THIAGO CAMARAO WINS OAKLEY PRO JR AND IS THE FIRST BRAZILIAN CHAMPION UNDER 20

Surfer from Sao Paulo wins Peterson Crisanto on the great waves final in Itamambuca, Ubatuba. Both will go to the Oakley Global Challenge final in Bali.

Thiago Camarao, the 19 year-old surfer from Sao Paulo entered the Brazilian surfing history books this Saturday in excellent conditions at Itamambuca Beach, in Ubatuba by winning the Oakley Pro Junior Brazil at under 20 years of age. With the victory, Camarao gained R$9.000 of prize money as well as bragging rights to represent Brazil in the Oakley Pro Junior Global Challenge finals in Bali this October. Peterson Crisanto, who took second place with high scores of 16.60 and 16.10 points, will accompany Thiago to Bali as well. Third place was shared by Sao Paulo native Miguel Pupo and the Bahian Franklin Serpa.

With tendonitis in his left shoulder, present for the last 6 months, Camarao thought he wouldn't even last the first round. As a competitor who surfs well in all conditions (the sea presented excellent waves since the first day of competition, reaching two meters at points) the native of Sao Paulo showed why he is one of the best competitors of his generation, locking up his win in the sub-20 group in high style:

"I am living a unique, unknown emotion. It was a long time without obtaining a good result and now I got it and will finally be able to buy my car", said Camarao, who left the sea on the shoulders of his friends and rivals in the Oakley Pro Junior after receiving an emotional hug from his mother Margareth.

Historically, the Oakley Pro Junior is a competition that searches to offer the best conditions of surf for the athletes. Therefore, the decision to finish the competition the same Saturday, due to unfavorable Sunday surf forecasts, allowed the competitors to show off all of their surfing skills to the judges. The semifinal endured 40 minutes, during which time event organizers decided to hold the final afterwards.

The semifinal gathered four surfers, all of which had given great performances in Itamambuca. In the first round, Camarao defeated Franklin Serpa with 15.07 to 12.87 points, while Peterson Crisanto eliminated Miguel Pupo, the surfer who until then had the best scores of 14.60 and 13.17 points.

In the final, Camarao used good patients and kept his cool surfing against Crisanto's leadership. Camarao led early in the round but Crisanto began to lead after his first two waves. At five minutes left and needing a 8.17 to win, Camarao sealed the deal with an 8.93 from the judges.

"One hour rounds are not easy and are psychologically challenging. When the wave came, I knew I had to do my best and surf as I do for fun in Juquehy beach. I am very happy to win and represent Brazil in Bali, but I'm even happier to have surfed so well during the entire competition", said Camarao.

Crisanto was also happy to be secured as one of the two Brazilian competitors to enter the final of the Oakley Pro Junior Global Challenge in Bali. "The final was very uncertain. I found good waves in the start, but fell short in the end. I entered the competition with every intent to obtain one of the vacant spots, but my real objective was to become the Brazilian champion."

Out of the water, the Oakley Pro Junior received compliments as well:

"The balance was very positive. We had one week of big waves and the athletes had been able to show the potential of this new generation. The final result was fair, as the four surfers arrived at the semifinals with great consistency. Any one of them could have won the final. We look forward to continuing the competition in Ubatuba and are already thinking of ways to make the competition better", said Luiz Henrique Campos, director of marketing at Oakley Brazil.

"We find this championship very important, as it gives chances to surfers at a difficult age and place in their careers, as they begin to leave the amateur circuit and begin competing amongst professionals. Here they already get used to competing in the format used by the WCT and the Supersurf. The intention is that in the coming years we are able to obtain three stages of sub-20", said Marcelo Andrade, director-executive of the ABRASP.

RESULTS:

Thiago Camarao (SP)
Peterson Crisanto (PR)
Miguel Pupo (SP)
3. Franklin Serpa (BA)
5. Emerson Silva (SP)
5. Hugo Bittencourt (RJ)
5. Ruda Carvalho (BA)
5. Matheus Toledo (SP)