| Jano Belo celebrates first ASP victory in Maresia Surf Itajai |
| Monday, 20 October 2008 09:36 |
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Brazil has once again claimed a win at the Maresia Surf International in Itajai with Jano Belo celebrating his first victory in Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Qualifying Series (WQS) Tour. Belo defeated three Brazilians to reach the grand final and did not give any chance to Hawaiian Dustin Barca on the last day of competition and waves of two-to-three foot (1 metre) at Brava Beach. With the victory, Jano earned US$15,000 and 2,500 points on the ASP WQS, but the champion was not well placed in the rating and moved from 166th place to 91th position, while Hawaiian Dustin Barca entered the zone of qualification for the 2009 ASP World Tour with his second place finish. "I was looking for a good result so long ago and I only have to thank God for having given me a lot of tranquility to bear all the pressure of a final," Belo said. "The waves were difficult, the heat was tense, Dustin was surfing too much, I only got hard heats today but now I am very happy and relieved with my result. I offer this title to all my family, my parents, my wife who is always by my side giving me strength and God, who was with me all the time. I gave everything of myself in the final and the good thing is that Brazil is on the top again." Belo began the last day of Maresia Surf International defeating three Brazilians, the first was Beto Mariano in the Round of 16, then passed through Adilton Mariano in the Quarterfinals and Marcio Farney in the Semifinal. In the grand Final, Jano Belo started with full force and surfed a good wave of 7.50 points (out a possible of 10) and then took a 7.00 score which was replaced by another 7.50 points a few minutes later. Belo then found a really nice left with a good wall to execute maneuvers, with speed and security Jano finished the wave and receive a 8.10 score of the judges, giving no chance to the Hawaiian. Barca, who got great barrels on Saturday and Sunday, only surfed a regular wave in the Final and finished with 12.90 points (out a possible of 20) against 15.60 of Jano. Despite the second place, the Hawaiian was happy with the result and will try to confirm his entry into the 2009 ASP World Tour at home, in the final events of the ASP WQS in Hawaii. "Unfortunately the best waves of the final didn’t came to me, so Jano deserved the victory," Barca said. "Good for him and for the crowd on the beach, so I’m happy with my second place that put me in the first fifteen surfers of the WQS. The Hawaiians have difficult running the Tour because in Hawaii we have great waves, tropical climate, hot water, then is difficult for surfers to come out and compete in events with bad waves and cold water. It was not the case here that has good waves and good barrels. So I’m happy because I’m close to make the World Tour next year, and this is my main goal. Last week, I went to the quarter-finals in Rio de Janeiro, and now I got a second here, then I think I made the right choice to compete here in Brazil instead of going to Europe." His last opponent before the decision of the Maresia Surf International was the Japanese Masatoshi Ohno, who made the party with his best result in his career, Ohno never reached the semifinals of a 6 star event. "I wanted so much to make the final here, but I’m stocked with my result, which is the best of my career," Masatoshi said. "Too bad that this result came precisely in the year in which I am not traveling to all events. I competed in the full tour for a long time and this year I preferred choosing only a few events to compete, and I came to Brazil because I love to compete here." As only those who were not well placed in the ranking had success in Brava Beach, for the first time in the history of ASP WQS started in 1992, there are no Brazilians surfers in the classification zone for the ASP World Tour next year after the results of Maresia Surf International in Itajai and the event in Canary Islands. The last to leave the list was Jihad Khodr, who was overtaken by Hawaiian Dustin Barca on this Sunday and now is in the 17th place, up ahead is Simao Romao in 18th position with Hizunome Bettero in 19th and Pedro Henrique in the 20th place. The last hope for change the table before the final events in Hawaii will start this week in Ubatuba (SP). For more information, log onto www.aspsouthamerica.com.br
SEMIFINALS QUARTER-FINALS
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