QS Men and Women Head to Itacare for Mahalo Surf Eco Festival

The tropical setting at Praia da Tiririca, located in city of Itacare, Brazil, will host the ASP 4-Star Mahalo Surf Eco Festival pres. by Skol from October 27 to November 1, 2014. Home to one of the longest-standing sites for professional surf competitions in Brazil, Itacare will gather some of the best surfers on the Qualification Series (QS) who are hungry for an opportunity to move up in the rankings.

In addition to men's competition, the 2014 Mahalo Surf Eco Festival will witness competition from the ASP Women's QS for the first time. Altogether, the Mahalo Surf Eco Festival will distribute over U$125,000 in prize money and crucial world ranking points.

Silvana Lima (BRA) won the inaugural Surf Eco Festival, when the event was held at Praia do Forte in northern Bahia. - WSL

The Mahalo Surf Eco Festival a traditional proving ground for future World Championship Tour stars. In 2008, the inaugural Surf Eco Festival was held at Praia do Forte, in northern Bahia, and saw Adriano de Souza (BRA) and Silvana Lima (BRA) claim the event titles. In 2009, the contest moved to Salvador, the capital of Bahia, and witnessed Alejo Muniz (BRA) defeat Gabriel Medina (BRA) for the ASP South America Pro Junior title. Following in their footsteps, Miguel Pupo (BRA) was crowned event champion in 2010, succeeded by Filipe Toledo (BRA) in 2011. All aforementioned surfers went on to join the elite ranks.

There has always been an innate relationship between surfing and music at this event. The Mahalo Surf Eco Festival has been in tune with that connection since 2008 and has entertained the energetic crowds in Bahia with live music as a compliment to the show in the water. This year, the bands O Rappa, Ponto de Equilibrio, Strike and Massa Sonora will perform.

Halley Batista (BRA), 2013 Mahalo Surf Eco Festival champion. - WSL

Itacare, located south of Salvador, is a small, idyllic town surrounded by natural beauty. Gorgeous beaches, breathtaking waterfalls, preserved flora and fauna, unique geology and one of the best waves in Brazil are all part of the surroundings found in Itacare, Bahia. Because of this natural exuberance, the Festival has unfailingly supplied each event with a number of ecological activities, lectures, exhibitions and films. The 2014 event will be the first-ever surf contest in the world to be run on solar energy. Dendê Productions, together with the University of Sao Paulo, under the supervision of the leading authority in solar energy in Brazil, Dr. Aurélio, will be erecting a large solar platform on the event premises for the implementation of this pioneering achievement.

The 2014 men's and women's QS events in Itacare hold an event window of October 27 to November 2.

Champions in the history of Surf Eco Festival in Bahia, Brazil:

2013: ASP 4-Star Men´s – Halley Batista (BRA) in Itacare
2012: ASP 1-Star Men´s – Krystian Kymerson (BRA) in Jaguaribe Beach
2012: ASP South America Pro Junior – Deivid Silva (BRA) and Rosanny Alvarez (VNZ)
2011: ASP 2-Star Men´s – Bino Lopes (BRA) in Jaguaribe Beach
2011: ASP South America Pro Junior – Filipe Toledo (BRA) and Gabriela Leite (BRA)
2010: ASP 4-Star Women´s – Coco Ho (HAW) in Armação Beach
2010: ASP South America Pro Junior – Santiago Muniz (ARG) and Johanne Defay (FRA)
2009: ASP 3-Star Men´s – Marcio Farney (BRA) in Armação Beach
2009: ASP South America Pro Junior – Alejo Muniz (BRA) and Diana Cristina (BRA)
2008: ASP 5-Star Men´s – Adriano de Souza (BRA) in Forte Beach
2008: ASP 5-Star Women´s – Silvana Lima (BRA) defeated Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS)