Mick Fanning, the 2013 World Champion of Surfing

   This week, the 32 years-old and Australian Mick Fanning, won his 3rd World Tour Championship of Surf in an outstanding performance held at Pipeline, Hawaii. Despite having won the Pipeline Masters, Kelly Slater could not ensure his 12th World Title. John John Florence also had an awesome performance, winning the 2013 Vans Triple Crown and beating the current World Champion Mick Fanning on the semi-final.

   

  With this World Title, Mick Fanning puts himself side by side with the legends Tom Curren and Andy Irons, with 3 World Championships each.

The 2013 World Champion Mick Fanning. Photo taken after Mick won his 3rd World Title.

   The Portuguese Frederico Morais is also doing great, having achieved the 2013 Vans Triple Crown, Rookie of the Year. He is the second european to achieve such title, after the Portuguese Tiago Pires, which is currently a member of the WCT.

   I leave you with this awesome Rip Curl video, about Mick Fanning's third title. Stay Locus!!

Surf Locus Facebook Page

Congratulations Kai Otton! Winner of the 2013 Rip Curl Pro Peniche / Cascais

   Yesterday Kai Otton won the 2013 edition of the Rip Curl Pro Peniche / Cascais! With an incredible surf throughout the event, Kai Otton, in is first final and victory in the ASP World Championship Tour, pushed back in his road to the title the amazing aerial guy John John Florence, the current World Champion Joel Parkinson, the 2-times World Champion and main contender for the 2013 World Champion Mick Fanning and the 2013 Rookie of the Year Nat Young in the final.

   The 11-times World Champion Kelly Slater lost in Round 2 against the Portuguese Wildcard Frederico Morais. Although I was very happy for Frederico, I coundn't help but feel that the heat was unfair. Personally, I believe that Surf as a randomness attached when it comes to get good waves.

Frederico Morais, the 21 years-old Portuguese surfer who won against Kelly Slater in Round 2 in an awesome performance, pushing Kelly further way from clinching the 12th World Champion Title. Photo taken from surfeurope.mpora.com

   If the waves are pumping (perfect waves and very frequent) I believe that the surfer which surfs better in that moment will win the heat, but when the waves are not so good, you can be lucky and get very good waves, followed by 20 minutes with no waves. In that case, either surfer can be very lucky! 

   Personally, I believe that in that heat the conditions were not so good, being Slater with a greater disadvantage. Nevertheless Frederico Morais had an awesome performance!!

   So, the world title race comes down to two surfers, Kelly Slater and Mick Fanning. Although Mick has a great advantage at this point, Kelly can still win is 12th World Champion Title if he wins the legendary event of Pipeline and Mick does not reach the semi-finals. If we were talking about some other surfer, I would say that this were a very unlikely scenario, but we're talking about Kelly Slater!!! Anything can happen!!

   In my opinion, the event had some great waves, although not so good as the previous editions. Nevertheless, surfers usually agree that Peniche is one of the best events in the World Championship Tour!!

   I really have to highlight Julian Wilson's MASSIVE alley oop! In the next video I show you this crazy aerial in comparison with John John's alley oop in Bali, Indonesia. What is your favorite?!

   In the next YouTube video you can watch the last day's highlights! 

   So, stay tuned for the next legendary event at Pipeline!! If you enjoyed this post, please like Surf Locus Facebook Page at: www.facebook.com/surflocus. Have Fun!!

Kai Otton, the 2013 Rip Curl Pro Peniche / Cascais winner!

Congratulations Kai Otton!

Surf Locus Facebook Page

Frankie Chavez, the Portuguese "One Man Band"

  Hello, last Tuesday I present to you two Portuguese bands, "Capitão Fausto" and "Salto, both singing in Portuguese. Today I want to share with you a more international Portuguese Artist, Frankie Chavez.

Frankie Chavez. Photo taken from www.row-one.org

  Frankie Chavez plays beautifully Blues/Folk music in a style "One Man Band", just like the well known Xavier Rudd. His style is unique among the Portuguese music as he mixes different guitars, tunnings, pedals and drums. His style is truly amazing as he also play Portuguese Guitar, used in Fado (Portuguese music genre). Thus, combining with Blues music, create a wonderful musical experience.

  Frankie Chavez has also a close connection to Surf. He created the Official Song for the Rip Curl Pro Search Peniche 2009. This was the first time that the ASP World Championship event was at Supertubos, Peniche, Portugal. The Rip Curl Pro Search was an event that was in a different location every year. The organization and the professional surfers of the ASP enjoyed so much the event that they decided to move it permanently to SuperTubos. Let me show you that amazing music, entitled "The Search":

  In his music, Frankie Chavez also uses Slide Guitar and Lap Steel. Come one!, the man uses a thousand musical instruments, his songs are just awesome!

 Do you know the biggest wave ever surfed? At 2011, Frankie Chavez composed and co-produced the soundtrack for the documentary "The North Canyon Show", showing the Hawaiian Garret Mcnamara surfing the HUGE waves of Nazaré, Portugal.

Awesome photo of Garret Mcnamara surfing a HUGE wave at Nazaré, Portugal. Photo taken from imgace.com

  Let me show you another two songs of Frankie Chavez. Notice the complex and beautiful melody of his songs. The second is a cover of Pixies song "Hey!":

  If you want to know more about Frankie Chavez and listen to his songs, you should follow this link to his Spotify Profile.

Frankie Chavez stage. Look at all those instruments! Photo taken from iporto.amp.pt

  This was probably the post that I enjoyed the most to write at Surf Locus. It gives me such a great pleasure to share with you very good music, especially Portuguese music. I hope you liked it and if you did, please LIKE Surf Locus Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/surflocus. Have Fun!!

Surf Locus Facebook Page

Peniche SuperTubos and Portugal's first artificial wave pool

   If you like Surf, you must know the famous tubes of SuperTubos, Peniche, Portugal. Described as the European Pipeline, its home for the Rip Curl Pro Peniche (ASP World Championship Tour event) since 2009, substituting the former Billabong Pro Mundaka, in Spain.

Peniche Location in Europe. Photo taken from www.balealsurfcamp.com

   Peniche and Baleal are one of the best surf spots in Europe and if you enjoy surfing, you should come to Portugal, enjoy these great waves and the beautiful coast line.

   Here is some photos of Baleal and Peniche great waves and beaches:

SuperTubos wave at Peniche, Portugal. Photo taken from events.ripcurl.com

Surf Locus Facebook Page