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The best in the surfing world, back in the Algarve
by Howard Swanwick
22/06/2007:// Some of the best surfers in the world, and certainly the best in Europe, are going to be back in Portugal between the 9th and the 15th of July, for the Super Bock Pro and the Buondi Pro Junior, two events counting towards their respective tours.
From the 9th to the 11th, Amado beach, located at Aljezur Council, will receive the best under 20 surfers, boys and girls, for the first competiton on the european Pro Junior schedule, fighting for 6.500 dolars prize-money and precious points for this years title.
In 06, french girl Lee-Ann Curren, daughter of legend Tom Curren, won the first girls Pro Junior of the year, beginning a string of good results that eventually took her to the european title and a 5th place at the world finals.
This year she won’t have her work cut through, since their country mates Pauline Ado and Alizée Arnaud, basque Garazi Sanchez or portuguese Francisca Santos, Margarida Guerra and Francisca Sousa are willing to give a good fight for the title.
On the boys side, with 5.000 dolars prize-money, everything can really happen, since the surfing level has risen so much, with Pro Junior athletes winning WQS’s and all, like it happened in the Algarve, last year.
French Jean-Sebastien Estienne is Buondi Pro Junior’s defending champion, but he will definitely face a good resistance in surfers such as Joan Duru, Marc Lacomare, Nicolau Von Rupp, Reubyn Ash, Frederico Morais, César Rosa, Miguel Mouzinho or the Guichard twins, who spent three months training in Australia and are surfing at home waves.
After Amado beach, the event will go a few kilometers south, to Cordoama beach, at Vila do Bispo Council, where the Super Bock Pro, a one star WQS event, will take place between the 12th and the 15th of July.
Last year, french Joan Duru won the contest, that had beautiful waves all week, though portuguese surfers Justin Mujica and Ruben Gonzalez being the crowd favorites. Justin took second place and Ruben fourth, despite getting the best wave of the heat, an 8 out of 10, sitting for the last 10 minutes, waiting for a wave that never came. Once he’s aiming once again for the European Tour’s title, he will want his “revenge” for sure.
Among the entry list we can check already names such as Arthur Bourbon, Jose Maria Cabrera, Hodei Collazo, João Antunes, David Luís, Thomas Bady, Aécio Flávio, Francisco Canelas or Marlon Lipke, winner here in 2005 and this year at Peniche, the first contest of the season.
“This is truly an event that has his fortune and best values on the people and the beauty of the area,” claimed Abílio Pinto, the contest organizer since 2001, but having 16 years of experience running events such as this one. “Waves and weather are good, people are nice, and the surfers love the spirit of this whole week, that’s why we come back every year and try to always do it better,” said the responsible for Billy Events and one of the surfing pioneers in Portugal.
As usual, the last night of the Super Bock Pro will have a big party, this year at Tonel beach, in Sagres. The Super Bock Dance in Sagres will heat up the night of the 14th, celebrating the spirit of surfing, always very strong at this event, with some of the best DJ’s in Portugal.
Organized by Billy Events and the Algarve Surf Club, the Buondi Pro Junior and the Super Bock Pro have the sponsorship of Buondi, Super Bock, O’Neill, Ecomarché, Aljezur City Hall, Vila do Bispo City Hall, supports of Frisumo, Algarve Surf Shop, Billy Boy Surfboards, B.Side, Pedralva Village, Nobrinde, Mazagão and Adrenalina, as well as the kind support of Sport TV, Extreme Sports Channel, Notícias da Manhã, Surf Europe, Surf Portugal, Notícias do Mar, Onfire, Sagres Fm, Surf Total, Beachcam, Girlz, Surflower and Purofeeling.
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