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!

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Rip Curl Pro Peniche, Portugal 2013

   Hi once again! As you may probably know, the Rip Curl Pro Peniche 2013 is about to start at Supertubos beach in Portugal, near my hometown, Praia da Areia Branca.

   Currently, Mick Fanning, after a big win in France, is the principal contender for the ASP World Championship Title. Being the 9th out of 10 events in the ASP World Championship Tour, the perfect waves of the Sand Break Supertubos are extremely important to decide who will take the crown as the next World Champion.

Patrick Gudauskas awesome tube riding at Supertubos, Peniche, Portugal. Photo taken by myself (2012).

   The 2013 ASP World Title is down to five surfers: Mick Fanning, Kelly Slater, Jordy Smith, Joel Parkinson and Taj Burrow, but only the 2-times World Champion Mick Fanning can be crown at Supertubos. The winning possibilities (taken from the ASP website) are as follows:

If Fanning wins the event:

- Slater will need a 3rd or better to take the title decision to Hawaii.
- Smith, Burrow and Parkinson will be out of the race.

If Fanning finishes Runner-Up in Portugal:
- Slater will need a 9th or better to take the title decision to Hawaii.
- Smith will need to win the event to take the title decision to Hawaii.
- Burrow and Parkinson will be out of the race.

If Fanning finishes 3rd in Portugal:
- Slater will need a 9th or better to take the title decision to Hawaii
- Smith, Burrow and Parkinson will need to win the event to take the title decision to Hawaii.

If Fanning finishes 5th or worse in Portugal:
- The ASP World Title decision will go to Hawaii as, even with a 25th in Portugal, Slater can still win in Hawaii.

  Julian Wilson won the 2012 edition of the Rip Curl Pro Peniche, in a somehow polemic final heat against the Brazilian Gabriel Medina. Check out the 2012 Final Day Highlights at Supertubos:

  So, don't miss any moment of this great event in one of the best Sand Breaks of the world!!

   Sorry for not posting for the last 3 weeks but I was in a trainee program for my first job at Novabase, Portugal. An awesome program with the main goal to train recent graduates in Team Building, check out THIS crazy Lip Dub (Ylvis - The Fox) we did during our two weeks in Vimeiro, Portugal.

  I hope you liked this post, stay tuned!! Please follow Surf Locus at Facebook: www.facebook.com/surflocus

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