North American surfer John John Florence, who arrives at the Portuguese leg of the world circuit at the top of the rankings, said on Tuesday that the “heavy” waves at Supertubos in Peniche were similar to those in his homeland of Hawaii.
“I’m very happy to be back, I have good memories of Supertubos. The waves are incredible and so is the support from the people. The wave has a lot of “power” here. [poder], it reminds me a little of Hawaii. It’s one of the best beach holidays, but when it’s bad it’s one of the toughest, it’s a very difficult wave,” said the former two-time world champion (2016 and 2017).
John John Florence was speaking at a press conference to mark the opening of the third World Surf League (WSL) circuit event in Peniche, the city where the 31-year-old won his first world title.
After two “matches” played in Hawaii, the women’s table is headed by Australian Molly Picklum, who was also present at the event at which it was announced that the Meo-WSL partnership had been extended for a further two years (and with a third option) which would guarantee the continuation of the stage in Portugal until at least 2026.
“This is a good position in the rankings, but it is still early, there is still a lot to be done. It was a good start and now I just want to enjoy the good waves in Peniche. I am motivated,” emphasized the 21-year-old surfer, who in 2023 reached Peniche first place in the table.
North American Caitlin Simmers, just 18, who won the Peniche stage last year – the first win of her (still short) career – praised the conditions that Supertubos beach usually offers.
“I love Peniche. It was great to see women surfing and this wave here is a lot of fun,” said the surfer, who is also off to the best start this year after winning the first stage at Hawaii’s Pipeline and is currently second in the standings.
For his part, Japanese Kanoa Igarashi, who has a home in Ericeira and speaks fluent Portuguese, said that “he was under a lot of pressure last year” when he arrived in Peniche due to a poor start in Hawaii, but this year he is “in a better position” and “you want to take advantage of this stage to get into the top 5.”
“Portugal has the best waves in the world, at this stage all surfers want to enjoy the waves as they are very varied, they can ride tubes or aerials. I spend a lot of time here and see Portugal as a second country. at home,” said Canoa, currently sixth in the classification, whose best results in Peniche were two third places in 2019 and 2017.
The race in Portugal is the third stage of the world circuit, the waiting period will last from Wednesday to March 16.
The first call is scheduled for Wednesday at 7:30 am to assess conditions and a possible start at 8:00 am at Praia do Supertubos in Peniche, Leiria.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.