!english version avaliable!

Domingo, 7 de fevereiro de 2010

Slater Trout vence triagens do Sunset Beach Pro Hulakai Trials. Mas o brasileiro Eraldo Gueiros mandou também muito bem. Ficou em quarto lugar geral e classificou-se para o evento principal.

“Estava exausto. Já tinha corrido várias baterias em um mar de 8 a 10 pés, então estava muito sem gás, sem a mesma disposição”, afirma Eraldo. Confira a entrevista de Eraldo ao site Waves

Os outros dois brasileiros não acharam as ondas e foram eliminados na primeira fase das triagens. Danilo Couto perdeu para Clay Valverde e Kawika Carvalho, enquanto Cezar Oliveira não passou por Kainoa Hauanio e Nate Burgoyne.

Photo by - Hank Foto

O primeiro dia do Sunset Beach Pro, Hulakai Trails, foi abençoado. As condições estavam perfeitas com 8 a 10 pés de ondas (15 a 20 pés de face).

Depois de um dia incrível em Sunset Beach, Slater Trout venceu a competição e avançou para o evento principal.

O mais novo competidor, com apenas 12 anos – é isso mesmo, 12 anos -, Riggs Napoleon surfou como um veterano e também se qualificou para o evento principal e provou que a idade é irrelevante neste esporte.

O pontapé inicial da Liga Waterman’s Stand Up Paddle World Tour teve seu tão esperado dia com atletas de todo o mundo reunidos para conviver, competir e, inevitavelmente, julgar e ser julgados por seus amigos e parceiros.

O North Shore tinha que ser o palco para esse evento inédito e tão inovador de SUP (Stand Up Paddle), modalidade que cresce muito em todo o mundo. O palco foi Sunset Beach, um dos picos mais famosos do Hawaii, que presenteou a todos com condições perfeitas e estabeleceu um novo padrão para o tour mundial de SUP.

A multidão reunida ficou fascinada com a ação espetacular dos atletas dentro da água. O grande destaque, sem dúvida, foi para a juventude com o vencedor Slater Truts (15 anos), de Maui, e Riggs Napoleon (com apenas 12 anos), de Oahu. Mas, também tivemos performances memoráveis como as do big rider brasileiro Eraldo Gueiros e Fiske Haley, da Califórnia.

Clique aqui e confira a tabela final de classificação do evento.

O evento está em espera. Aguarda o próximo swell em Suset Beach que virá por volta de quarta-feira desta semana.

Imagens do Dia 1 – Photos by – Hank Foto

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English version.

Slater Trout wins Hulakai Trials at the Sunset Beach Pro!

Slater Trout Winner

The first day of the Sunset Beach Pro, Hulakai Trails was blessed with perfect conditions, Sunset Beach at its best with clean 8 – 10 foot waves (15’-20’ faces).

After an amazing day at Sunset Beach, Hawaii’s Slater Trout won the competition and progressed to the main event.

The youngest competitor 12 year old Riggs Napoleon also qualified, proving that age is irrelevant in this sport as he charged the waves like a seasoned veteran.

The kick off of the Waterman League’s Stand Up Paddle World Tour had an anxious build-up, as athletes from around the world would come together to mingle, compete, and inevitably judge and be judged by their respected peers, and the North Shore would be host to yet another event close to others by date, yet distanced by medium… SUP.

The Sunset Beach Pro, set to be the most groundbreaking event for this incredibly versatile sport exploding in every direction bears the significance of holding the first event of the Tour in Hawaii at one of its most celebrated breaks. Greeted by 8 – 10 ft perfect Sunset and 32 of Hawaii’s most promising talents, the Hulakai Trials has set the standard for World Tour qualification.

The assembled athletes ages ranged from as young as 12, to athletes in their late forties/early fifties – a true and exciting representation of the sheer scope of the sport: esteemed and vastly experienced Waterman battling it out against the new generation.

As the heats progressed in what can only be called epic Sunset, the assembled crowds were wowed by the spectacular action displayed in each and every heat. Stand outs in the Hulakai Trials were undoubtedly the youth, in the form of Slater Trout (15, Maui) and Riggs Napolean, at just 12 years old (Oahu), but also our Big Island contingent in the form of Hulakai’s very own, Kalani Kahalioumi and Kainoa Hauanio. Also delivering memorable performances were Eraldo Gueiros from Brazil and Haley Fiske from California.

It ended up being the young Slater Trout’s day, dominating every heat he competed in and winning convincingly in the epic conditions, with Kainoa finishing close behind in 2nd, Kalani in 3rd and Eraldo Guieros in 4th. Of particular note though was Riggs Napoleon – at just 12 years old he shocked the crowds not only with his ability, but his no fear approach to riding, reminiscent of his father, Aaron, winner of the Ku Ikaika Big wave challenge back in 2008.

Final trials heat table - click to enlarge

We then went straight into the main event, as the Top 8 from the Trials event moved forward to join some of Hawaii’s most celebrated legends, the wildcards for this unique event: from Brian Keaulana, Mel Pu’u to Robby Naish and Kamaki Worthington, the first round was a roster of some of the world’s most respected Watermen. Four heats of intense action that climaxed with some epic rides from Aaron Napolean and Kekoa Auwae, clearly set the standard for what is to come with the Main event: those that advanced will join the established Top 24 of the Stand Up World Tour.

The first major surprise was Brian Keaulana, who took a bad fall on his first wave, causing him to have to be absent from the rest of the heat, allowing Robin Johnston and Andrew LaGreco to advance. Robby Naish and Kamaki Worthington advanced in the next heat, and then it was the experience versus youth heat, with Kai Lenny (17) and Slater Trout (15) taking on Mel Puu and Eraldo Gueiros. It was to continue to be the youths day, with Kai and Slater advancing through to the next round. FInally, it was also to be a Napoleon family day, with Aaron following his son’s example, dominating the heat along with fellow west side athlete, Kekoa Auwae. It was however, the end of little Riggs’ run, who despite logging one great wave, was not able to get the other necessary to advance.

We are now on hold here at Sunset Beach, as we await the next big swell that will come through on Wednesday of this week
Above: Pictures of Day 1 – Photos by – Hank Foto