RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – From Sunday, December 8th, the eyes of surf lovers will be set on the island of Oahu, in Hawaii, where the Billabong Pipe Masters, the last stage of the Men’s World Circuit of the sport and the stage on which the next world champion will be crowned, will take place.
After the 10-stage competition in the last seven months, three Brazilians, one American and one South African are in the competition promoted by the World Surfing League (WSL).
Brazilian favoritism
The big favorite to win the title is Ítalo Ferreira. After winning the Gold Coast (Australia) and Peniche (Portugal) stages, the Brazilian leads the world championship ranking with 51,070 points.
“Ítalo has the points advantage. So, if all candidates drop in the same stage of the competition, then the title is for Ítalo. I understand that being a leader in the last stage can be an advantage, but it can become a disadvantage if it becomes a source of pressure,” said Marcelo Boscoli, a former professional surfer who has already acted as a commentator for the WSL on the World Circuit.
Another Brazilian in high spirits is Gabriel Medina. The reigning world champion ranks second in the title run with 50,005 points and two stages won: Jeffreys Bay (South Africa) and Lemoore (USA). And the athlete, a native of São Sebastião (SP), hopes for Ítalo to slip up to secure the third World Cup in his career.
According to Marcelo Boscoli, Medina has the advantage of having the best record in the Pipeline: “Medina should be considered a favorite in any situation. He is the postulant to the current title that most often experienced this situation, reaching Hawaii in full force in the competition. In addition, he has the best track record among those still fighting for the World Cup. He is calm and has achieved the best results in decisive stages.
An intruder in the Brazilian dispute is the South African Jordy Smith. The surfer, who is seeking an unprecedented world title, ranks third with 49,985 points. Even though he has not won any stage, he was very constant throughout the season, present in three semifinals and two finals.
But the South African’s presence in the Pipeline is still uncertain, as he suffered an injury in late November, during a stage of the WQS (access division) disputed in Hawaii.
In search of the unprecedented title
The third representative of Brazil seeking the king’s crown of surf in 2019 is Filipe Toledo. With the win in the Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) stage, the surfer born in Ubatuba (SP) is fourth in the ranking with 49,145 points. He is also one of the candidates for the title that never secured a World Cup.
Closing the list of competitors is the North American Kolohe Andino. With 44,665 points he has very little chance in the competition. He will only take the World Trophy home if he has a phenomenal performance in the Pipeline and his four opponents’ performances are disastrous.
Tokyo 2020
In addition to being the stage on which the next World Circuit champion will be crowned, the Pipeline will also serve to designate the athletes to represent Brazil in surfing at the next edition of the Olympic Games, which will be held in Tokyo in 2020.
One of the possible classifications is through the WSL ranking. The top ten placed at the end of the season will secure a spot (with a limit of two athletes per country).
The first two Brazilians in the WSL raking will stamp their passports for the 2020 Games.
Source: Agência Brasil