Tânio Barreto wins Rip Curl Pro, with best wave of contest

Winners podium : photo Alfarroba/Ricardo Brava

Tânio Barreto, former Brazilian professional champion, won the 19th edition of the Rip Curl Pro. The contest ended today at Lagido, Baleal beach, with 4 to 5 feet waves and on-shore winds, with occasional good looking lefts opening for scoring potential.

Tânio was always a standout in every heat, doing the best wave of the contest in the final, a 9.6 out of a possible 10, for a great and squeezed lefthander, on a final that only got two good waves, backing it up with a 5 and the win. He now leads the EPSA ratings, competing for Spain, his adopted country. "I’m very happy about winning in Portugal, where I feel at home," said the champion. "I've been in Europe for a month now and starting winning is great, especially here at Peniche, which is a real honour.

In the final I was really lucky with that bomb, which opened and gave me the possibility to work for that 9.6. Congratulations to all involved with the contest and thanks!" 

Second went to Spanish Pablo Solar that was the standout of the semi-finals. Pablo only got two 5's in the final, enough to take him to second place, but far from the 8.6 and 7.67 that saw him win the semis. He eventually did better than last contest, at Tapia, where he got fourth, and now takes the second place at the ratings also. "Not bad for a guy that wasn't even running  the tour last year," said the former Rip Curl Pro champion. "Now I feel motivated, which gives me extra confidence!"

Third place was probably the biggest standout of the contest, European champion Justin Mujica. He opened the day with an 18.33 score out of 20, thanks to a 9.5 and an 8.83, raising the bar to everyone competing. In his semi-final heat, with a lot of confidence, Justin did an 8 and a 7, preparing all watching to an eventual win. But it wasn't to be. He got a good 7.67 and was left waiting for another good one, which just didn't come.

He is now third on the ratings. "I was aiming for the win, I wanted it so much," said Mujica. "But I missed a second best wave. Not bad, though, for a guy who's been nursing torned knee," jokes the champion.

Fourth place went to charismatic Tinguinha Lima, 41, also a former Brazilian professional champion, living in Portugal for two years now. Tinguinha wasn't competing for three years, but showed everyone that age is not an excuse and that his surfing is still sharp as ever, turning heats into his favour on the dying moments of the quarters and semis.

"It was really nice for me," said the always smiling Brazilian. "This result was a confidence boost to get back into competition and try to win some new contests. In the final I only had a 4 and then I was left waiting for 30 minutes... nothing came!"

Fifth place overall went to French Gregory Pastusiak and Fabrice Gelez, while Eric Rebiere and José Gregório got 7th. Though the four of them surfed well, Pastusiak and Gregório's heat was harder and decided to the final hooter, while Eric and Fabrice were blitzed by an inspired Solar and a cautious Barreto.

During the first round of today’s action, the quarter-finals, Pablo Gutierrez and Hugo Savalli were victims of the Justin/Tinguinha pair, Marlon Lipke and Asier Muniain lost in the last seconds to Pastusiak and Gregório, canaries Jonathan Gonzalez and another standout of the contest, young Tahitian Steven Pierson, lost to Eric and Fabrice, and former European champion Patrick Beven and Australian Nick Coghlan, also went out in the dying minutes to Barreto and Solar, with the Australian breaking the only board of the contest.

Before the prize-giving ceremony, the "SurfTotal - Fly on information" expression session went to the water, won by another Brazilian, Gustavo Barreto, that despite the name has nothing to do with the main contest winner, taking the almost certain win out of the hands of Spanish Asier Muniain, with a committed front side aerial, and the 250 euros.