The Portuguese surfer Teresa Bonvalot won this Saturday at Praia de Supertubos, Peniche, the first heat of the inaugural round of the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal, of the World Surf League (WSL), overcoming the Australian Tyler Wright, two-time world champion, and the Hawaiian Bettylou Sakura Johnson.
The 23-year-old Portuguese Olympian scored 9.93 points in the two best waves (6 and 3.93), out of 20 possible points, and secured a place in the next phase of the competition.
The other Portuguese surfer in the competition, Yolanda Hopkins, was second in her heat, the third of the day, also guaranteeing a place in the round of 16.
Yolanda, who represented Portugal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, finishing fifth, scored 9.30 points in the two best waves (4.70 and 4.60), out of 20 possible, behind Hawaiian Carissa Moore, five-time world champion ( 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019 and 2020) and Olympic champion, who scored 11.50 points (6.50 and 5), and surpassing the Australian Isabella Nichols, with 8.57 (4.87 and 3.70).
In the men’s sector, Frederico Morais will compete in the repechage against the North American Kelly Slater and the Japanese Kanoa Igarashi.
“Kikas” will compete in the second heat of the elimination round against Slater, the most titled surfer in history, with 11 world championships won.
There were several, moreover, the big names that fell for the repechage during the first day of the event, such as the Brazilians Gabriel Medina (three-time world champion and winner in Supertubos in 2017), Caio Ibelli and João Chianca, or the Hawaiians Seth Moniz and Ezekiel Lau.
The North American Kolohe Andino, the Australian Callum Robson and the French Tiago Carrique and Maxime Huscenot complete the list of surfers who will have one last opportunity to continue surfing in Peniche.
The third stage of the world circuit started yesterday, after three days of waiting for the best conditions, and runs until March 16th.