SEARCHING THE 2017 WORLD TITLE OF SURFING by Paulo Piqueres - surfworldtour.blogspot.com

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SEARCHING THE 2017 WORLD TITLE OF SURFING by Paulo Piqueres - surfworldtour.blogspot.com
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The dispute for 2017 World Title of Surfing/WSL continues between the same top 9 surfers, plus the American, Kolohe Andino(USA)that now is in the 10th position of the Ranking Jeep Leaderboard.
He entered in the place of the Australian, Conner O'Leary(AUS) - prematurely defeat in the Round 2 - however some of them change their positions after CT#09 - Quiksilver Pro France disputed in La Graviere beach, Hossegor, France, in October, during:

The days: Thursday - 12th,
                Friday   - 13th
                Saturday - 14th


So let's check  the performance of the Top 10:


Top 1
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The Hawaiian J.J. Florence(HAW)reached the first position in the Ranking Jeep Leaderboard, after a good performance in Hossegor. The current World Champion had an excellent performance in Quiksilver Pro France as follows:

Round 1 
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J.J. Florence(HAW)15.67 x I. Ferreira(BRA)15.60 x K. Asing(HAW)5.10

Round 3
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J.J. Florence(HAW)19.16 x 14.50 E. Ewing(AUS)

Round 4
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J.J. Florence(HAW)18.86 x M. Fanning(AUS)17.03 x J. Parkinson(AUS)11.37

Quarterfinals
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J.J. Florence(HAW)17.67 x M. Fanning(AUS)

Semifinals
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J.J. Florence(HAW)16.00 x 16.40 G. Medina(BRA)

As we check out the Hawaiian surfed very well on the waters of France, and won all the heats till the Quarterfinals, and was defeated in the Semifinals by Gabriel Medina(BRA).

The event in France, was excellent to Hawaiian surfer, because he scored 6,500 points while his main opponent, the Southafrican, Jordy Smith(RSA) was defeated prematurely, and only scored 1,750 points- a differente of 4,750 points- only remaining two events to the end of the season.



Top 2
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Unfortunately, the Southafrican surfer lost the Yellow Jersey, that he conquered in August, at Billabong Pro Tahiti, French Polynesia, when J. Wilson(AUS) defeated G. Medina(BRA)in a great Final in Tehapuo'o.
J. Smith(RSA)was eliminated in the Round 3 by the Wild Card, Marc Lacomare(FRA).The French atlhete surfed very well at home, and only was defeated in the Quarterfinals.

The event in France was definitely not good, for J.  Smith(RSA) in terms of searching the World Title, because the Hawaiian surfer was 2,450 points behind, and now is 2,300 points in front of  the Southafrican.
And now the talentous Brazilian surfer, Gabriel Medina(BRA)also entered in the dispute. Before the French stage of the season, the main fight was between the Southafrican and the Hawaiian.



Top 3
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This event in France had three highlights at my opinion, the Brazilian Miguel Pupo(BRA) and the French surfer M. Lacomare(FRA) -check below -however the main "hightlight" was the talentous Brazilian surfer
G. Medina(BRA)that won this Championship in France by the third time, being his first championship in the elite of Surfing in 2011, with only 17 years. Gabriel Medina(BRA)has many fans around the World, but France is a special place for him, as the great champion declared:
"I'm very happy, almost speechless, this is a special place for me. I had a big event here, good waves and I'm actually very happy. I did not think of World Title, Ranking, I only wanted to have fun. I promised my father and myself that I would win at least one event in the year and I got "- said the surfer from São Sebastião.

Gabriel Medina(BRA)surfed very well, with his feature of searching the series in outside all the time, and reaching all kind of good manuevers, with the high "sea" , with heavy big series.

After the victory in France, G. Medina(BRA)added 10,000 points and approached the Js Leaders -J. J. Florence(HAW)and J. Smith(RSA),jumped from the 8th position to the 3rd position in the Ranking JEEP leaderboard and is live in searching for the bichampionship in the season.

 Last year, in the stage in Portugal, J.J. Florence(HAW) could be the antipated champion if he reached the Final and G. Medina(BRA)did not arrive to the Round 3. J.J.Florence(HAW)conquered the Meo Rip Curl Pro Portugal ,and  G. Medina(BRA)did not reach the Round 3, so the Hawaiian clinched the World Champion of Surfing with a stage of antecedence, for the first time in his career.

This season, is quite different, because the main dispute, is between J. J. Florence(HAW)and the Southafrican, J. Smith(RSA), and probably the decision for the title will be  in Pipeline, Hawaii, although the difference between both Js is only 2,300 points.



TOP 4
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The Australian surfer O. Wright(AUS)change the position with his compatriot M. Wilkinson(AUS).O. Wright(AUS)reached the Round 4, and was eliminated in the Recap -Round 5 by S. Zietz(HAW)so he added 4,000 points in the stage. He overcame M. Wilkinson(AUS), and now is the 4th position in the Ranking.




TOP 5
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M. Wilkinson(AUS)change the position with his compatriot O. Wright(AUS)and now is the 5th position in the Ranking. He was defeatead in the Round 3 by the American N. Young(USA)and only added 1,750 points in the stage.



TOP 6
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J. Wilson(AUS)was the Top 3, and was in the fight for the title of the World Champion, however  he was eliminated prematurely of the event at opening heat of the Recap - Round 2 - by the "highlight" M. Lacomare(FRA)for small difference(13.27 to 12.23) and now the Australian surfer is 12,200 points behind the Yellow Jersey, J.J. Florence(HAW). The event is France, was definitely not good, in therms of searching the title of the season.


TOP 7
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The 2015 World Champion, A. de Souza(BRA)was defeated at opening heat of the Round 1 by S. Kennedy(AUS),so he had to dispute the Recap -In the Round 2, he overcame the Australian surfer J. Kerr(AUS); In the Round 3, the Brazilian surfer was eliminated by his compatriot M. Pupo(BRA)one of the "highlights"of the event in France. So he only  added 1,750 points, and lost a position , and now is  the seventh  in the Ranking.


Top 8
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After a great victory in Trestles, California, F. Toledo(BRA)was prematurely eliminated in the stage in France by his compatriot M. Pupo, one the "highlights", that surfed very well in Hossegor. F. Toledo(BRA)surfer of Ubatuba(SP)that is living n California now, lost a position  and now is in the eighth position in the Ranking. And after this stage, his chances of searching the World Title became more difficult, although there are only more two stages.


Top 9
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Joel Parkinson(AUS)the 2012 World Champion stayed in the same position in the Ranking. The Australian surfer reached the Quarterfinals but unfortunately did not find the waves on Saturday, October 14th,  in La Gavriere beach, and only score 1.20 in the heat.


Top 10
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At my opinion, the surfer of San Clemente, California could be in a better position in the Ranking Jeep Leaderboard. Anyway K. Andino(USA)was only eliminated in the Semifinals, by the Hawaiian, Sebastian Zietz(HAW), and added 6,500 points in the event, and now is Top 10. K. Andino(USA)

* I created the blog surfworldtour.blogspot.com in 2010, but have already gone to CTs (WCTs)since 2008; the event in Brazil was Vila beach, Imbituba, Santa Catarina and moved to Rio de Janeiro in 2011. I reminded exactly when K. Andino(USA)surfed for the first time in the World Circuit of  Surfing  in Barra da Tijuca in 2012; It is not easy at all to defeat the surfer of San Clemente, California. In 2014, in Postinho beach, Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil K. Andino(USA)surfed very well the heavy waves in Barra, and disputed a close Final however was overcame by the Tahitian Michel Bourez(PYF). The Californian surfer will probably reach better results in next future.


HIGHLIGHTS
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At my opinion, the "highlights" in France, were :Miguel Pupo(BRA), M. Lacomare(FRA) and ponctually the champion of the French stage Gabriel Medina(BRA).

M. Pupo(BRA) eliminated Filipe Toledo(BRA)Top 7, and Adriano de Souza(BRA)Top 6, and only was eliminated in the Quarterfinals by S. Zietz(HAW);

M. Lacomare(FRA)eliminated the Top 3 Julian Wilson, and the Top 2, Jordy Smith(RSA) and only eliminated in the Quarterfinals by K.Andino(USA).

Both surfers, the Brazilian and the Wild Card, eliminated surfers postulants to the World Title of the season, and only were defeated in the Quarterfinals.


*the text above was written by Paulo Piqueres - Postgraduated in Advanced English by PUC -Pontifície Universidade Católica -Porto Alegre- RS -Brazil

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