Brazilian storm
South American surfers look set to monopolise for the next few years
2018 will go down in surfing history books as Gabriel Medina’s year.
It will also be a year remembered for the ‘Brazilian Storm’ that continues to wreak havoc on the World Surf League. And there are no signs of the storm dissipating in 2019 either.
Three of surfing’s biggest titles recently went Brazil’s way, with Medina securing his second World Title, along with the Pipeline Masters title, and rising star, Jesse Mendes, being crowned the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing champ, all in Hawaii just weeks ago.
The feisty South Americans also won a staggering nine of the eleven Championship Tour events in 2018.
Their World Surf League domination resulted in eleven Brazilians booking their places on the 2019 Championship Tour, by far the biggest representation of any country in surfing’s big leagues which decides the men’s world champion each year.
Seven of their countrymen re-affirmed their Championship Tour status through re-qualification while four of the gritty Brazilians qualified through the Qualifying Series, also known as ‘The Grind’.
“We’ve kind of taken over,” beamed newly minted Triple Crown champ, Mendes, in a WSL interview.
“The (World) Title is ours, the Triple Crown is ours, those are two of the biggest titles you can win in surfing.
“The Pipe Masters is the biggest event you can win all year, so we have everything.
“It just shows all the work we put in back in the day when we were groms competing against one another and being united.
“Now we’ve taken it to the big stage and it just made us develop so much. It’s working out.”
Last year South Africans also witnessed the Brazilian storm first-hand when two of SA’s biggest surfing events, with a combined prize money purse of 12 Million Rand, saw the Brazilians close out the competitions atop of the podiums.
Little known Peterson Crisanto was the first to be carried up the beach waving the Brazilian flag at the Ballito Pro in late June.
Crisanto arrived in South Africa ranked a lowly 42nd place on the Qualifying Series and then promptly departed SA as the World Number 1 on the QS. His victory celebrations were that much sweeter with the Ballito Pro celebrating its 50th edition, given the events’ firm foundations in the Gunston 500 and the Mr Price Pro.
South Africa’s only world surfing champion, Shaun Tomson who won the world title in 1977, proudly presented the winners’ trophy to a delighted Crisanto with his result guaranteeing him a well-deserved spot on the 2019 Championship Tour.
At the Corona Open J-Bay, in July, Filipe Toledo maintained the charge of the South Americans when he secured back to back wins at Jeffreys Bay.
Toledo’s victory also placed him atop of the world rankings in the Jeep Leader Yellow Jersey.
“Back-to-back wins is always something that I’ve dreamed of,” said Toledo of his win.
“It could not be more special than here in J-Bay after last year, and this year we’ve had such good waves again.
“Thanks God. Thanks Jesus. Thank you to my family and everyone supporting me. I feel so blessed right now.”
Toledo remained in the world title race, right until the last event of the 2018 season, the Billabong Pipeline Masters, bowing out early and finishing third in the world, behind reigning world champ Medina and runner-up, Australian Julian Wilson.
As the World Surf League takes a brief break from the year-round action one thing is for sure for 2019, the rest of the surfing world has taken notice. It’s now up to the likes of the Australians, the Americans, the Europeans and even South Africa’s Jordy Smith, to put a stop to the continual downpours that emanate from a certain Brazilian Storm.