As the Samsung Galaxy World Tour tears into the second to last stop of the year, the boy’s are fresh from some french kegs and are ready to do battle for the title, survival and pride.
With some wild conditions at the Quik Pro in Hossegor, there were, as ever some upsets and surprises. None more so than a Bede Durbo v Medina final. Gabs absolutely dominated the final, well actually the whole event, gaining not one but two perfect 10’s with some serious prowess, power and progressive surfing. With this, he jumped up the ratings and threw the world title wide open. Fanning still leads the tour despite his early quarter final exit with Adrian De Souza breathing down his neck only a couple of hundred points behind him.
The title race is alive and kicking with every one of the top 5 still in with a chance of claiming the 2015 title. Not only that, each one of them has had good results at Supertubos in previous years.
The battle is also hotting up at the lower end of the ratings with the likes of Brett Simpson and Adam Melling all grasping at chances to stay on tour. With the highest seeds matching up against the lowest, there could be some dramatic match ups and some shocking early round exits. Let Surfdome guide you through the 2015 Moche Rip Curl Pro.
MSW Forecast
Magic Seaweed is predicting a slower start to the event with things really starting to spice-up towards the back half of the waiting period (20th-31st Oct). It may be the case that the WSL will need to get through some of the first rounds in the smaller conditions and there is even talk that the event may head towards the backup spot of Belgas which picks up slightly more swell.
The last few days of the waiting period are looking big with favourable offshore winds. We’re hoping for some classic Supertubos conditions.
Wild Cards
We’re stoked to announce that the 2015 wildcards will be Hawaiian Mason Ho and the young Portuguese Vasco Ribeiro who will be competing on home soil. We’re super excited to see Ho compete in his second CT event of the year after his sterling performance at the Bells event, where he KO’d WSL leader Mick Fanning. Mason knows a thing or two about threading a huge barrel, growing up on the North Shore he has been able to draw inspiration from surfers of all styles and grown to be one of the best in the world. If the conditions allow he could be deadly!
With the long list of injuries including Jordy Smith and Matt Banting other wildcards include; Tiago Pires, Artiz Aranburu, Caio Ibelli, Frederico Morais, and Tomas Hermes.
Our Picks
Mick Fanning
Not only is Mick Fanning currently ranked no.1 in the world, he’s also the Moche Rip Curl Pro defending champion. Mick thrives on this kind of pressure and is in pole position to take control of the tour and head into Hawaii in the driving seat. Mick’s a true competitor and will play this event smart. He has all of the ability and experience to take out the event and go on to take the title. Watch this space…
Gabriel Medina
The kid is on form! He took out the Quik pro in some serious style. His mixed skills and barrel riding ability with the best above the lip arsenal in the world could see him progress all the way to another final. His confidence going into this event will be like “that” air at the Quik pro, HUGE! Supertubos suits Medina to a tee and has had some good finishes at the Portuguese event including a 2nd place.
Julian Wilson
Coming off a semifinal finish in France, Jules will be in good spirits as he is currently ranked 4th in the world and he proposed to his girlfriend in France. Julian has good experience at Supertubos, 2012 saw him win the event, in which he beat Medina in the final. Wilson has a solid chance in Portugal and could be one for your fantasy surfer team.
The title race is heating up, with the possibility of waves in the 10ft range we could see some real drama. This is not an event to be missed. Catch all of the action here.
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