BARRA DA TIJUCA, Rio de Janeiro/Brazil (Monday, May 11, 2015) - Small surf in the one-to-two (0.5 metre) range has prompted event organizers to call a lay day for competition this morning at the Oi Rio Pro. However, with swell on the horizon, the world's best surfers will soon hit the water to battle in the punchy beachbreaks of Barra da Tijuca.
"Small conditions today but we anticipate the swell to fill in over the next few days," Kieren Perrow, WSL Commissioner, said. "The banks look good so once we have some swell on them, we should see some great surfing. We'll be back tomorrow morning at 7am to reassess conditions."
Stop No. 4 on the 2015 Samsung Galaxy WSL Championship Tour, the Oi Rio Pro, recommences two WSL Title Races with Adriano de Souza (BRA) and Carissa Moore (HAW) donning the Jeep Leader Jerseys for the men's and women's tours respectively.
The sole CT event on South American soil, the Oi Rio Pro provides a home court advantage to the "Brazilian Storm" phenomenon that includes De Souza, reigning WSL Champion Gabriel Medina, Filipe Toledo, Miguel Pupo, Jadson Andre, Italo Ferreira, Wiggolly Dantas and Silvana Lima on the women's side.
Event organizers will reconvene tomorrow morning at 7am to reassess conditions.
Surfline, official forecasters for the World Surf League (WSL), are calling for:
Leftover S swell offers small but contestable surf for Monday. Rising S becoming SSE swell for Tuesday and into Wednesday with solid surf expected midweek. Winds are unfavorable Tuesday and dicey Wednesday. Gradually fading SSE becoming SE swell with more favorable conditions expected for Thursday/Friday and into the weekend.
The Oi Rio Pro holds a competitive from Monday, May 11, until Friday, May 22 and will be webcast live on WorldSurfLeague.com
The world's best surfing will also be broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports in Australia, MCS Extreme in France, EDGE Sports in China, South Korea, Malaysia and other territories and on Globo TV in Brazil.
Oi Rio Men's Pro Round 1 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Taj Burrow (AUS), Jeremy Flores (FRA), Brett Simpson (USA)
Heat 2: Kelly Slater (USA), Adrian Buchan (AUS), Ricardo Christie (NZL)
Heat 3: John John Florence (HAW), Wiggolly Dantas (BRA), C.J. Hobgood (USA)
Heat 4: Gabriel Medina (BRA), Freddy Patacchia Jr. (HAW), Alejo Muniz (BRA)
Heat 5: Mick Fanning (AUS), Italo Ferreira (BRA), Alex Ribeiro (BRA)
Heat 6: Adriano de Souza (BRA), Kai Otton (AUS), David do Carmo (BRA)
Heat 7: Josh Kerr (AUS), Jadson Andre (BRA), Dusty Payne (HAW)
Heat 8: Jordy Smith (AFR), Sebastian Zietz (HAW), Keanu Asing (HAW)
Heat 9: Nat Young (USA), Bede Durbidge (AUS), Glenn Hall (IRL)
Heat 10: Filipe Toledo (BRA), Kolohe Andino (USA), Adam Melling (AUS)
Heat 11: Julian Wilson (AUS), Miguel Pupo (BRA), Matt Banting (AUS)
Heat 12: Joel Parkinson (AUS), Owen Wright (AUS), Matt Wilkinson (AUS)
Oi Rio Women's Pro Round 1 Match-Ups:
Heat 1: Lakey Peterson (USA), Bianca Buitendag (AFR), Alessa Quizon (HAW)
Heat 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), Johanne Defay (FRA), Laura Enever (AUS)
Heat 3: Carissa Moore (HAW), Dimity Stoyle (AUS), Luana Coutinho (BRA)
Heat 4: Tyler Wright (AUS), Coco Ho (HAW), Keely Andrew (AUS)
Heat 5: Courtney Conlogue (USA), Silvana Lima (BRA), Sage Erickson (USA)
Heat 6: Malia Manuel (HAW), Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW), Nikki Van Dijk (AUS)