The 2017 WSL World Championship Tour is close to an end and Peniche, stop number 10, will once again have an huge role in the world title decision.
Coming straight from France, WSL World Tour surfers will struggle for an advantage in Portugal before the last event in Hawai, event number 11. The world title campaign has never been so unpredictable, with so many contenders with a real chance to get the most prestigious surfing title. This season, from eight finished events there were 7 different winners! Owen Wright, John John Florence, Jordy Smith, Adriano de Souza, Matt Wilkinson, Julian Wilson, Filipe Toledo (the only athlete with 2 wins so far) and Gabriel Medina. An even plane field.
About the WSL winners, JJF, currently number 1 in the WSL Jeep Leaderboard, already tasted the win in Peniche back in 2016. His surfing is unpredictable and explosive, both on the rail and in the air. And he‘s definitely one of the best tube riders in the world.
Jordy Smith, the big South African placed number 2 in the world, is probably the most powerful guy when it comes to big turns and hacks. He mastered sharp surfing and seems to adapt to all types of conditions well.
Gabriel Medina, number 3 on the ranking, is highly motived after the win in France and he’s showcasing a polished backhand surfing technique which, along with his crazy frontside attack and ferocious competitor attitude, puts him on the top contenders list to get the win in Portugal.
As if picking a winner isn’t hard enough between these guys, there’s a bunch of more dudes that can get the win in the Meo Rip Curl Pro. Owen, Matt, Mick, Toledo, Ace, Jeremy and many others that illustrated outstanding performances in Peniche’s barrels. Some of them even got a win before!
Then there’s Frederico Morais… The new Prince of Portugal, “Kikas” is currently the best rookie on tour and, besides the fact that he has been showing great performances so far this year, his wave selection and consistency are right on point. The fact that he will have the whole nation supporting him, makes him a dangerous competitor. He was a quarterfinalist in Peniche back in 2015 as a wildcard, defeating names like Kelly Slater on the way. Can he live up on the fans expectations back home and handle the pressure?
From October 20th til 31th 2017, the surfing world spotlights will be on the beautiful coastline of Peniche and, once again, show some of the best things that Portugal has to offer. Nice weather conditions, a passionate crowd and pumping surfing conditions at Supertubos are some of the things that both the world’s best and the surfing fans can come to expect. Looking back to what Peniche offered along the past years, it’s fair to have big expectations for the 2017 edition! Follow the action here!
But is there life once the trophy is raised and pro surfers go elsewhere? Will the waves leave as well? The wonderful food or the Portuguese people? The weather? The answer off course is no. So why should you leave? Needed at your job? You want to relax right? You just spend your days watching the world’s best at Peniche, so why not head north an pay us a visit. Waves? Plenty on offer and good ones too! Crowds? After hanging is Peniche, expect a sea of… well mostly water, no crowds here ! Weather? Pretty much the same. People and food? Great and tasty, in that order! How far? 2h30 min easy car ride (A8, A17, A29) north direction. Where? Espinho and surrounding areas. When? Until the Nov.15th. Why? This is why.
Watermark Surf House