We could have run a tight action shot from Rio and given you the impression the surf was actually okay. But it wasn’t, so here’s a pulled back lineup to show you how it really was. We’re all about the unvarnished truth here at Pop. Pic: ASP
The world’s best surfers have had a lot of time to enjoy everything Rio has to offer, but they would have been pretty stoked to get a round of competition out of the way yesterday, as the Billabong Rio Pro finally got off the ground in junky beachbreaks.
On Sunday the women’s was run and won with the new guard confirming they’re shaking things up. Eighteen-year-old Hawaiian Carissa Moore beat 20-year-old Aussie Sally Fitzgibbons in the final, and four-time world champ Steph Gilmore was knocked out of this year’s title race.
After a week of waiting, the men’s first round was run yesterday, with the results going as you’d expect, barring Joel Parkinson, Bede Durbidge and Michel Bourez’ suprise losses.* Given no-one gets eliminated in round one, we’ll be seeing all three blokes in the water again if Round Two runs today.
Check billabongpro.com for the live feed.
Billabong Rio Pro Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Owen Wright (AUS) 13.60, Heitor Alves (BRA) 7.67, Bobby Martinez (USA) 7.47
Heat 2: Adrian Buchan (AUS) 11.84, Adam Melling (AUS) 11.16, Kai Otton (AUS) 7.90
Heat 3: Taj Burrow (AUS) 16.33, Ricardo Santos (BRA) 11.17, Alejo Muniz (BRA) 10.60
Heat 4: Mick Fanning (AUS) 15.07, Simao Romao (BRA) 12.36, Dusty Payne (HAW) 11.66
Heat 5: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 8.13, Jordy Smith (ZAF) 8.07, Igor Morais (BRA) 6.34
Heat 6: Kelly Slater (USA) 15.17, Julian Wilson (AUS) 14.37, Peterson Crisanto (BRA) 3.84
Heat 7: Jadson Andre (BRA) 14.33, Gabe Kling (USA) 10.66, Bede Durbidge (AUS) 7.90
Heat 8: Jeremy Flores (FRA) 13.56, C.J. Hobgood (USA) 10.80, Josh Kerr (AUS) 7.43
Heat 9: Damien Hobgood (USA) 12.00, Raoni Monteiro (BRA) 11.10, Tiago Pires (PRT) 10.93
Heat 10: Cory Lopez (USA) 11.54, Chris Davidson (AUS) 10.00, Michel Bourez (PYF) 8.57
Heat 11: Daniel Ross (AUS) 14.90, Adriano de Souza (BRA) 14.67, Kieren Perrow (AUS) 8.96
Heat 12: Taylor Knox (USA) 15.03, Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 14.70, Joel Parkinson (AUS) 8.34
Billabong Rio Pro Women’s Final Results:
1 – Carissa Moore (HAW) 14.87
2 – Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 13.80
Billabong Rio Pro Semifinals Results:
SF 1: Carissa Moore (HAW) 13.67 def. Silvana Lima (BRA) 10.33
SF 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 13.16 def. Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 9.23
*Gotta feel for young ‘zilla Peterson Crisanto for becoming the very definition of the term “third wheel” in his heat with Kelly Slater and Julian Wilson.
