Finals day at the Siargao Cloud 9 Surfing Cup in the Philippines had solid conditions for some of the region's top Qualifying Surfers. Plus, former Championship Tour surfer Raoni Monteiro made a big comeback on the competitive circuit with a win at the tropical reefbreak.
After a myriad of knee injuries forced Monteiro off the CT in 2014, he took some time to focus on family at home. In 2017, he returned to competitive surfing arena and is determined to return to the elite level. This win not only gives him 3,000 ranking points but the confidence to know he can still mix it with the best and win events -- a feat he last accomplished at the prestigious Vans World Cup at Sunset Beach in 2010.
After his win, he was practically at a loss for words. "I can't even explain how happy I am right now," Monteiro said. "Right at the end when I saw that wave came I knew it as the one and I knew I could do it. This has been a really amazing event for me. It is my first time here in the Philippines and the waves have so good, we have all been really spoiled with the waves we got and everyone was ripping so I feel really luck to come out on top."