PRAIA DE SUPERTUBOS, Peniche / Portugal (Thursday, March 3, 2022) – Stop No.3 on the World Surf League (WSL) 2022 Championship Tour (CT), the MEO Pro Portugal presented by Rip Curl has been called ON on the first day of the event’s waiting period, starting with the women’s opening round at 12 p.m GMT.

“We have really strong sideshore winds and a building swell today,” Renato Hickel, Tour Commissioner said. “We’re confident that the swell will really push through this afternoon and offer good waves. There are already a few barrels out there and a lot of opportunities for turns and airs. We plan on running the opening round of the women, followed by the two heats of the Elimination Round, as well as the first four heats of the men’s Opening Round.”

Current World No. 5 Johanne Defay (FRA) will take on rookie Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW) and Courtney Conlogue (USA) in the day’s opening heat. The current rankings leader Brisa Hennessy (CRI) will surf in Heat 2, and reigning World Champion Carissa Moore (HAW) in Heat 3.

In the men’s draw, the 2019 runner-up in Peniche Jordy Smith (ZAF) will take on CT rookies Jake Marshall (USA) and Jackson Baker (AUS) in the first heat. Big matchups coming up include current World No. 5 Kelly Slater (USA) in the second heat and the defending event winner Italo Ferreira (BRA) in Heat 4. Portuguese surf fans will tune in to support their athletes Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) in Heat 4, Afonso Antunes (PRT) in Heat 6 and Frederico Morais (PRT) in Heat 7.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, WSL athletes have all chosen to represent a woman in sport that has inspired them by wearing her name on their competition jersey. The sleeve of each jersey will also include IWD branding.

Watch LIVE
The holding period for the MEO Pro Portugal presented by Rip Curl, the third stop of the 2022 Championship Tour, runs from March 3 to March 13, 2022. The competition will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and WSL’s YouTube channel, as well as the free WSL app. For fans watching in Brazil, coverage of the MEO Pro Portugal presented by Rip Curl Quarterfinals and beyond will continue exclusively on worldsurfleague.com and SporTV. Also, check local listings for coverage from the WSL’s broadcast partners.

MEO Pro Portugal Presented by Rip Curl Men’s Opening Round Matchups:
Heat 1: Jordy Smith (ZAF), Jake Marshall (USA), Jackson Baker (AUS)
Heat 2: Kelly Slater (USA), Samuel Pupo (BRA), Imaikalani Devault (HAW)
Heat 3: Seth Moniz (HAW), Lucca Mesinas (PER), Owen Wright (AUS)
Heat 4: Italo Ferreira (BRA), Jadson Andre (BRA), Vasco Ribeiro (PRT)
Heat 5: Filipe Toledo (BRA), Connor O’Leary (AUS), Justin Becret (FRA)
Heat 6: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN), Callum Robson (AUS), Afonso Antunes (PRT)
Heat 7: Conner Coffin (USA), Frederico Morais (PRT), Caio Ibelli (BRA)
Heat 8: John John Florence (HAW), Ezekiel Lau (HAW), Matthew McGillivray (ZAF)
Heat 9: Ethan Ewing (AUS), Deivid Silva (BRA), Barron Mamiya (HAW)
Heat 10: Jack Robinson (AUS), Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA), Joao Chianca (BRA)
Heat 11: Morgan Cibilic (AUS), Miguel Pupo (BRA), Ryan Callinan (AUS)
Heat 12:  Griffin Colapinto (USA), Kolohe Andino (USA), Nat Young (USA)

11-time World Champion Kelly Slater (USA) comes in ranked fifth in the world after a spectacular and historic win at Pipeline and looks excited to take on the thumping beach breaks of Supertubos this week.

“You don’t win a title without winning events along the way so it’s just about being present and doing the right things,” Slater said. “It’s a special start to the year for me, I hadn’t won an event in five years so it felt like it might not happen again on some level but at Pipeline everything felt like it was lining up perfectly. Each week and each event and each heat is a challenge for all of us on tour but I’m looking forward to this. I’ve won this event twelve years ago and that was very crucial to me in the world title hunt, and I’ve made the final another year with Adriano (De Souza) so I definitely have some experience and good memories here in Peniche.”

Costa Rica’s Brisa Hennessy will lead the women’s field as World No.1 in Portugal, after a breakthrough win at Sunset last month. The graceful regular foot who has a wealth of experience in heavy, tubular waves relishes the challenge that the Portuguese break will provide this week.

“I’m really grateful for all the experiences, all the different types of waves that I’ve been able to surf and the connections that I’ve made all across the world including here in Portugal,” Hennessy said. “Supertubos definitely lives up to its name, it’s a beautiful, challenging and raw wave and with all the history I feel honored to be here.”

Local superstar Frederico Morais (PRT) will lead a few of his countrymen on home soil with event wildcard and junior talent Afonso Antunes (PRT) as well as former World Junior Champion Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) completing the Portuguese hopes for a victory at Supertubos. Morais has had a rough start in 2022 and will need a strong result in Peniche to kickstart in campaign and make the all-important Top 22 after the first five events to be guaranteed a spot on the Championship Tour in 2023.

The first call will be made at 7:50 a.m GMT on Thursday, March 3, 2022 at Supertubos for a potential early start of the event on Day 1.

The World Surf League (WSL) announced today an athlete-led initiative to celebrate International Women’s Day 2022, showcasing the WSL’s commitment to inspire future generations and drive equality in sport. To celebrate International Women’s Day at the MEO Pro Portugal presented by Rip Curl, all WSL Championship Tour surfers will compete wearing jerseys that include the name of a woman in sport who has inspired them. The sleeve of each jersey will also include IWD branding.

Every Championship Tour (CT) competitor has personally selected a woman to celebrate, ranging from athletes who have inspired them personally to icons who have paved the way globally. Representing countries from all over the world and sports as diverse as basketball and snowboarding to track and field and tennis, from Billie Jean King, Cathy Freeman, Ronda Rousey, and Naomi Osaka to current CT athletes Carissa Moore and Stephanie Gilmore. Each of the women showcased on the WSL jerseys in Portugal will also receive a replica jersey and a message from the CT surfer who selected them.

“Equality and inclusion are at the core of everything we do at the WSL,” said WSL SVP of Tours and Head of Competition, Jessi Miley-Dyer. “It’s really important to our athletes and the WSL to use our voices to celebrate the values that make our league unique in the world of sport. Taking this moment to celebrate the leaders in sport who paved the way is important, and I’m thrilled that our athletes have embraced the opportunity.”

MEO Pro Portugal Wildcards and Replacement Surfers

Barron Mamiya (HAW) sits at World No. 1 after his win at the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach presented by SHISEIDO and was selected as WSL Event Replacement for the MEO Pro Portugal presented by Rip Curl following the withdraw of three-time WSL Champion Gabriel Medina (BRA).

Yago Dora (BRA) continues his recovery from his injury ahead of the season and will be replaced by WSL Injury Replacement, Matthew McGillivray (ZAF). Liam O’Brien (AUS) and Carlos Munoz (CRI) sustained injuries at Pipeline and continue their recoveries. They will be replaced by World No. 4 Caio Ibelli (BRA) and the highest placed Portuguese surfer on the Challenger Series, Vasco Ribeiro, respectively. Afonso Antunes (PRT) and Justin Becret (FRA) will also join the men’s draw as the event wildcards.

Bronte Macaulay (AUS) will continue surfing as the WSL Injury Replacement for Caroline Marks (USA), who has withdrawn from the MEO Pro Portugal presented by Rip Curl due to medical reasons. Tia Blanco (USA) is joining the women’s draw as the event wildcard after winning The Ultimate Surfer competition last summer.

Today, WSL commentators Joe Turpel, Peter Mel, and Strider Wasilewski accompanied ReGeneration Surf coalition partners, SeaForester and Mossy Earth to visit a lab in Peniche and discovered innovative kelp restoration techniques. Kelp helps refine ocean surface texture, absorbs carbon dioxide, prevents coastal erosion and supports coastal economies among many other great benefits. This project is an official United Nations Decade of Ocean Science activity.

Read more on WSL’s efforts at WorldSurfLeague.com/pure.