When you visit our website, we store cookies on your browser to collect information. The information collected might relate to you, your preferences or your device, and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to and to provide a more personalized web experience. However, you can choose not to allow certain types of cookies, which may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings according to your preference.
These cookies are essential to enable user movement across our website and for providing access to features such as your profile. These cookies cannot be disabled. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information and cannot be used for marketing purposes.
These cookies allow us to analyze visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site and enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers, such as Google Analytics, whose services we have added to our pages. Information collected through these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly and/or we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts or content. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
These cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.
Early Upsets at EDP Billabong Pro Ericeira
Nicolas Leroy
The EDP Billabong Pro Ericeira kicked off today in four-to-five foot surf and fired through Round 1 and seven heats of Round 2.
The morning heats were tricky with drizzle, fog and a full tide. Matheus Navarro found the winning formula as he landed a couple of big turns for the first excellent score of the event, an 8.17 to advance into Round 2.
Former CT surfer Ethan Ewing connected with the lip as well, posting an 8.33 in the opening heat of Round 2. It was the first of a series of upsets as he took out World No. 16 Wade Carmichael. It also kicked off a dominant run from Australian athletes, quickly picked up by Matt Banting in the following heat.
"The wind's coming into the face so it's good be regular-foot to look at the opportunities coming ahead instead of having your back facing it," explained Banting. "I know I need to improve my lowest result by at least 1,000 points or even 2,000 to solidify my spot up there. It'd be nice not to worry about it going into Hawaii. I feel like I've had a little bit of that underdog support online, that's one thing social media is good for, that and looking at other guys surf and getting excited for it."
After that it was up-and-coming talents Morgan Cibilic and Jordan Lawler eliminating another CT surfer, Soli Bailey. The two surfers ranked 22nd and 23rd, respectively, have both rocketed into the spotlight courtesy of big results in 2019 will bank confidence from this heat as they try to further climb up the QS ladder.
Krystian Kymerson and Cooper Chapman posted a double upset as they defeated Top 34 athlete Michael Rodrigues and local favorite Vasco Ribeiro in Heat 4.
As the weather cleared mid-afternoon and the wind switched more offshore, the waves cleaned up, the tide bottomed out and there were more opportunities on offer. The two recent semifinalists in Azores Miguel Pupo and Gatien Delahaye picked up right where they left off and put on a dominant effort to take out the two advancing spots in Heat 6.
"I think 2011, the year I qualified, is the last time I made big heats back-to-back like this," Pupo said. "It feels good to be back in that form cause I've really been struggling the last few years. After the Australian leg I stayed home for three months and decided to focus on only the biggest events and luckily that move paid off for me."
Conditions continued to build, and in the next heat Californian Nat Young attacked the rights on his backhand, posting a solid heat win over fellow West Coaster Jake Marshall, who's been on a roll lately. With two wins under his belt already this season, Young is hanging by a thread right outside the bubble on the QS and needs another big push if he wants to re-join the elite level next season.
"It's nice to come back here and have good waves to start the event," he said. "I definitely have surfed my fair share of rights, so it feels like home and it's super nice to have plenty of opportunities out there. I feel good and there's plenty of swell in the forecast, so I'm looking forward to surfing more heats here in good surf."
With a combination of light fog and side light later this afternoon, the glare became an issue for judges and competition was called off at the end of Heat 7. Surfers will be back at 8 a.m Wednesday local time for a potential early re-start of Round 2 in Ericeira.
Tune in from September 23-29, 2019 for the LIVE webcast and check out all the results, photos, videos and updates right here!
Nat Young
The former CTer Nat Young put the field on notice with his dominant backhand power to push the scale to a 15.50 heat total in his Ballito
Featuring Erin Brooks, Samuel Pupo, Macy Callaghan, Ian Gouveia, Zahli Kelly, Rosie Smart, Charly Quivront, Kyuss King, Oscar Berry, Deivid
The former CT Rookie of the Year Nat Young is back on the Challenger Series in hopes of requalifying and kicked his run off with a
Check every 9 since 2018 as we gear up for a return to the North Shore at the Lexus Pipe Pro presented by Yeti. Featuring Kelly Slater,
Featuring John John Florence, Gabriel Medina, João Chianca, Caio Ibelli, Liam O'Brien, Jordy Smith, Callum Robson, Barron Mamiya, Nat
EDP Billabong Pro Ericeira
Two South Africans will be making their Championship Tour debuts at the Corona Open J-Bay. As the highest-rated Africans on the Challenger
Check out a selection of images from the QS10,000 in Ericeira the last time it was held.
Taj Burrow and Tiago Pires pull on the WSL jersey for the 'You and the Sea Heritage Heat' in Ericeira.
Krystian Kymerson (BRA) belts a big air and claims the Turkish Airlines Best Air award in Ericeira.
Samuel Pupo rises to the top and cracks the QS Top 10 at the EDP Billabong Pro Ericeira.