Maresia Surf International

ASP Men’s 6 star WQS event
ASP Men’s South America Pro Tour Stop #4
Praia Mole, Florianópolis, Brazil
7 – 12 July 2009

Florianopolis, Santa Catarina — The young Brazilian Gabriel Medina (15) has taken out the win at the 2009 Maresia Surf International at Mole Beach on Florianopolis today, defeating Brazilian veteran Neco Padaratz (32) after putting on an amazing display of frontside attack surfing and big aerials.

The young Brazilian with only fifteen years old walked away with US$20,000 in prize money and 2,500 ASP WQS ratings points for the win, and became the youngest surfer ever to win a WQS event. With a heat score of 15.83 out of a possible 20, Medina proved the surfer of the event and deservedly took the title of Maresia Surf International.

In a beatiful sunny day and messy three-to-four foot conditions waves, the Brazilian goofy-footer was in amazing form, blasting some vertical maneuvers and big aerials on his way to victory. Medina officially announced his intentions when he logged a 7.50 to take early lead. Neco quickly answered back with a 5.50 and a 6.50 with solid backhand attack.

Remaining five minutes to go, Medina arrived back in the lineup he found himself sitting directly in the path of a long left. Medina squared up and went vertically up the face to smash a huge re-entry, racing down the line and with two additional turns secure a high score of 8.33 points out of a possible 10 and leave Neco needing a 9.33 score to win.

With no waves coming Neco was unable to found a high score, and Medina was crowned the 2009 Maresia Surf International Champion. “I’m really happy to have won this event here at Mole Beach” said the winner after spraying the crowd with champagne.

read more at ASP

Kelly Slater is debuting a new Channel Islands surfboard at the 2009 Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay.

It is called “The Manta Ray” and has a total different nose and shape.

The new Kelly Slater’s testing surfboard is inspired by hydrodynamics of the manta ray, as well as a mix between the Tangent and Wizard Sleeve models.

If it works, “The Manta Ray” will be one of the oddest surf shapes of the last years.

Kelly Slater has been testing a wide variety of surf quiver for a long time.

original story from surfertoday

A surfer has spoken of the moment he was forced to hang on to a shark’s tail in a desperate battle to survive.

Paul Buckley grabbed hold of the creature in a bid to restrain it after it sunk its teeth deep into his leg.

‘I  was actually paddling back to shore because I hadn’t had that great surfing when I was flipped in the air with such force,’ he said.

I just knew in my  gut that it was a shark. It  was like a 500lb Rottweiler in a very bad mood.

‘The force was incredible. The first thing I said when I was attacked  was “No, please God not like this.”

‘I didn’t see the shark’s eyes because his back was towards me but that was when  I grabbed its tail.

‘No doubt I was scared. I feared for my life so I just grabbed it. I thought if I held it by the tail, its mouth could not reach me again.’

Mr Buckley, 37, was released after a few seconds and then frantically swam the 100m back to shore near Stilbaai, which is near the tourist resort of MosselBayon which faces the Indian Ocean.

Witnesses bundled him into a car and rushed him to a doctor so the bite – which was nearly 37cm wide and 3cm – could be closed.

The businessman was then taken to hospital where he received 150 stitches.

‘If  it had been a little further over to the left or right, or if it had taken out a chunk, it could have been much worse,’ he said.

It’s  one of those things that just happens. If you look at the probability,  it’s just so unlikely.

‘The shark was doing what comes naturally – looking for food.

‘I owe him one really  because he could have easily come back and clamped his teeth round me but he didn’t and just swam away.

‘But yes, I’ll certainly still surf.’

LIfeboat spokesman Rico Menezies estimated the shark was three-and-a-half metres  long. ‘I’m certain it was a great white,’ he added.

Despite the number of sharks that swim off the warm seas  of South  Africa, attacks are still quite rare with an average of six a year.

Since 1990, only a quarter have resulted in serious injury and only 12 per cent have been fatal.

Scientists believe surfers are at increased risk because sharks mistake them for seals, which are easy prey.

Great Whites, which can grow up to 6m, are especially prevalent off  False Bay, Cape  Town, which has one of the highest densities of the  killer fish in the world.

original story dailymail.co.uk