| Bruno Santos conquers the 2009 Hang Loose Pro Contest |
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| Monday, 16 February 2009 11:51 |
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Brazilian Bruno Santos is the new 2009 Hang Loose Pro Contest Champion. Santos paddled out in two-to-four foot (1 metre) barreling waves at Cacimba do Padre Beach three times today, beating the defending champion of the event Brazilian Raoni Monteiro 15.40 to 8.67 in the great Final. Santos, who is one of the best barrel riders in the world, finished the day with the title and the lead of 2009 ASP WQS ratings. In the Final, Monteiro opened the heat with an excellent score of 8.67 points, then Santos emerged from a deep left-hand barrel to earn a near-perfect 9.90 and with fifteen minutes to go. Santos was in second with the priority. With a set approaching, Santos took the first wave in an effort to get the lead, but Monteiro also paddle for the wave and committed a paddle interference, losing his second best wave and his chances to win the Final. After that, Monteiro also scored a 7.67 and a 7.07. In the last 10 minutes, Santos snuck into a small barrel on the wave, earned a 5.50 and won the heat. "The way I like, I always pray to get barreling waves in the contests, and we had perfect waves in five days of surfing," Santos said. Before the Final, Santos won the second Semifinal against Brazilian Marcelo Trekinho (who got the second and last 10 point ride of the event) and the Quarterfinal No. 3 against the young surfer Ian Gouveia (16). "I think I had luck too," Santos said. "The waves came to me and Monteiro made some mistakes today. Noronha is my favorite event of the year and this is the place that I most like to go back every year and win here was great, I really happy with that." With the result today, Monteiro moves to ASP WQS No. 3. The Final was Monteiro’s second Final in the Hang Loose Pro Contest in a row, he won the event in 2008. Despite having an amazingly consistent campaign in the event, Monteiro was unable to claim the victory, but started the year with a great result at Cacimba do Padre. Monteiro was gracious in defeat – giving credit to Santos for his impressive surfing throughout the event. Raoni began the day winning the opening heat of this Sunday against his good friend Leonardo Neves, then we took out of the event Brazilian Marco Polo, who surfed the first 10 point ride of the 2009 Hang Loose Pro Contest. "I have no words," Monteiro said. "Everything was going so well, but someone had to win. I came close to the dream of winning here two times but I was unable to use the priority well. Bruno ripped this week, he got perfect waves and deserved win, congratulations to him. But I still really happy with my result and started the year with the right foot, I took another trophy to home even without sponsorship, to show everyone that Raoni Monteiro still there wanting to compete and to get back to represent Brazil in ASP World Tour next year." After completing 10 years of success on the ASP WQS, the goal now is to transform the Hang Loose Pro Contest in Fernando de Noronha in one of the stops of the ASP World Tour already from next year.
Hang Loose Pro Contest Semifinal Results: Hang Loose Pro Contest Quarterfinal Results:
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