The Cabreiroá Pro Las Americas culminates with the victories of Pauline Ado and Gaspard Larsonneur.
The Cabreiroá Pro Las Americas wrapped up today in the long lefts of Las Américas.
Local legend Jonathan Gonzalez took on Gaspard Larsonneur in the men's Final. The Canarian marched his way to the Final with seven straight heat wins and excellent scores in nearly all of them, including an incredible 9.53 in Round 5.
Jonathan Gonzalez - WSL / Damien Poullenot
The Frenchman on the other hand launched his event in Round 3 and started collecting wins when he eliminated the defending event winner Timothee Bisso in Round 4 alongside Lenni Jensen whom he later dispatched in the Semifinal.
The Final started with a very close exchange on back-to-back waves with each surfer within 0.10 of each other and continued with an even closer battle on their second wave, finishing within 0.04. After four waves, Larsonneur had the tiniest margin over Gonzalez, 14.06 to the Canarian's 14.00.
Gaspard Larsonneur - WSL / Damien Poullenot
Gonzalez managed to turn the heat midway through with a good wave scored 7.70 while Larsonneur got stuck on his turns and only raked in a medium score. The French surfer didn't let the pressure affect him and managed to come back with an excellent 8.17 in the dying minutes of the heat to claim his first-ever victory on the Qualifying Series.
"I'm so stoked," he said. "This is my first-ever win on the QS, I have no words to describe how happy I am right now! It was just the perfect week. I had a really good time here with good friends, nice weather and good waves so I'm just beyond happy."
Gaspard Larsonneur - WSL / Damien Poullenot
Larsonneur is only really starting on the QS, last year being his busiest season with 8 events surfed mostly on the European continent. Today's victory marks his first on the WSL tours and a promising start of the season ahead for the surfer from Brittany.
"Today was tough with that long break between the Semis and Final," he added. "I tried to stay focused and rest a little and when I came back I was fired up to go again. "
A QS standout for the last decade now, Gonzalez peaked in 2014 with a Top 25 finish. The last couple of years the Canarian carefully selected his events but couldn't possibly pass on the opportunity to compete right at home. This runner-up finish marks his first Final since 2016.
Jonathan Gonzalez - WSL / Damien Poullenot
'It was a really hard fought final and it came down to details," he said. "I was surfing well during the entire competition so I am happy with that, but I had to surf perfectly against him to win the final. It was really really close but the competitions are like that with nothing decided until the final. I have to admit I felt the pressure of everybody watching and I couldn't quite control it. I'm still super happy to celebrate a second place with all my friends here."
Gonzalez and Larsonneur had previously eliminated Thomas Debierre and Lenni Jensen respectively in the Semis.
Women's Final: Ariane Ochoa vs. Pauline Ado
Finalists - WSL / Classic Surf Pro Events
Ariane Ochoa and Pauline Ado met in the women's Final and this time both surfers had to earn their way since Round 1.
In a slow Final, both surfers got very selective and while the first couple of swings went Ado's way, Ochoa started to put pressure on the French surfer with a great wave to get back into fighting distance. She quickly turned the heat, leaving Ado scouring the lineup for a mid-5.
With two minutes on the clock, a beautiful set rolled in, giving both surfers the opportunity to improve their scoreboard. Both did, but this time Ado got the upper hand with an excellent 8.27 over Ochoa's 7.50 to re-claim the lead. The Basque goofy foot got a final chance but was unable to turn in the high-6 required and Ado claimed the 2020 Cabreiroa Pro Las Americas title.
"I'm super happy and I feel lucky I got that really good wave at the end," she said. "I wasn't in a great place towards the end there and Ariane got some great scores, thankfully I gave everything on last wave and it was enough to take it. I'm really happy with my week here on Tenerife."
Pauline Ado - WSL / Damien Poullenot
Ado is a 10-time European champion (7 titles on the QS and 3 in the junior division) who spent 5 full seasons on the Championship Tour claiming multiple Quarter and Semifinal results at the highest level. Off tour for the past two seasons, the French powerhouse is highly motivated to get back up with the Elite Top 17 and join her compatriot Johanne Defay next season. A Round 4 berth in China and today's victory should prove a great warm-up before Ado starts the real work next month in Australia.
"I placed second here two years ago so I really wanted to win that Final," she added. "It really just came down to that last good wave we both had and I'm happy I got the score."
Ochoa has been competing on the Qualifying Series since 2015 and has picked up two wins in Spain and South Africa. The talented goofy foot from the Basque Country was a standout on the European junior tour but is yet to make her mark on the bigger QS stage. Today's runner-up finish will certainly spark a successive year ahead as she embarks on a third full season competing worldwide.
Ariane Ochoa - WSL / Damien Poullenot
"I'm super happy to have made the Final here in Tenerife this year," she said. "It's been a really good contest for me, I've been building up since the first heat and finished with a super close Final with Pauline. I've really done my best and am happy with my performance, and I'll just keep working until the next event."
Ochoa and Ado had previously eliminated Teresa Bonvalot and Nadia Erostarbe in their respective Semifinal bouts.
Previously at the Cabreiroa Pro Las Americas
Cherif Fall - WSL / Damien Poullenot
The third edition of the Cabreiroa Pro Las Americas started on Monday in spectacular conditions with over 160 athletes taking on the pumping lefts in Tenerife. The first couple of rounds witnessed the unlikely success story of Senegal's Cherif Fall who dominated his first heats and only barely fell short in Round 3 behind eventual finalist Larsonneur.
In the women's event it was all about Yolanda Hopkins who dropped massive scores all the way to a wave-starved Quarterfinal where she was eliminated by Bonvalot.
Daniela Boldini and Timothee Bisso, the winners of the 2019 edition, were both eliminated much earlier than anticipated, Round 1 for the Canarian and Round 4 for the Frenchman who just came from a solid result in Morocco.
Timothee Bisso - WSL / Damien Poullenot
The men's Canarian contingent all together put up a strong fight with Luis Diaz reaching the Quarters and Yael Pena Round 5, while in the women's event, no surfer from the Atlantic archipelago made it past the second round of competition.
With the completion of the Cabreiroá Pro Las Americas, the European rankings have evolved, here's the new current Top 5:
European Men's QS Top 5:
1 - Gaspard Larsonneur
2 - Jonathan Gonzalez
3 - Thomas Debierre
4 - Maxime Huscenot
5 - Vasco Ribeiro
5 - Frederico Morais
5 - Lenni Jensen
European Women's QS Top 5:
1 - Pauline Ado
2 - Ariane Ochoa
3 - Nadia Erostarbe
3 - Teresa Bonvalot
5 - Yolanda Hopkins
5 - Lucia Martiño
5 - Marion Philippe
Surfers will now have five weeks to prepare for the next event on the 2020 European Qualifying Series, the SEAT Pro Netanya.
Tune in from February 3-9, 2020 for the LIVE Webcast and check out all the photos, videos and updates right here!
Gaspard Larsonneur And Pauline Ado Claim 2020 Cabreiroá Pro Las Americas Titles
Nicolas Leroy
The Cabreiroá Pro Las Americas wrapped up today in the long lefts of Las Américas.
Local legend Jonathan Gonzalez took on Gaspard Larsonneur in the men's Final. The Canarian marched his way to the Final with seven straight heat wins and excellent scores in nearly all of them, including an incredible 9.53 in Round 5.
The Frenchman on the other hand launched his event in Round 3 and started collecting wins when he eliminated the defending event winner Timothee Bisso in Round 4 alongside Lenni Jensen whom he later dispatched in the Semifinal.
The Final started with a very close exchange on back-to-back waves with each surfer within 0.10 of each other and continued with an even closer battle on their second wave, finishing within 0.04. After four waves, Larsonneur had the tiniest margin over Gonzalez, 14.06 to the Canarian's 14.00.
Gonzalez managed to turn the heat midway through with a good wave scored 7.70 while Larsonneur got stuck on his turns and only raked in a medium score. The French surfer didn't let the pressure affect him and managed to come back with an excellent 8.17 in the dying minutes of the heat to claim his first-ever victory on the Qualifying Series.
"I'm so stoked," he said. "This is my first-ever win on the QS, I have no words to describe how happy I am right now! It was just the perfect week. I had a really good time here with good friends, nice weather and good waves so I'm just beyond happy."
Larsonneur is only really starting on the QS, last year being his busiest season with 8 events surfed mostly on the European continent. Today's victory marks his first on the WSL tours and a promising start of the season ahead for the surfer from Brittany.
"Today was tough with that long break between the Semis and Final," he added. "I tried to stay focused and rest a little and when I came back I was fired up to go again. "
A QS standout for the last decade now, Gonzalez peaked in 2014 with a Top 25 finish. The last couple of years the Canarian carefully selected his events but couldn't possibly pass on the opportunity to compete right at home. This runner-up finish marks his first Final since 2016.
'It was a really hard fought final and it came down to details," he said. "I was surfing well during the entire competition so I am happy with that, but I had to surf perfectly against him to win the final. It was really really close but the competitions are like that with nothing decided until the final. I have to admit I felt the pressure of everybody watching and I couldn't quite control it. I'm still super happy to celebrate a second place with all my friends here."
Gonzalez and Larsonneur had previously eliminated Thomas Debierre and Lenni Jensen respectively in the Semis.
Women's Final: Ariane Ochoa vs. Pauline Ado
Ariane Ochoa and Pauline Ado met in the women's Final and this time both surfers had to earn their way since Round 1.
In a slow Final, both surfers got very selective and while the first couple of swings went Ado's way, Ochoa started to put pressure on the French surfer with a great wave to get back into fighting distance. She quickly turned the heat, leaving Ado scouring the lineup for a mid-5.
With two minutes on the clock, a beautiful set rolled in, giving both surfers the opportunity to improve their scoreboard. Both did, but this time Ado got the upper hand with an excellent 8.27 over Ochoa's 7.50 to re-claim the lead. The Basque goofy foot got a final chance but was unable to turn in the high-6 required and Ado claimed the 2020 Cabreiroa Pro Las Americas title.
"I'm super happy and I feel lucky I got that really good wave at the end," she said. "I wasn't in a great place towards the end there and Ariane got some great scores, thankfully I gave everything on last wave and it was enough to take it. I'm really happy with my week here on Tenerife."
Ado is a 10-time European champion (7 titles on the QS and 3 in the junior division) who spent 5 full seasons on the Championship Tour claiming multiple Quarter and Semifinal results at the highest level. Off tour for the past two seasons, the French powerhouse is highly motivated to get back up with the Elite Top 17 and join her compatriot Johanne Defay next season. A Round 4 berth in China and today's victory should prove a great warm-up before Ado starts the real work next month in Australia.
"I placed second here two years ago so I really wanted to win that Final," she added. "It really just came down to that last good wave we both had and I'm happy I got the score."
Ochoa has been competing on the Qualifying Series since 2015 and has picked up two wins in Spain and South Africa. The talented goofy foot from the Basque Country was a standout on the European junior tour but is yet to make her mark on the bigger QS stage. Today's runner-up finish will certainly spark a successive year ahead as she embarks on a third full season competing worldwide.
"I'm super happy to have made the Final here in Tenerife this year," she said. "It's been a really good contest for me, I've been building up since the first heat and finished with a super close Final with Pauline. I've really done my best and am happy with my performance, and I'll just keep working until the next event."
Ochoa and Ado had previously eliminated Teresa Bonvalot and Nadia Erostarbe in their respective Semifinal bouts.
Previously at the Cabreiroa Pro Las Americas
The third edition of the Cabreiroa Pro Las Americas started on Monday in spectacular conditions with over 160 athletes taking on the pumping lefts in Tenerife. The first couple of rounds witnessed the unlikely success story of Senegal's Cherif Fall who dominated his first heats and only barely fell short in Round 3 behind eventual finalist Larsonneur.
In the women's event it was all about Yolanda Hopkins who dropped massive scores all the way to a wave-starved Quarterfinal where she was eliminated by Bonvalot.
Daniela Boldini and Timothee Bisso, the winners of the 2019 edition, were both eliminated much earlier than anticipated, Round 1 for the Canarian and Round 4 for the Frenchman who just came from a solid result in Morocco.
The men's Canarian contingent all together put up a strong fight with Luis Diaz reaching the Quarters and Yael Pena Round 5, while in the women's event, no surfer from the Atlantic archipelago made it past the second round of competition.
With the completion of the Cabreiroá Pro Las Americas, the European rankings have evolved, here's the new current Top 5:
European Men's QS Top 5:
1 - Gaspard Larsonneur
2 - Jonathan Gonzalez
3 - Thomas Debierre
4 - Maxime Huscenot
5 - Vasco Ribeiro
5 - Frederico Morais
5 - Lenni Jensen
European Women's QS Top 5:
1 - Pauline Ado
2 - Ariane Ochoa
3 - Nadia Erostarbe
3 - Teresa Bonvalot
5 - Yolanda Hopkins
5 - Lucia Martiño
5 - Marion Philippe
Surfers will now have five weeks to prepare for the next event on the 2020 European Qualifying Series, the SEAT Pro Netanya.
Tune in from February 3-9, 2020 for the LIVE Webcast and check out all the photos, videos and updates right here!
Gaspard Larsonneur
The top seeded men's Round of 64 hits the lineup and provides a full day of epic entertainment as some of the best surfers in Europe
The QS3,000 ABANCA Pantin Classic Galicia Pro continues in fun surf and wraps two more rounds of competition.
The Rip Curl Pro Anglet gets underway and completes the men's Rounds of 128 and 96 in fun waves at Chambre d'Amour
The Caparica Surf Fest is ON from April 3-8, 2023, the last QS event in Europe for the 2022-23 season, it's huge in the race to qualify for
Semifinalists decided in a wind-swept lineup of Anza for a sixth day of action at the QS 3,000 Rip Curl Pro Search Taghazout Bay.
Cabreiroá Pro Las Americas
The Cabreiroá Pro Las Americas culminates with the victories of Pauline Ado and Gaspard Larsonneur.
Waves are back at the Cabreiroá Pro Las Americas just in time to decide the events' Semifinalists.
Experience what today had in store at Las Americas from the people that lived it first-hand!
Here's a little update on Day 5 and what's coming at the QS1,500 Cabreiroa Pro Las Americas.
Action gets back underway at the Cabreiroá Pro Las Americas with RD3 and RD4 of the men's event to decide the last 16.