ITACARE, Bahia / Brazil (Saturday, Oct, 19, 2013) – The final day of the ASP 4-Star Mahalo Surf Eco Festival presented by Skol was held under sunny skies and in front of a packed audience on the sand and surrounding point break at Praia da Tiririca in Itacare, Brazil. Halley Batista (BRA), 27, pulled off an impressive aerial performance to defeat Alan Jhones (BRA), 24, in an exciting final battle. For his victory, Batista took home U$15,000 and 1,000 ASP World Ranking points.
“I feel blessed to have won another Mahalo event,” stated Halley Batista. “The quality waves here at Tiririca have shown that they can’t be left off the circuit. The vibe here is great, the crowd is amazing and I feel so thankful to have won this event. Now I’m off to Venezuela for the next event of the Latin American Circuit.”
For his runner-up finish in Itacare, Alan Jhones earned U$7,500 and 750 ASP World Ranking points. With several dramatic victories throughout the week, Jhones was pleased with his result.
“Even though I didn’t win, I think I did really well here,” said Alan Jhones. “I had some come from behind victories and a few high scores, but the wave conditions deteriorated in the Final and I couldn’t pick the right wave. I knew that whoever threw a big move would win the heat, and Halley did great.”
Krystian Kymerson (BRA) had been the standout performer all week long by consistently landing big airs, but was eventually defeated by Batista in the Semifinals.
“Unfortunately I couldn’t find the right waves in the semis and I fell on all the airs that would have made a difference,” said Krystian Kymerson. “I’m still pleased with a 3rd place result and I’d like to thank everyone that filled the beach and cheered me on.”
Due to his fluid style, former South American champion Jean da Silva (BRA) was unstoppable leading up to the final day of competition before falling to Jhones. With their equal 3rd place results, both Kymerson and da Silva earned U$4,500 and 563 points.
“Conditions kept getting worse because of the onshore wind, the waves got a little choppy and I just couldn’t execute against Alan (Jhones),” stated Jean da Silva. “Next stop for me is the ASP Prime at Cascais in Portugal and I feel confident after doing so well against so many good competitors here.”
The Mahalo Surf Eco Festival presented by Skol is produced by Dende Produções and sponsored by Mahalo, Petrobras, Bahiatursa and the City of Itacaré and is supported by Backdoor, the Tourism Institute of Itacaré, the Bahia Surf Federation and the Itacaré Surf Association. The event is approved by the ASP South America as a 4-Star event and is transmitted live on the internet: www.surfecofestival.com.br
