Pupo bests fellow Brazzos to win Prime

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Daniel Smorigo/ASPNo one can complain about Primes in Brazil when there're barrels like this. 2012 Hang Loose Pro winner, Miguel Pupo.

If 2011 was the year of the Brazilians, 2012 isn't looking to be far off from that. The first ASP Prime of the year is in the books. It went down in Brazil. The Brazilians put up three perfect 10's. Five of eight quarterfinalists and three of the four semifinalists were Brazzos. And of course, Sao Paulo's Miguel Pupo won the 2012 Hang Loose Pro.

Fernando de Noronho kegged for this event, not quite like Pipe or Puerto, but a very solid overhead barrels, just feet from the beach. There were some perfect blue cylinders and some dirty throats, classic beachbreak barrels. Puerto Rico's Brian Toth called it the best waves on the Prime tour, and the boys made quick work of them.

After acing the Nike Lowers Pro last May and the O'Neill Coldwater Classic in October, Pupo, 20, was one of the new crop of talent to join the World Tour at the mid-year rotation last September (a group of which may well be the last ever) and finished No. 36 at year's end. He beat his countryman in the finals 16.10-14 with tube riding prowess.

Da Silva was the star on Friday. De Silva won this event in 2006 and had a banner day, posting the highest heat total of the event in his brawl with Aussie, Mitch Coleborn, posting an event-high 19.47, then Gabriel Medina in the quarters, and Brian Toth (the lone non-Brazzo) in the semis.

Daniel Smorigo/ASPJean da Silva lit up the frontside tubes to take second.

"Surfing good waves in the heats has given me more and more motivation and confidence to compete here. I'm staying in the right spots and choosing the right waves," said Da Silva on Friday.

But his momentum was finally stopped by Pupo. Riding a pink board shaped by his father, Pupo beat fellow Brazilians Willian Cardoso, Wiggolly and Dantes. He blew the roof off the event today against Ricardo dos Santos, nailing barrels for a perfect 10 and a 9.77. Then the goofy-foot stuffed himself into the longest drainers in the final to get the win.

"Winning in Brazil is the thing I really wanted," Pupo told the ASP, "I won two Primes in the United States last year, but I wanted to show I can win at home too, especially here in Fernando de Noronha, in big tubes. I am also happy to have made the final with Jean (da Silva). He had beat (Gabriel) Medina yesterday (Friday), who was pretty angry about the loss. Then his mother said that I had to win the championship and won, so I'm even more excited. "

Notable Americans were World Tour vet, Damien Hobgood, who made the quarterfinals. Mason Ho, Chris Ward and Cory Lopez looked strong early on as well. But the chance of anyone taking it from the Brazzos was slim. Get ready to see more of the yellow and green flag this year (and perhaps more pink?)

HANG LOOSE PRO CONTEST 2012
FINALS
1.Miguel Pupo (BRA) 16.10, $40,000
2.Jean da Silva (BRA) 14, $20,000

SEMI-FINALS:
Heat 1: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 19.77-14.53 Ricardo dos Santos (BRA)
Heat 2: Jean da Silva (BRA) 17.60-8.4 Brian Toth (PRI)

QUARTER-FINALS (5th place = US$ 6,500 and 3,320 points)
Heat 1: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 13.37 x 12.00 Wiggolly Dantas (BRA)
Heat 2: Ricardo dos Santos (BRA) 18.33 x 8.34 Damien Hobgood (USA)
Heat 3: Brian Toth (PRI) 16.24 x 10.83 Joan Duru (FRA)
Heat 4: Jean da Silva (BRA) 17.00 x Gabriel Medina (BRA)

ROUND OF 16 (9th place = US$ 5,000 and 2,400 points)
Heat 1: Miguel Pupo (BRA) 12.47 x 11.66 Willian Cardoso (BRA)
Heat 2: Ricardo dos Santos (BRA) 17.16 x 16.70 Chris Ward (USA)
Heat 3: Joan Duru (FRA) 19.47 x 12.77 Nic Von Rupp (DEU)
Heat 4: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 13.37 x 6.60 Yuri Sodre (BRA)
Heat 5: Wiggolly Dantas (BRA) 15.60 x 14.40 Bernardo Miranda (BRA)
Heat 6: Damien Hobgood (USA) 13.83 x 8.90 Mason Ho (HAW)
Heat 7: Brian Toth (PRI) 17.33 x 10.87 Raoni Monteiro (BRA)
Heat 8: Jean da Silva (BRA) 19.47 x 17.56 Mitchel Coleborn (AUS)

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