Começa no próximo Sábado, dia 25, na Gold Coast australiana, o período de espera do Quiksilver Pro presented by Land Rover, a primeira etapa do Circuito Mundial de Surf da ASP em 2012. Com algumas novidades relativamente ao ano transacto, nomeadamente a abolição do "corte" no ranking a meio do ano que implicava uma rotação nos atletas que compõem a divisão de elite do surf mundial, também o calendário trouxe boas novas aos melhores surfistas do mundo, com o regresso do Circuito Mundial a Fiji e a Santa Cruz, na Califórnia.

Para já, o tempo é de antecipação neste regresso da Fórmula 1 do surf aos grandes palcos, como refere Tiago Pires, o único português entre a elite. "Este primeiro campeonato é sempre  muito antecipado, pois toda a gente tem curiosidade em saber como os surfistas se vão apresentar e também ver o novos membros do Tour a iniciarem o ano. Há ainda a habitual Gala da ASP, onde se entregam os troféus aos Campeões do Mundo, por isso ainda há muito para acontecer antes do início da prova".

Quanto à prova em si e à preparação para mais um ano, o quinto, entre os melhores surfistas do mundo, Saca destaca o factor experiência na antecipação do evento. "Esta foi uma das pré-épocas mais curtas e intensas que já fiz. Só estive quatro semanas em treino intensivo ao invés das habituais seis. Considero-me em plena forma e muito motivado para começar a competir. O campeonato de aquecimento aqui na Austrália não correu tão bem como no ano passado mas mesmo assim estou confiante no modo como me vou apresentar no Quiksilver Pro. Esta vai ser a minha quinta temporada no Tour e, parecendo que não, a experiência também ajuda a preparar melhor as frentes de ataque."

O campeonato pode ser seguido em directo em http://quiksilverlive.com/progoldcoast/2012/.

Matt Banting (AUS) has taken out the Inaugural Australian Open of Surfing Pro at Manly beach today. The beach was packed with tens of thousands of surf fans for the final day of competition and they were treated to an exciting show with close back-and-forth battles, powerful turns and big airs as the world's best surfers fought for the prestigious crown, precious ASP World Tour ratings points and tens of thousands of dollars prize-money.

Matt Banting (AUS) went back-to-back at the Australian Open of Surfing after claiming the Pro Junior division title yesterday and today winning the blue ribbon ASP 6-Star division. Banting battled hard in the Final against American Evan Gieselman (USA), with both surfers going for broke in the small, but fun surf. The 17-year-old from Port Macquarie took to the air and landed some massive air-reverses that saw him post some big scores and claim the USD$25,000 1st prize and 3,500 ASP World Tour ratings points.

"This has been the best week of my life!" Banting said. "I'm so happy, this is the best feeling I've ever had! I'm shaking so much I can hardly talk. Evan (Gieselman) is a really good surfer, he was blowing up for the whole final, I was really scared. I was just lucky to start off well with a couple of good waves. I just want to thanks my Dad and Mum for supporting me, I love them!"

Quiksilver's Iouri Podladtchikov today won the Half Pipe event of the World Snowboarding Championships in Oslo (Norway). The Russian born Swiss rider dominated the final of the event gathering the world's best snowboarders, with a 90.8 points score from his first run of the final Iouri got the better of America's Matt Ladley (87.6) and Louie Vito (86.9). Second at the Winter X Games Aspen early this year and runner up of the 2012 Dew Tour (behind Vito) last week, despite throwing two of his best runs ever in competition, Iouri, this time, left no chance to his rivals. In the "fastest and best half pipe of the season", Iouri landed an impressive run in the foggy and rainy conditions : backside double cork 1260 mute, frontside double cork 1080 truck driver, cab double cork 1080 mute ended with a frontside 1080 tail.

Iouri also expressed the support from the swiss time and his sponsors and would like to thanks everyone for there support.

At the age of 23, Iouri clinches his first World Champion title in front of a massive crowd and his parents. With the trophy he was awarded with a 40,000 USD purse.

Iouri Podladtchikov is now heading to France for the Winter X Games Tignes with his sights set at winning gold again and ending his season in a blaze of glory.

Tiago Pires vai arrancar a sua temporada competitiva no Australian Open of Surfing, evento de seis estrelas da ASP que vai decorrer de 13 a 19 de Fevereiro em Manly, na Austrália.

Depois de muitas semanas de treino, na Ericeira, é já em ritmo de competição que Saca entra na última fase de preparação para a reentré na arena maior do surf mundial, já que a primeira etapa do Circuito Mundial de Surf ASP, o Quiksilver Pro começa já no próximo dia 25.

O campeonato pode ser acompanhado ao vivo em http://australianopenofsurfing.com

Foto © Ricardo Bravo / Quiksilver

By just one point, Iouri Podladtchikov missed tonight the opportunity of bringing back home the Dew Tour cup. Despite achieving a 97 point score on his best run in the Pipe finals(backside double McTwist 1260 – frontside double cork 1080 – cab double cork 1080 – frontside 1080 – cab 1080)

Quiksilver swiss rider was beaten by American Louie Vito, runner up on the Dew Tour ranking before the last event in Snowbasin (Utah, USA). The American pulled off his victory in front of his home crowd with the highest score ever set in the Dew Tour (98 points) and finally took the trophy for the second year in a row. After winning the last Dew Tour event in Killington (Vermont, USA) and getting Silver at the Winter X Games in Aspen, Iouri is heading to Oslo for the world champs then Tignes X-Games with his sights set at winning both.

Vasco Ribeiro terminou o Breaka Burleigh Pro num espantoso quinto lugar, depois de ter chegado às meias-finais deste evento de quatro estrelas do calendário ASP que teve lugar em Burleigh Heads, na Austrália.

No quadro de semi-finalistas estavam nomes como os de Bede Durbidge, Julian Wilson, Mick Fanning e Josh Kerr, para além de Frederico Morais, outro português com uma óptima prestação na prova.

Depois de várias baterias de grande qualidade ao longo da prova, no seu heat das meias-finais Vasco discutiu uma presença na final taco a taco com o australiano Julian Wilson. O surfista de São João do Estoril marcou um 7 e um 6.17, perfazendo uma pontuação total de 13.17 pontos, contra os 13.43 de Wilson. O também australiano Bede Durbidge venceu a bateria, depois de ter marcado um 6.67 e um 8.10.

Julian Wilson acabou por vencer este Breaka Burleigh Pro.

Parabéns ao Vasco por este magnífico resultado!

Under bright, bluebird skies, 18 of the world's most notable up-and-comers alongside the icons of snowboarding progressed the sport to a new level, as Red Bull Supernatural ran on February 4th at Baldface Lodge outside of Nelson, B.C., Canada. From the first rider to drop, Scotty Lago, through Travis Rice's final run, the never before ridden Red Bull Supernatural course challenged every aspect of the competitors' talents, bringing the most progressive riding of our time together in a single run.
 
"We're walking away with a different state of mind. This was an experiment and it's the beginning of a new, possible future for snowboarding," says Rice. "These guys ride like this all the time. It's just a really tough thing to capture, even in a video part. No breaks, riding first tracks and on all-natural terrain. Here we are able to showcase the talent in snowboarding today."
 
Rice came out hot from the very start putting down a nearly flawless run, hitting as many features as possible, stomping landings and adding inversions to multiple maneuvers. His first score of 91 held the top spot throughout the day. Gigi Rüf scored 84 points on his first run, which held the second spot throughout the day. Nicolas Müller topped John Jackson's score of 80.6, with an 82.6 in the final run with buttery transitions and the solid, stylish riding he is known for. But Jackson didn't walk away empty handed, he won ‘Best Trick' by stomping a double cork 1080 off the big kicker on his final run.
 
"We had no idea that people would tee off that big without having ever seen anyone hit the features before," says Tom Burt, Head Judge for Red Bull Supernatural. "This contest puts together where snowboarding is headed, riding the mountains. But adding freestyle riding into the mix really ups the level. Nature alone can't fully provide a course like this."
 
Travis Rice's dream run for Red Bull Supernatural is built across 2,200 vertical feet on the slope nicknamed "Scary Cherry." The run is now host to over 80 man-made features including pillow lines, enormous platforms and goal posts in the over 40 degree top section. Most riders had hit five or more features over varying size before heading into the super-kickers where fresh powder landings allowed riders to open up with speed and style. The final slopestyle section had pillow platforms to tap and log rides that took riders straight into the finish line.  

"Today was a great example of where our sport is going and what we can do to get it to the next level," says Jeff Pensiero, Owner of Baldface Lodge. "I was surprised at how much these guys really stepped up their game to ride this course. I thought a lot of it was not rideable, but these guys proved that they earn their livings exceeding expectations."
 
RESULTS:
1.      Travis Rice                            91.00
2.      Gigi Rüf                                84.00
3.      Nicolas Müller                     82.60
4.      John Jackson                        80.60
5.      Lucas Debari                        77.00

Vasco Ribeiro ficou em quinto lugar no Oakley Pro Junior, que terminou hoje em North Stradbroke, no estado australiano de Queensland. 

O surfista do team Quiksilver perdeu apenas nos quartos-de-final da prova para Peterson Crisanto, surfista que acabaria por vencer o evento. Apesar de ter marcado um 8.6 e um 7.5 nas suas duas melhores ondas nessa bateria, Vasco esbarrou no óptimo momento de forma do surfista brasileiro.

Depois do nono lugar em Burleigh Heads, o surfista de São João do Estoril continua assim a dar cartas e a mostrar-se muito bem entre os juniores mais competitivos do planeta surf, deixando antever um grande ano de 2012. 

Foto © Ricardo Bravo / Quiksilver 

Iouri Podladtchikov (Swi), 23, last night added a new medal to his name while taking the Winter X Games Silver Medal in Snowboard Super Pipe final behing Shaun White. This fourth medal at the X Games comes after Silver in Aspen in 2010, Gold in 2010 and Silver in 2011 in Europe and confirms the Russian born Swiss rider's amazing level. With a 93 points out of 100 in the final, Quiksilver's I-Pod is definitely one of the best Half Pipe riders in the world.

Despite missing Gold, Iouri said that although he didn't win, he was satisfied  with his performance. "I am really happy actually because I have never put that run down so clean," an exhausted Podladtchikov said following his last run. "I wish I had another run because I was just getting warmed up.  It was my personal best run so far but it wasn't enough today."

Quiksilver skate team is in China for the Quiksilver Film project. Check out in exclusivity some rider shots to see what's going on!

Natchete Bs 180 nose gring - Macho Nacho feeling the sun and the lovely marble chine has to offer.

Natchete sw Krooks - Nachetes  grinding that ss crooks hole into another level.

Ross fs boardslide - Ross sizing up this little fellow in Shenzen suburbs.

Ross Ollie over the rail - Ross the Boss. Over and out.

Ross Wallie Bs tailslide - Ross walling up bs ts.

Samu Gap Bs Lipslide - Samu Bs lipping under the radar. Spots couldn't get any smoother than this.

Samu Helikopteri sequence - Samu spinning the  switch propeller.

Samu bs Smith - Samu bs smith. Blogging it!