Someday we're going to look back on 2011 as the year Brazil took over nearly every aspect of competitive surfing.
As the final heat of the "Aloha Cup" at the ISA World Games wore on today, the Brazzos got more excited in their box on the beach. Then they broke into song. When the result was certain, Diego Michereff, Ian Gouveia, Silvia Lima, Michael Rodriguez and crew started some crazy victory dance.
Brazil had racked up 78.62 points to take this specialty tag team event at the Billabong ISA World Games, with Australia finishing second with 68.34 and Peru taking third, with 66.32. As the horn sounded, that yellow and green flag was wrapped around Silvana Lima, who posted the only perfect 10 of the Games so far, as the team leapt into the shorebreak at Playa Venao, Panama. Brazil took the lead of the tag team event when Ruda Carvalho posted a 9.33.
"Brazil is a big family," he stated as his teammates sang on, "It's beautiful."
Tomorrow, the official event will conclude, and the indivudual and team medals will be decided. Brazil won this title in 2003, and it would be awfully fitting that the yellow and green flag should fly this year, when a squadron of young Brazilians have attacked the World Tour and Adriano de Souza is the No. one surfer in the world. Australia currently leads the event with 19120 points and Brazil trails by about 200.
Even with strong Australian teams in the past, surfing has never seen such national pride. This is a big deal to pretty much every country besides America. Tomorrow, Panama's president is slated to come down to the beach for a presentation. Can you imagine our president coming down to Ala Moana Bowls for a surf contests? Okay, bad example.
Jeremy Flores' hot streak came to an end recently. You may recall that he lost his first round heat and has had to battle through the Repercharge. He crushed heats 4, 5, 6, and 7, but fell to Santiago Muniz of Argentina and Michael Rodrigues, of Brazil. The only Americans left are the tough duo of Taylor Jensen and Tony Silvagni, both longboarders.
When things resume tomorrow, Muniz, Marco Giorgi, Chile's Manuel Selman, and Rodrigues, square off in Repercharge round nine. Aussies Mick Campbell and Thomas Woods, as well as Brazilian Ian Gouveia, and Venezuela's Rafael Periera will battle in the round six of the winners' bracket. Who will win the individual titles? Don't be surprised if they wind up draped in yellow and green.