Brazilians Take Over in Lowers Pro Surf Finals

The final day of the ASP Prime Nike 6.0 Lowers Pro and the ASP five-star Oakley Pro Junior saw some of the surfing world’s finest duke it out for titles, points, super-expensive trophies and a ton of prize money.

Talented Brazilian Miguel Pupo claimed victory today for the Lowers Pro, winning $40,000, a boost in his world ranking and a $30,000 “Golden Spike” trophy made from solid 24-karat gold.

Hawaii’s Keanu Asing sealed the win for the Oakley Pro Junior, taking home $5,000 and a No. 2 rating on the ASP North America Pro Junior series.

Lack of surf combined with two-man heats for the Nike competition made for intense paddle battling and priority positioning for the peak.

“That’s really the beauty of surf comps ... waves aren’t the same,” said San Clemente big wave surfer Mike Parsons, surf coach to 2011 Lowers Pro standout Kolohe Andino. “One of the biggest challenges is reading the ocean and the conditions. The wave changes--that’s what makes pro surfing such a great sport."

The quarter- and semifinals were two-man heats that whittled the competition.

San Clemente local Tanner Gudauskas, one of only two Americans in the quarterfinals, first faced Brazilian Heitor Alves. Even with the lack of surf, the goofy footers (surfers who lead with their right feet) still managed to create excitement for the crowd throughout the 25-minute heats.

Although Alves, 29,  caught a Lowers left and boosted a hands-free 360 air rotation, Gudauskas, 22, overtook him with solid backside surfing, unleashing roundhouse cutbacks at lightning speed and solid vertical hits at critical points in the wave.

“He’s surfing really strong. I hope he wins, that’d be sick,” said World Tour competitor Patrick Gudauskas, Tanner's brother.

Surf star and local wunderkind Andino, 17, was eliminated in the same round, sending Jesse Mendes to the semifinals for an American-Brazilian standoff against Tanner Gudauskas.

The Finals saw Brazilian Pupo and Tanner Gudauskas battling it out in the meager 1- to 3-foot surf. In the final minutes, both goofy footers caught consecutive waves. Although Gudauskas had seemingly secured the final with a 7.5 on a right, Pupo was nipping at his heels as he caught an insider left and boosted a solid air reverse on the meager surf, speeding his way to the win in the final minutes of the heat.

“I’m just so happy to win this event and I’m sorry that I took out the town’s local guy,” Pupo said. “I knew there was going to be a Brazilian in the final and I can’t believe I won.”

Though Pupo is now No. 42 in the Association of Surfing Professionals Men’s World Ranking, this win kicks him up a notch, said the ASP website. 

“Miguel ripped and it’s exciting when it’s a close final,” Tanner Gudauskas said. “Congratulations to him; it’s been a fun week.”

Gudauskas, who placed second in the contest, had just returned to surfing after being out of the water for six weeks with an ankle injury.

“This week has been classic,” he said. “I am just coming off an ankle injury and wasn’t expecting anything and I just started making heats and then I was in the final.”

The Oakley Pro Junior semifinals opened the afternoon as a coastal eddy produced overcast skies, a south wind and chilly temperatures. Low tide and the dropping swell created quite a scene for the four-man heat with Andino, defending champion Jack Freestone (Australia), Nat Young (U.S.) and Asing.

Although Asing could not find his rhythm in the stacked heat, he was underestimated. In the last minutes, he found a left-hander, producing one critical turn after the next to secure his win over the dominant forces that be.

“This is huge,” said Asing. “I’ve won Explorer Boys when I was young, but to win this big event is one of my biggest wins in my career, for sure. I’m just (at a loss for) words, I’m so excited and so happy.”