougher now with the man-on-man heats, but I feel confident enough to get to the final here.”

Another surfer who has been on the WCT and hopes to climb back into the elite rankings is Jadson Andre (BRA). Andre was victorious today and will face fellow Brazilian and ex-WCT athlete, Bernardo Miranda (BRA).

“Since it’s the only Prime event in Brazil, I’m stoked to make it into the Round of 16,” said Jadson Andre. “It’s a very important contest for me and I’m focused on winning some more heats and hopefully winning it here.”

An 8am (local time) call is set for tomorrow (Saturday) where Gabriel Villaran (PER) and Sebastian Zietz (HAW) will face off in their Round of 24 duel.

The Quiksilver Saquarema Prime presented by Coca-Cola is produced by Adding Sports and sponsored by the State of Rio de Janeiro, Peugeot and the City of Saquarema. With additional support provided by the Peugeot Montreal Dealership, CCS Via Lagos, the Rio de Janeiro State Surfing Federation (FESERJ), and the Brazilian Association of Surfing Professionals (ABRASP). The event is approved by the ASP South America as the second ASP Prime event of 2013 and will be transmitted live on the internet: www.quiksilver.com.br/primesaquarema13

IMAGES – High resolution images gallery available for download here – http://www.aspworldtour.com/aspimagery/

QUIKSILVER SAQUAREMA ROUND OF 24 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 12.57, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 9.43, Bernardo Miranda (BRA) 1.40
Heat 2: Jadson Andre (BRA) 16.56, Stu Kennedy (AUS) 15.46, Perth Standlick (AUS) 7.90
Heat 3: Brett Simpson (USA) 16.87, Kolohe Andino (USA) 13.77, Heath Joske (AUS) 10.90
Heat 4: Mitchel Coleborn (AUS) 15.27, Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 13.26, Dion Atkinson (AUS) 9.10
Heat 5: Simao Romao (BRA) 14.93, Gabriel Villaran (PER) 9.53, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 9.10
Heat 6: Kiron Jabour (HAW) 14.20, Glenn Hall (IRL) 12.40, Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 11.07
Heat 7: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 18.30, Joan Duru (FRA) 14.00, Dale Staples (ZAF) 11.37
Heat 8: Aritz Aranburu (EUK) 14.76, Damien Hobgood (USA) 11.27, Marc Lacomare (FRA) 10.80

QUIKSILVER SAQUAREMA PRIME ROUND OF 24 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 12.93 def. Perth Standlick (AUS) 10.96
Heat 2: Bernardo Miranda (BRA) 13.70 def. Stu Kennedy (AUS) 10.37
Heat 3: Dion Atkinson (AUS) 15.54 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 13.93
Heat 4: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) 12.33 def. Heath Joske (AUS) 11.26

REMAINING QUIKSILVER SAQUAREMA ROUND OF 24 MATCH UPS:
Heat 5: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) vs. Gabriel Villaran (PER)
Heat 6: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Glenn Hall (IRL)
Heat 7: Joan Duru (FRA) vs. Marc Lacomare (FRA)
Heat 8: Damien Hobgood (USA) vs. Dale Staples (ZAF)

Gabriel Medina (BRA), 19, surfed a near-perfect 19-point heat total despite the wild conditions on offer at Saquarema today.

Despite the conditions, the level of performance was extremely high as the athletes kept pumping out big scores during a lengthy day of competition. Gabriel Medina (BRA), picked up where he left off yesterday, pulling off the day’s highest scores of a 9.20 and a 9.83 for a 19.03 points (out of a possible 20) heat-wave total.

“I’m so happy I caught good waves again,” said Gabriel Medina. “Today (Thursday) it’s big and I used a bigger board. I hope it’s smaller tomorrow because it’s hard to compete in these types of conditions. There’s a really strong current and I had to keep paddling to stay where the lefts were breaking.”

Athletes were thankful for the jet-ski assistance to the outside today. In addition to safety concerns because of the increase in wave size, event organizers opted to extend the surfer’s scoring opportunities when yesterday, after catching the long lefthanders at Itauna Beach, most athletes elected to race back up the beach instead of fighting against the current. Stamina, endurance and conditioning have been vital in Saquarema.

Because of the extreme conditions, the day was filled with upsets, come from behind victories and last minute drama. Local surfer Raoni Monteiro (BRA) was only able to qualify in the dying seconds of his heat along with Perth Standlick (AUS).

“Yeah, the heat only ends when the horn sounds,” said Raoni Monteiro. “We were all waiting out the back and I paddled a little farther in knowing that I needed a low score. I paddled hard to catch that wave and rode it to the end. You just have to paddle into whatever comes and try not to fall. There’s a lot of waves and you just need to fight off the warbles and try to go big.”

Many of the surfers competing at the Quiksilver Saquarema Prime were surprised at the powerful waves breaking at Itauna Beach. For some, like Jeremy Flores (FRA), it was their first time to the “Maracana” of Brazilian surfing and found the waves similar to Hawaii.

“It’s tough because there is a strong current, but there are waves, so I’m happy to surf in conditions like this with big waves,” said Jeremy Flores. “The hardest part for me was the paddling. Everything is difficult but we’re all catching a lot of waves and I’m impressed with the quality of the waves here. It’s my first time to Saquarema and it’s amazing, very similar to Hawaii. I like to surf with bigger boards and I’m happy that I made it into the next round.”

Matt Wilkinson (AUS) continued his quest to repeat his victory at the ASP 2013 Quiksilver Saquarema Prime by advancing into the No Losers Round of 24 along with Jadson Andre (BRA) by defeating Dusty Payne (HAW) and Jesse Mendes (BRA).

“Conditions are very difficult, the waves are really strong and there’s still the wind and current to deal with,” said Matt Wilkinson. “Besides beating your competitors, you’ve also got to beat the ocean, which makes everything harder. The waves are huge, but fun. It’s a different kind of wave that’s really powerful, so I’m stoked to qualify into the next round and it would be fantastic to win this event again.”

A call is set for 7am (local time) on Friday where Heat 10 of the Round of 48 will hit the water with Joan Duru (FRA), Marc Lacomare (FRA), Cory Lopez (USA) and Heitor Alves (BRA) facing off against each other.

The Quiksilver Saquarema Prime presented by Coca-Cola is produced by Adding Sports and sponsored by the State of Rio de Janeiro, Peugeot and the City of Saquarema. With additional support provided by the Peugeot Montreal Dealership, CCS Via Lagos, the Rio de Janeiro State Surfing Federation (FESERJ), and the Brazilian Association of Surfing Professionals (ABRASP). The event is approved by the ASP South America as the second ASP Prime event of 2013 and will be transmitted live on the internet: www.quiksilver.com.br/primesaquarema13

IMAGES – High resolution images gallery available for download here – http://www.aspworldtour.com/aspimagery/

Ramzi Boukhiam earned the highest scores on Day 1 of the Quiksilver Saquarema Prime.

Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) received the day’s highest single wave score of a 9.80 (out of a possible 10) and went on to score an 18.47 to secure the day’s highest heat-wave total as well.

“I’m so happy. It was really tough, but I was able to get two good waves and I want to thank my team for my conditioning because I needed all my energy to face these difficult conditions,” said Ramzi Boukhiam. “It’s my first time here and I caught some strong waves. It sounds like it will be even bigger tomorrow, so I’m happy to remain in the contest.”

Granger Larsen (HAW), also qualified into the Round of 48 alongside Boukhiam by defeating Brian Toth (PRI) and Torrey Meister (HAW) respectively.

Gabriel Medina (BRA), also stood out by taking advantage of the conditions to score an 18.36 (out of a possible 20) for his two-wave total.

“It’s good to start off such an important contest with good scores,” said Gabriel Medina. “It’s great to be back in Saquarema again where there are always good waves. I had a good result here last year and I want to do even better this time around.“

Local surfer Raoni Monteiro (BRA), confirmed his knowledge of the waves at Itauna Beach to win his heat and qualify into the next round together with Davey Cathels (AUS) in second, over Andrew Doheny (USA) and Hodei Collazo (EUK).

“The waves got a lot bigger overnight. Conditions weren’t perfect and the waves were tough to surf, but I did well enough to win my heat,” said Raoni Monteiro. “It’s important to do strong turns and big carves to get high scores here. I’m surfing at home, I feel confident and I have the entire crowd behind me, so I’ll take it step by step to see how far I can go.”

Defending champion of the Quiksilver Saquarema Prime, Matt Wilkinson (AUS), also began with a heat win and moved on to the Round of 48. Heath Joske (AUS) also advanced along with Wilkinson over Charles Martin (GLP) and Halley Batista (BRA).

“It was really hard and I spent a lot of time waiting for the good sets to come in,” said Matt Wilkinson. “You need a bit of luck to be in the right spot. When a good one finally came, I had to give it my all because you might not get another chance out there. My goal here is to win the contest again. I didn’t come to lose.”

In his rookie season on the WCT, Felipe Toledo (BRA) has been in the recent spotlight by obtaining good results with his aerial tactics. However, Toledo endured an early exit in his Heat 8 battle won by Nic Von Rupp (DEU) and Jesse Mendes (BRA) in second place.

“That was a very difficult heat against Felipe (Toledo) who has been surfing very well on the WCT, Jesse (Mendes) and Leonardo Neves, who is a local here and very experienced,” said Nic Von Rupp. “Conditions are tough but I was able to catch a really good wave for an 8 point ride and qualify into the next round. I’ve never been to Saquarema before and I like it a lot. It’s got a lot of power like the waves I surf at where I live in Portugal, so I kind of felt at home.”

The event winner of the Quiksilver Saquarema Prime receives 6,500 points towards their One World Ranking, where the top 10 surfers in the ranking qualify for the 2014 WCT. Evan Geiselman (USA) won his heat alongside Brett Simpson (USA) over Messias Felix (BRA) and Jano Belo (BRA).

“Conditions really changed since yesterday,” said Even Geiselman, ranked 54th on the ASP World Ranking. “The tide filled in during my heat but I did enough to get through to the next round. It was tough because Brett (Simpson) was on my back the whole time, but everything worked out and I’m happy that we’re supposed to get good waves for the rest of the week.”

THURSDAY 7am – 16 out of 24 heats in the Round of 96 were completed on the first day of competition at the Quiksilver Saquarema Prime. A call for 7am (local time) is set for Thursday morning at Itauna Beach. Heat 17 will see Travis Logie (ZAF), Heitor Alves (BRA), Simao Romao (BRA) and Peterson Crisanto (BRA) contend in the first heat of the morning.

The Quiksilver Saquarema Prime presented by Coca-Cola is produced by Adding Sports and sponsored by the State of Rio de Janeiro, Peugeot and the City of Saquarema. With additional support provided by the Peugeot Montreal Dealership, CCS Via Lagos, the Rio de Janeiro State Surfing Federation (FESERJ), and the Brazilian Association of Surfing Professionals (ABRASP). The event is approved by the ASP South America as the second ASP Prime event of 2013 and will be transmitted live on the internet: www.quiksilver.com.br/primesaquarema13

IMAGES – High resolution images gallery available for download here – http://www.aspworldtour.com/aspimagery/

ROUND OF 96 – QUIKSILVER SAQUAREMA PRIME:
Heat 1: 1-Bernardo Pigmeu (BRA), 2-Ezekiel Lau (HAW), 3-Lincoln Taylor (AUS), 4-Manuel Selman (CHL)
Heat 2: 1-Stu Kennedy (AUS), 2-Caio Ibelli (BRA), 3-Jonathan Gonzalez (CNY), 4-Garrett Parkes (AUS)
Heat 3: 1-Raoni Monteiro (BRA), 2-Davey Cathels (AUS), 3-Andrew Doheny (USA), 4-Hodei Collazo (EUK)
Heat 4: 1-Perth Standlick (AUS), 2-Alejo Muniz (BRA), 3-Nathaniel Curran (USA), 4-Alex Ribeiro (BRA)
Heat 5: 1-Matt Wilkinson (AUS), 2-Heath Joske (AUS), 3-Charles Martin (GLP), 4-Halley Batista (BRA)
Heat 6: 1-Dusty Payne (HAW), 2-Marlon Lipke (PRT), 3-Nathan Hedge (AUS), 4-Adrien Toyon (FRA)
Heat 7: 1-Dion Atkinson (AUS), 2-Jadson Andre (BRA), 3-Romain Cloitre (FRA), 4-Gony Zubizarreta (ESP)
Heat 8: 1-Nic Von Rupp (DEU), 2-Jessé Mendes (BRA), 3-Leonardo Neves (BRA), 4-Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Heat 9: 1-Evan Geiselman (USA), 2-Brett Simpson (USA), 3-Jano Belo (BRA), 4-Messias Felix (BRA)
Heat 10: 1-Kolohe Andino (USA), 2-Michael Dunphy (USA), 3-Luel Felipe (BRA), 4-Gabe Kling (USA)
Heat 11: 1-Shaun Joubert (ZAF), 2-Mitchel Coleborn (AUS), 3-Hizunomê Bettero (BRA), 4-Keanu Asing (HAW)
Heat 12: 1-Tanner Gudauskas (USA), 2-Cristobal de Col (PER), 3-Cory Arrambide (USA), 4-Gustavo Fernandes (BRA)
Heat 13: 1-Gabriel Medina (BRA), 2-Kiron Jabour (HAW), 3-Yan Guimaraes (BRA), 4-Billy Stairmand (NZL)
Heat 14: 1-Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR), 2-Granger Larsen (HAW), 3-Brian Toth (PRI), 4-Torrey Meister (HAW)
Heat 15: 1-Mitch Crews (AUS), 2-Glenn Hall (IRL), 3-Ricardo dos Santos (BRA), 4-Flavio Nakagima (BRA)
Heat 16: 1-Gabriel Villaran (PER), 2-Tomas Hermes (BRA), 3-Miguel Pupo (BRA), 4-Jean da Silva (BRA)

REMAINING QUIKSILVER SAQUAREMA ROUND OF 96 HEATS:
Heat 17: Travis Logie (ZAF), Peterson Crisanto (BRA), Heitor Alves (BRA), Simao Romao (BRA)
Heat 18: Willian Cardoso (BRA), Chris Ward (USA), Cory Lopez (USA), David do Carmo (BRA)
Heat 19: Jay Thompson (AUS), Marc Lacomare (FRA), Matt Banting (AUS), Beyrick De Vries (ZAF)
Heat 20: Sebastian Zietz (HAW), Maxime Huscenot (FRA), Joan Duru (FRA), Eric Geiselman (USA)
Heat 21: Damien Hobgood (USA), Wiggolly Dantas (BRA), Vincent Duvignac (FRA), Kai Barger (HAW)
Heat 22: Adam Melling (AUS), Patrick Gudauskas (USA), Nathan Yeomans (USA), Gavin Gillette (HAW)
Heat 23: Aritz Aranburu (EUK), Tom Whitaker (AUS), Mason Ho (HAW), Luke Davis (USA)
Heat 24: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Jack Freestone (AUS), Dale Staples (ZAF), Yuri Sodre (BRA)

The EDP Cascais Girls Pro will culminate the 2013 ASP Women’s World Championship Tour season.

“We’re excited to confirm the addition of Portugal to this year’s women’s WCT schedule,” Jessi Miley-Dyer, ASP Women’s World Tour Manager, said. “The ASP Top 17 were informed about the possibility of this addition at the start of the season and have been well prepared for it. Portugal is a great country and Cascais have been big supporters of women’s surfing as a qualifying event in the past. We’re happy to bring the world’s best female surfers there this season.”

The 2013 ASP Women’s World Title race has been hotly-contested thus far this season with youngsters Tyler Wright (AUS), 19, and Carissa Moore (HAW), 20, each collecting two wins of the opening five events with Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 22, and Courtney Conlogue (USA), 20, following closely behind.

“We were told about the possibility of a Portugal event at the start of the year and it’s great to have it confirmed as part of the tour,” Tyler Wright, current ASP Women’s WCT No. 1, said.

The EDP Cascais Girls Pro will take place from October 3 – 7, 2013 in Carcavelos, Portugal.

For more information, log onto www.aspworldtour.com

2013 ASP WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR SCHEDULE
Roxy Pro Gold Coast: Tyler Wright (AUS)
Drug Aware Margaret River Pro: Carissa Moore (HAW)
Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach: Carissa Moore (HAW)
TSB Bank NZ Surf Festival: Courtney Conlogue (USA)
Colgate Plax Girls Rio Pro: Tyler Wright
Roxy Pro Biarritz: TBD
US Open of Surfing: TBD
EDP Cascais Girls Pro: TBD

“With the Southwest wind that’s blowing today, we’ve decided to begin the contest tomorrow (Wednesday),” said Sergio Lindemann, of Adding Sports, which organizes the ASP Prime of Saquarema. “We’ve got some great weather coming for the remainder of the week and we want to run heats at the best possible times. Saquarema always has quality waves and we expect some great surfing this week with many of the top surfers present.”

A total of 96 surfers from 17 different countries which include Australia, South Africa, the United States, Hawaii and Europe will be battling it out at the Quiksilver Saquarema Prime for 6,500 points going towards the ASP One World Ranking. Included in the field of competition will be 15 WCT athletes who have remained in Brazil to contend for valuable ASP PRIME points. Local athlete, Raoni Monteiro, 31, will surely be the crowd favorite.

Heat 1 of the Round of 96 will start off competition with Manuel Selman (CHL), Lincoln Taylor (AUS), Ezekiel Lau (HAW) and Bernardo Miranda (BRA).

The Quiksilver Saquarema Prime presented by Coca-Cola is produced by Adding Sports and sponsored by the State of Rio de Janeiro, Peugeot and the City of Saquarema. With additional support provided by the Peugeot Montreal Dealership, Concessionaria CCS, the Rio de Janeiro State Surfing Federation (FESERJ), and the Brazilian Association of Surfing Professionals (ABRASP).

The event is approved by the ASP South America as the second ASP Prime event of 2013 and will be transmitted live on the internet: www.quiksilver.com.br/primesaquarema13

IMAGES – High resolution images gallery available for download here – http://www.aspworldtour.com/aspimagery/

ROUND OF 96 – QUIKSILVER SAQUAREMA PRIME:
Heat 1: Manuel Selman (CHL), Lincoln Taylor (AUS), Ezekiel Lau (HAW), Bernardo Pigmeu (BRA)
Heat 2: Jonathan Gonzalez (CNY), Caio Ibelli (BRA), Stu Kennedy (AUS), Garrett Parkes (AUS)
Heat 3: Raoni Monteiro (BRA), Andrew Doheny (USA), Davey Cathels (AUS), Hodei Collazo (ESP)
Heat 4: Alejo Muniz (BRA), Perth Standlick (AUS), Alex Ribeiro (BRA), Nathaniel Curran (USA)
Heat 5: Matt Wilkinson (AUS), Charles Martin (GLP), Heath Joske (AUS), Halley Batista (BRA)
Heat 6: Dusty Payne (HAW), Nathan Hedge (AUS), Adrien Toyon (FRA), Marlon Lipke (PRT)
Heat 7: Dion Atkinson (AUS), Jadson André (BRA), Gony Zubizarreta (ESP), Romain Cloitre (FRA)
Heat 8: Filipe Toledo (BRA), Jessé Mendes (BRA), Nic Von Rupp (ALE), Leonardo Neves (BRA)
Heat 9: Brett Simpson (USA), Evan Geiselman (USA), Messias Felix (BRA), Jano Belo (BRA)
Heat 10: Kolohe Andino (USA), Gabe Kling (USA), Michael Dunphy (USA), Luel Felipe (BRA)
Heat 11: Mitchel Coleborn (AUS), Keanu Asing (HAW), Hizunomê Bettero (BRA), Shaun Joubert (ZAF)
Heat 12: Cristobal de Col (PER), Tanner Gudauskas (USA), Cory Arrambide (USA), Gustavo Fernandes (BRA)
Heat 13: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Billy Stairmand (NZL), Kiron Jabour (HAW), Yan Guimarães (BRA)
Heat 14: Granger Larsen (HAW), Brian Toth (PRI), Torrey Meister (HAW), Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR)
Heat 15: Glenn Hall (IRL), Mitch Crews (AUS), Ricardo dos Santos (BRA), Flavio Nakagima (BRA)
Heat 16: Miguel Pupo (BRA), Jean da Silva (BRA), Tomas Hermes (BRA), Gabriel Villaran (PER)
Heat 17: Travis Logie (ZAF), Peterson Crisanto (BRA), Heitor Alves (BRA), Simão Romão (BRA)
Heat 18: Willian Cardoso (BRA), Chris Ward (USA), Cory Lopez (USA), David do Carmo (BRA)
Heat 19: Jay Thompson (AUS), Marc Lacomare (FRA), Matt Banting (AUS), Beyrick De Vries (ZAF)
Heat 20: Sebastian Zietz (HAW), Maxime Huscenot (FRA), Joan Duru (FRA), Eric Geiselman (USA)
Heat 21: Damien Hobgood (USA), Wiggolly Dantas (BRA), Vincent Duvignac (FRA), Kai Barger (HAW)
Heat 22: Adam Melling (AUS), Patrick Gudauskas (USA), Nathan Yeomans (USA), Gavin Gillette (HAW)
Heat 23: Aritz Aranburu (ESP), Tom Whitaker (AUS), Mason Ho (HAW), Luke Davis (USA)
Heat 24: Jeremy Flores (FRA), Jack Freestone (AUS), Dale Staples (ZAF), Yuri Sodré (BRA)

Jordy Smith, current ASP World No. 2, will be the top seed entering the 2013 Mr. Price Pro Ballito.

In its five years in KwaDukuza on the KwaZulu Natal North Coast, the Mr Price Pro Ballito (July 1 – 7, 2013) has witnessed some of the best surf ever seen on this pristine coastline. It’s no wonder then, that it attracts an elite calibre of surfer one expects to see competing at this year’s event.

South African surfing superstar and former Mr Price Pro Champion Jordy Smith (2010) heads the star studded line-up and is expected to draw record crowds as the firm local favourite in Ballito.

The current World No. 2 has enjoyed a stellar start to the 2013 season. Fresh off a victory at the Billabong Rio Pro in Brazil this week, Smith notably earned Gold at the X Games in Brazil in April and placed equal third at the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach, Australia over Easter.

Smith’s prowess in everything thing from thundering Ballito barrels to punchy, wind affected ramps makes him among the best in the world and he will relish the opportunity to turn it on for his home crowd.

“It is in my home city and I would love to win in front of a home crowd, to be doing a contest at home for once is great and gets me really excited!” Smith said.

Defending Mr Price Pro Champion and fellow ASP World Championship Tour campaigner World No. 23 Glenn Hall (IR) has confirmed he will be back to defend his Mr Price Pro Ballito title this year.

A former eight-year veteran of the ASP World Qualifying Series (WQS), Hall’s victory at the Mr Price Pro Ballito 2012 was the catalyst that saw him leap to elite status as a fully-fledged campaigner on the ASP World Championship Tour in 2013.

“It’s a long way to travel but South Africa is truly one of the places that I look forward to going back to each year. My victory last year was the highlight of my career but I would be going back whether I was defending champ or not.”

World No. 19 and the only other South African surfer currently competing on the elite WCT, Travis Logie, will add might to the South African camp. A former runner up at the Mr Price Pro Ballito, Logie has gained an international reputation for taking down some of the toughest heats in pro surfing history.

With a number of stellar results over the past few seasons, the powerful goofy footer has shown signs it is time for a win.

“When Ballito is turning it on or even when it’s average, it’s still a world class wave and I’ve definitely had some of the best waves of my life out there,” Logie said. “The Mr Price Pro is an important event for both tours (WQS and WCT) because it counts towards your overall rating and it’s one event I’ve always wanted to win.”

South American surfers have enjoyed a history of success at the Mr Price Pro Ballito over the years with a total of four of the last 12 winners hailing from Brazil.

It is no surprise then that the event has attracted the likes of ASP World Tour rookie and aerial master World No. 7 Felipe Toledo (BRA), World No. 26 Alejo Muniz (BRA), World No. 29 Miguel Pupo (BRA) and former ASP World Junior Champion Caio Ibelli (2011).

2013 World Tour rookie Sebastian Zietz (HAW), currently rated World No. 12, will bring his extensive experience in the powerful waves of Hawaii to the South African surf. The 2012 Vans Triple Crown of Surfing Champion proved his expertise in waves of consequence this Hawaiian winter and is expected to be a standout should Ballito turn it on with a big swell this year.

Current World No. 12 Kai Otton of Sydney, Australia, and World No. 26 Kolohe Andino of California are the remaining WCT surfers on the current entry list. While Otton brings with him a wealth of elite level experience, Andino represents the innovation and flair of the new school generation.

Former event champion Patrick Gudauskas will bring the confidence of a former champion to this year’s line-up and, as the first alternate on the WCT, this year will be placing significant emphasis on the Mr Price Pro Ballito in the hope of rejoining his fellow WCT campaigners in 2013.

The entry list is peppered with talent including the likes of ASP World Junior Champions Jack Freestone (AUS), 2012 and 2010, and Maxime Huscenot (FRA), 2009, while South African World Qualifying Series campaigners including Beyrick De Vries, Steven Sawyer, Dylan Lightfoot and David Van Zyl will be equally tough competitors.

The Mr Price Pro Ballito Beach Festival will once again boast an array of impressive entertainment including the popular Free Music Concerts taking place at Salt Rock, featuring twenty bands over three days from July 4-6, 2013.

With numerous beach sports, soccer leagues, fun days and extreme sports demonstrations including wakeskate, breakdance, parkour and BMX all on offer, this year’s festival offers something for the whole family.

And if that weren’t enough, this year’s extravaganza will see the addition of a three day Food and Wine festival running from July 2 to 4, enabling crowds to experience new tastes and ensure that absolutely all of their senses are satisfied.

For more information log on to www.mrpricepro.com.

Jordy Smith (ZAF), 25, wins the 2013 Billabong Rio Pro over Adiano de Souza (BRA), 26.

Stop No. 3 of 10 on the ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the Billabong Rio Pro utilized the entirety of the event waiting period, culminating in a high-performance showdown from the ASP Top 34 amidst a bevy of barrels and ramps of Barra Da Tijuca.

Smith showed an incredible variety of technical airs and turns in the Final against De Souza, launching a massive straight frontside air for a 9.33 and a stailfish air-reverse for an 8.50 to top De Souza for the win. The Billabong Rio Pro victory marks the third career ASP WCT event win for Smith and his first away from South African soil.

“This win feels unbelievable,” Smith said. “It’s another dream come true. I knew I could win a World Tour event, but I had to prove to myself that I could do it away from South Africa. Thanks to crowd and Adriano (de Souza). He’s been ripping the whole event. Thanks to all of my friends and family for all of the amazing support.”

Smith’s run to the final was nothing short of amazing as the South African powerhouse defeated dangerous rookie Filipe Toledo (BRA), 18, and two-time ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS), 31, en route to the Final. Smith attributed today’s success to his ability to adapt to both his competitors and the ever-changing conditions of Barra Da Tijuca.

“I knew it was going to be tough,” Smith said. “I was really nervous in the first heat against Filipe (Toledo). Luckily I got through that one and when I came up against Mick I waited for better waves. When the swell dropped against Adriano and he took to the sky, I knew I was going to have to do the same, but luckily I got a couple of scores.”

Smith now sits at No. 2 on the ASP WCT Rankings.

De Souza, 2011 Billabong Rio Pro winner, went on a rampage to advance to his second career Billabong Rio Pro Final, eliminating 11-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 41, and goofy-footer Gabriel Medina (BRA), 19, but was unable to top Smith’s devastating form in the Final.

“I did my best out there and thanks to the crowd for being behind me 100 percent,” De Souza said. “Congrats to Jordy (Smith). He beat me in the final from start to finish. I’m so happy to be here representing Brazil. Jordy was the best out there today and congrats to him.”

De Souza’s win at Bells Beach combined with his Runner-Up effort today at the Billabong Rio Pro vaults the hard-working Brazilian to the No.1 position over then rankings leader Kelly Slater, highlighting his chances to be the first-ever Brazilian ASP World Champion.

Gabriel Medina (BRA), 19, was incredible on the final day of competition, earning a perfect 10-point ride for a lengthy barrel-to-air combination in the Quarterfinals. The high-flying Brazilian was equally dangerous in his Semifinals bout against fellow countryman Adriano de Souza with a stout 17.50 out of 20 heat total, but fell just short of a final appearance despite a valiant last-second effort, finishing equal 3rd.

“It’s so hard to get that close to the final and lose, but it was a good event for me,” Medina said. “My ankle injury has finally healed so that’s good progress for my season and congratulations to Adriano on the heat win. Hopefully I can do better in Fiji.”

Mick Fanning (AUS), 31, matched his Billabong Rio Pro result from 2012 with a Semifinals finish. Fanning looked deadly in his Quarterfinals victory over ASP WCT rookie Sebastian Zietz (HAW), 24, but was unable to find a rhythm against Jordy Smith in their Semifinals clash.

“It would have been good to go one better, but the semis is good,” Fanning said. “This whole week was so tricky and it was one where you had your heart in your mouth whole time. I think I went out there and over-thought it. I got way too excited watching Jordy, Filipe, Adriano and Medina and tried airs and embarrassed myself. The waves I had at the start didn’t really allow turns so I thought I’d go for airs and find waves that allowed turns at the end and it didn’t work out. Congrats to Jordy. He’s been surfing great this whole event.”

Fanning, current No. 3 on the ASP WCT Rankings following his Semifinals finish, has been incredibly consistent throughout the opening events of 2013, is now hoping to carry the momentum from Brazil to the next event in Fiji.

“We saw upsets go down early and you come to this event and can’t expect anything,” Fanning said. “Last year we watched Gabe (Medina) go down in the first heat, so a Semifinals result here is good and I have three out of three keepers for the season. I’ve had a couple of good weeks.”

Kelly Slater (USA), 41, 11-time ASP World Champion and current ASP WCT No. 4, was near-flawless in yesterday’s action but was out of rhythm in the opening Quarterfinal of the morning against De Souza.

“I thought there were a lot more waves than there ended up being and didn’t make the adjustment during the heat,” Slater said. “Adriano (de Souza) did and that made all the difference. Quarterfinals is not the worst resul – it’s better than I went last year. It was a long wait this window and if I had waited that whole time and lost yesterday, I would have been bummed. I’ll take a 5th and look ahead to Fiji.”

Highlights from the Billabong Rio Pro will be available via http://wctbrasil.com/rio13

The next stop on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT) will be the Volcom Fiji Pro from June 2 – 14, 2013.

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

UPCOMING BILLABONG RIO PRO FINAL RESULTS:
1 – Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.80
2 – Adriano de Souza (BRA) 16.34

UPCOMING BILLABONG RIO PRO SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
SF 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 17.64 def. Gabriel Medina (BRA) 17.50
SF 2: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 14.83 def. Mick Fanning (AUS) 8.26

UPCOMING BILLABONG RIO PRO QUARTERFINALS RESULTS:
QF 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.33 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 12.30
QF 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.43 def. Adrian Buchan (AUS) 14.93
QF 3: Mick Fanning (AUS) 12.50 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 12.37
QF 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.76 def. Filipe Toledo (BRA) 14.07

ASP WCT TOP 5 SURFERS (Following Billabong Rio Pro):
1. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 18,500 pts
2. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 18,250 pts
3. Mick Fanning (AUS) 18,200 pts
4. Kelly Slater (USA) 16,950 pts
5. Taj Burrow (AUS) 15,700 pts

The waves are on for the final day of the Billabong Rio Pro.

Event No. 3 of 10 on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the Billabong Rio Pro has utilized the length of the 12-day window and will crown an event winner by day’s end.

“Final day of the window and we’re fortunate enough to have good swell and conditions on hand,” Rich Porta, ASP International Head Judge, said. “We’ll commence the Quarterfinals at 8am and anticipate running straight through to the Finals. Good luck to all our remaining competitors today.”

Up first this morning will be Adriano de Souza (BRA), 26, and Kelly Slater (USA), 41, in the opening Quarterfinal of the Billabong Rio Pro.

The Billabong Rio Pro will is webcast LIVE via http://wctbrasil.com/rio13

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

UPCOMING BILLABONG RIO PRO QUARTERFINALS MATCH-UPS:
QF 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Kelly Slater (USA)
QF 2: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Gabriel Medina (BRA)
QF 3: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) vs. Mick Fanning (AUS)
QF 4: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Jordy Smith (ZAF)

Filipe Toledo (BRA), 19, earned a perfect 10-point ride while advancing to the Quarterfinals of the Billabong Rio Pro today.

Filipe Toledo (BRA), 18, 2013 ASP Dream Tour rookie, put together an immaculate alley-oop to air-reverse combination, securing a perfect 10-point ride for the effort. While fellow competitor Jordy Smith (ZAF), 25, went on to earn a perfect 10 of his own in the amazing Round 4 affair, Toledo’s back-up score of 8.43 was enough to secure a spot directly in to the Quarterfinals over Smith and two-time ASP World Champion Mick Fanning (AUS), 31.

“That was my first perfect 10 on the tour and I’m at a loss for words right now,” Toledo said. “I can’t even describe how I’m feeling. I’m just so stoked to compete against Jordy (Smith) and Mick (Fanning). I competed with them in the same round at Bells and to win this heat in Brazil is amazing. When I saw the sets coming, Jordy had priority and he was paddling for the one behind me. I knew it was going to be good. I went for the first big air and I was so happy that I made it, I thought, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to do another one.’ I had that other section and I made the second air. I’m so excited right now, I don’t know what to say.”

Adriano de Souza (BRA), 26, put in a strong performance in his Round 4 match-up against Taj Burrow (AUS), 34, and Nat Young (USA), 21, earning a spot directly in to the Quarterfinals following a priority interference by Burrow. While Burrow posted two near-perfect scores, de Souza earned two excellent rides of his own, posting a 15.90 out of 20 heat total to secure the Quarterfinals berth.

“Before the heat started I was really focused,” De Souza said. “I knew Taj (Burrow) was going to be dangerous and I have a lot of respect of Nat young, but Nat was in the middle of us and I knew it’d be hard for him. Taj was on fire during the whole heat and I just focused on my waves. 5 minutes before the heat ended I heard Taj got an amazing wave, but then later I heard Taj got the interference. I was happy to make it, but it’s too bad for Taj. He’s an idol of mine and an amazing surfer.”

Adrian Buchan (AUS), 30, took a massive Round 4 victory to secure his best result of the season, relegating local talent Gabriel Medina (BRA), 19, and 11-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), 41, to Round 5. Buchan placed his bets on a bank down the beach and the choice paid off, as the Avoca Beach native was the lone surfer in the heat to find a rhythm while securing his position in the Quarterfinals.

“I feel good,” Buchan said. “I saw waves down the beach and was watching free surfers half and hour before I surfed and saw a few. You’ve got to take a gamble sometimes and I think it’ll pay off. I didn’t really think it was that big of a gamble and was able to find a really good one. I’m stoked because that’s a good round to get out of. I always try and win that heat when I get in it. I see it more as a one-winner round rather than a no-losers round. I knew it’d be a big heat against Gabriel (Medina) and Kelly (Slater) and knew most of the crowd’s focus would be on them, so I could do my own thing. I knew it’d be hard for Kelly to repeat his performance from earlier today and I’m happy to get past those guys in that heat.”

Sebastian Zietz (HAW), 24, ASP WCT Rookie, has put together a breakthrough result at the Billabong Rio Pro to match the best result of his budding career. The Kauai native navigated the challenging Barra Da Tijuca lineup with ease, donating incredible performances in both Rounds 3 and 4 to advance to the Quarterfinals compliments of some of the day’s most exciting barrels.

“Conditions changed quickly out there,” Zietz said. “I was frothing watching the heat before and thinking I was going to get pitted. I got one barrel, but ended up looking for some ramps. I was just trying to make the Quarters here in Brazil, that was my goal, so I’m happy. Hopefully I can break through to the Semis or even a final.”

Kelly Slater, 11-time ASP World Champion, dominated the Barra Da Tijuca lineup in Round 3, effortlessly driving through draining barrels to secure some of the highest scores of Billabong Rio Pro competition. Slater drove through a deep tube in the opening moments of his Round 3 bout against Patrick Gudauskas (USA), 27, for a near-perfect 9.97 and backed up the ride with a similar score for a 19.67 (out of 20) heat total.

“I hadn’t surfed in a week,” Slater said. “I thought it was going to be an air game and Pat is deadly with his airs. It was killing me to have such a good heat against Pat (Gudauskas) because I want to see him make heats. It’s a weird thing when you surf against your friends. I had a feeling once that squall passed that it would calm down and get glassy and that’s exactly what it did. I was looking for those ones like I had in the first heat, those ones the knuckle off of the outside reef. You want to get that first one that’s peaky and doesn’t have too much white water in the way.”

While Slater was unable to reproduce the same magic in Round 4, the veteran quickly rebounded to surpass Taj Burrow in a hard-fought Round 5 clash to earn his position in the Quarterfinals.

“Taj (Burrow) definitely brings the best out in me,” Slater said. “I didn’t want to surf, the waves were terrible and the waves ended up getting good out there. Taj just had a couple of heats where he wanted to surf this year and the call didn’t go his way. He was decisive and I didn’t want to surf. They took a poll and the guys wanted to surf, so we went ahead with it.Taj started off with that barrel and I knew I had to do something. Luckily I was able to get that air reverse.”

Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7am local time and will crown a champion by day’s end.

The Billabong Rio Pro will is webcast LIVE via http://wctbrasil.com/rio13

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 3 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) 12.10 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 6.50
Heat 2: Nat Young (USA) 13.13 def. Jeremy Flores (FRA) 10.17
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 12.00 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 7.14
Heat 4: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 16.40 def. Travis Logie (ZAF) 11.77
Heat 5: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.94 def. C.J. Hobgood (USA) 6.83
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) 19.97 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 10.01
Heat 7: Glenn Hall (IRL) 12.33 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 10.83
Heat 8: Michel Bourez (PYF) 12.43 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 11.17
Heat 9: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 17.47 def. Julian Wilson (AUS) 16.34
Heat 10: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 18.43 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 10.67
Heat 11: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 12.17 def. Kai Otton (AUS) 9.00
Heat 12: Mick Fanning (AUS) 16.53 def. Brett Simpson (USA) 13.33

BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 4 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) 15.90, Taj Burrow (AUS) 9.30, Nat Young (USA) 5.57
Heat 2: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 12.77, Gabriel Medina (BRA) 11.41, Kelly Slater (USA) 7.33
Heat 3: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 14.10, Michel Bourez (PYF) 11.84, Glenn Hall (IRL) 6.05
Heat 4: Filipe Toledo (BRA) 18.43, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 16.83, Mick Fanning (AUS) 13.20

BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 5 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Kelly Slater (USA) 15.10 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 14.03
Heat 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 14.20 def. Nat Young (USA) 11.20
Heat 3: Mick Fanning (AUS) 14.83 def. Michel Bourez (PYF) 2.86
Heat 4: Jordy Smith (ZAF) 17.43 def. Glenn Hall (IRL) 13.63

UPCOMING BILLABONG RIO PRO QUARTERFINALS MATCH UPS:
QF 1: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Kelly Slater (USA)
QF 2: Adrian Buchan (AUS) vs. Gabriel Medina (BRA)
QF 3: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) vs. Mick Fanning (AUS)
QF 4: Filipe Toledo (BRA) vs. Jordy Smith (ZAF)

Miguel Pupo (BRA), 21, will face off against fellow Brazilian Adriano de Souza (BRA), 26, in Heat 3 of the Billabong Rio Pro today.

Stop No. 3 of 10 on the 2013 ASP World Championship Tour (WCT), the Billabong Rio Pro will recommence this morning with Round 3 at 7am.

“The swell that arrived yesterday has cleaned up significantly so we’re expecting improved conditions to prevail throughout the day today,” Rich Porta, ASP International Head Judge said. “We want to capitalize on the surf we have on offer today and plan on running Rounds 3, 4 and 5.”

Up first this morning will be Taj Burrow (AUS), 34, against Kolohe Andino (USA), 19, in Billabong Rio Pro Heat 1 of Round 3.

The Billabong Rio Pro will is webcast LIVE via http://wctbrasil.com/rio13

For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com

BILLABONG RIO PRO ROUND 3 MATCH-UPS:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS) vs. Kolohe Andino (USA)
Heat 2: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Nat Young (USA)
Heat 3: Adriano de Souza (BRA) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Heat 4: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Travis Logie (ZAF)
Heat 5: C.J. Hobgood (USA) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) vs. Patrick Gudauskas (USA)
Heat 7: Joel Parkinson (AUS) vs. Glenn Hall (IRL)
Heat 8: Michel Bourez (PYF) vs. Bede Durbidge (AUS)
Heat 9: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Sebastian Zietz (HAW)
Heat 10: Josh Kerr (AUS) vs. Filipe Toledo (BRA)
Heat 11: Jordy Smith (ZAF) vs. Kai Otton (AUS)
Heat 12: Mick Fanning (AUS) vs. Brett Simpson (USA)