The Brazilian All-Stars

With a reigning world champ, three world title contenders and a rookie of the year-certainty in their midst, Brazilian surfing is the best it has ever been. The big names turned out at the recent QS10,000 in Maresias, Sao Paulo to pay their respects to their home fans. They included reigning world champ and Maresias local, Gabriel Medina, title contenders Filipe Toledo and Adriano De Souza, Rookie of The Year Italo Ferreira, Tour battler (and eventual event winner) Miguel Pupo, and QS number one Caio Ibelli. Here’s the best of it: Adriano De SouzaRequiring a solid score, with less than three minutes on the clock, and surfing against local contest demon Caio Ibelli, Adriano gets this wobbly burger. He drops the hammer like it is no one’s business then connects the dots like Russell Brand on a tab of Haight Ashbury’s finest. Style critics be damned! You’ve gotta admire a man who can milk a wave onto dry sand. (Unfortunately, Ads didn’t get the required 9.7, falling short with a 9.17). Gabriel MedinaThe length of grab, the beaten section, and the follow up pick into the flats, caps an impressive showing from the champ, but what about the (under)score? ‘World Champ points’ don’t count for much on the QS but kid don’t need points or money. That one’s for you, Maresias. Medina was eventually done by Aussie 2016 World Tour certainty Jack Freestone in Round 4. Miguel PupoAin’t no shame in the claim down Sao Paulo way. Pupo, needing a result on the ‘QS to keep his spot on the elite tour takes out the Maresias 10k, stomping this wooly roter on his way there. Then, comes up with this claim: A classic christ-pose-wrestlemania-chest-pound with a toddler-tantrum-to-dismout finish. Caio IbelliQS world number one and guaranteed starter for the 2016 World Tour Caio Ibelli zaps one off the top before finding a line through a bottoming-out foamer and smacking the next one out of the park. Filipe ToledoHow many times have we seen this this year? Filipe and his patented full-rote-air-rev into the flats, so easy he looks bored. Got bounced in a four-way round-two heckle fest with Brazilian ‘QS hopeful Michael Rodriguez and American pro Burt Reynolds… I mean Nate Yeomans. Italo FerreiraThe nuggety goofy foot responsible for the air reverse that should have been heard around the world, shows he can go the other way too, throwing down a pair of air revs, the second a little on soft side.