Who will win in Brazil? Maybe Jeremy Flores will return to his rookie form, or maybe it'll be Mick or Taj that make up ground on Parko's ratings lead.
Forget everything you know about the "Dream Tour," the boys are heading down to Florianopolis, Brazil, for the Hang Loose Santa Catarina Pro and as time has proven, this one is anybody's game. As far as World Title implications, both Mick Fanning and Taj Burrow site this stop as one of their best, and will most definitely be looking to close the gap on Parko...who historically hasn't done all that well in Brazil. Also, a little inside dish, both Mick and Taj are coming off hugely successful boat trips, which may or may not ultimately factor into the final result, but then you have to think their surfing will definitely be on point.
When it comes to a statistical perspective, consider this, Brazil is the only stop that has never seen a two-wave heat score of more than 19.50. In fact, it was Mick Fanning's 18.70 in 2007 that still stands as the highest combined score. That being said, most everybody in the Top 45 is capable of throwing down scores like this given the right waves, so like I said, this one could go to anybody.
It's been over a month since Tahiti wrapped, but as we reported last week, injuries still abound. According to tour manager Renato Hickle, "Luke Stedman, Adrian Buchan and Gabe Kling had to withdraw due to injuries. Both Jay Thompson and Ben Bourgeois accepted their spots. At this stage I'm waiting on Yadin Nicol's confirmation as Patrick Gudauskas and Yadin Nicol declined their spots due to WQS commitments, so Neco Padaratz took the last spot as an Event Replacement. Local wildcards include Gustavo Fernandes, Guilherme Ferreira, and Bernardo Pigmeu Miranda."
Then there's Kelly. Renato's not a mind reader, and he has about as much insight as to the champs intentions as anybody, but my guess is Kelly won't show. In fact, as far as the rest of the year goes, I'm saying that we will see him at J-Bay, Trestles, France, and Pipe. He'll get himself into a position to re-qualify for the 2010 season, which knowing his fascination with numerology, makes logical sense to go for a tenth title. Who knows if that's what'll happen, but that's what I'm claiming.
All that being said, fundamentally it's all about the waves, which could be surprisingly good. "Swell forecast for the first day of waiting period looks promising," explaines Renato. "Early forecast models are calling for a 2.3-meter rising swell and winds turning to offshore by Sunday, and at this stage, even Monday is looking good."
So, there you go, a very brief breakdown of what's on tap for Brazil. This stop used to round out the year before the boys headed over to Hawaii, but in an effort to make it a more critically important the ASP moved it from year's end to mid-year, so we may be in for more of a Brazilian treat than we've seen in some time. Stay tuned.
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Contributors
Jon Coen
Jon is from New Jersey and continues to reside there with his wife and dog—which means occasional empty barrels and the occasional session in the snow.The state isn't as dirty as people might think, but he'll let them keep believing that.
Jake Howard
Jake lives, writes and surfs in San Clemente, Calif. He spent his formative gremlin years surfing points north of San Francisco, and for the past 10 years has been contently surviving behind the Orange Curtain.
Kimball Taylor
Author of "Return by Water," as well as books on Jeffreys Bay and Pipeline, Kimball drives a red-hot Camero, and back in the '70s, he used to party with your dad.
Daniel Ikaika Ito
Daniel surfs like a hippie, but dresses like a homie. The Native Hawaiian originally hails from Hilo, but now resides in Honolulu. He enjoys twin-fins, new sneakers and being ESPN's "Cuz On The Scene" in the 50th State.
Jason Kenworthy
About as majestic as a turkey vulture, when he's not schlepping his lens around the world or looking for roadkill, Jason can be found at home in Dana Point, Calif., tending to his growing brood.
