News

Event starts in a couple of weeks

The World Qualifying Series stage in Estoril is less than two weeks away. The championship that is going to bring some of the best surfers in the world to the major urban area in Portugal sets off on April 21.

The Estoril Quiksilver Pro takes place just a few days after the second World Tour stop, so Portuguese Tiago Pires and Marlon Lipke are already signed up for. They are both top 45 World Tour (WT) surfers and will not lose the first six star championship in their country this year. Nevertheless, last year's event in Estoril was essential for them to qualify for the ASP World Tour, as they gathered also more public support.

Joining these two surfers will be the French Micky Picon, ranked 21st in the 2008 WCT, and Euskadi surfer Aritz Aranburu, completely recovered from the injury made last year and ready to show why he is also one of the European athletes in the top 45.

The Estoril Quiksilver Pro is an important factor for both the World Qualifying Series and the European Surfing Championship. The European Championship has been ever-more important now that European surfers are starting to confirm their credits in the world surf scene.

Vasco Ribeiro is one of the wildcards for the event. And thus he must learn how to face some of the best surfers in the world. Vasco is only 14 years old, but does not seem browbeaten by older and more experienced surfers. "It's just me and the waves, I just have to catch the best waves and make the most of it", said the young surfer, soon on
its way to fight for a spot in the World Tour.

For António Pedro, from Alfarroba, "expectations are high for this Estoril Quiksilver Pro, as we have the guaranteed presence of a great number of world class surfers and at least four European surfers that are now present in the World Tour."