Yolanda Hopkins (Clube Naval de Portimão) made her first final in the Moche League at Sumol Porto Pro. The young Algarve surfer, aged 15, swept her batteries in the quarter-finals and semi-finals and concluded the race in 4th position in the women's frame.
Eduardo Fernandes (Algarve Surf Clube) was the best representative of the Algarve in the men's squad, where he played his first Liga Moche semi-final in three years.
Sumol Porto Pro will forever be recorded in Yolanda Hopkins' career as her first Liga Moche final, a circuit on which she made her debut this year.
In the two previous stages, the Algarve surfer had not made it past Round 1 (quarter-finals). In Porto, Yolanda won her heats in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, surprising all the competition with safe and concentrated surfing.
The Algarve and Alentejo regional champion and the only representative of the Algarve in the Sumol Porto Pro female team was 4th in the women's final, won by Teresa Bonvalot, with a wave in the final seconds of the battery.
With his headliner Marlon Lipke removed, traveling to Russia to participate in the exclusive Nixon Challenge, the Algarve representation at Sumol Porto Pro was made up of 11 surfers from three clubs in the region: Algarve Surf Clube, Clube Naval de Portimão and Albufeira Surf Club.
The 3rd stage of Liga Moche 2014 took place between the 9th and 11th of May, at Praia Internacional do Porto (also known as Praia de Matosinhos), always buffeted by a lot of wind and with small waves in the first two days.
Youngsters José Montez and Frederico 'Martim' Magalhães, from Clube Naval de Portimão, and also Ivan Bailote, from Albufeira Surf Clube, were eliminated in Round 1 for men, which took place on Friday, 9 May.
This was only the second competition in the Moche League played by 'Martim'. Three weeks ago, in Ericeira, 'Martim' had reached Round 2.
Ivan Bailote lost in a direct duel with the Algarve Francisco Duarte (Clube Naval de Portimão) for second place (which allowed him to qualify) in the same heat.
In Round 2, Saturday, four Algarvians were eliminated: Luca Guichard and Pedro Alcobia, from Algarve Surf Clube, and Paulo Almeida and Francisco Duarte, from Clube Naval de Portimão. Luca Guichard had reached the quarter-finals man-on-man in the last stage, three weeks ago, in Ericeira.
On Saturday afternoon, the men's Round 3 was also played, in which Joackim Guichard and Miguel Mouzinho, both from the Algarve Surf Clube, were eliminated.
Joackim lost 4th in his heat and finished the race in 13th place in the final classification, better than the 17th place achieved in the previous stage. Miguel Mouzinho achieved his best result of the year in the Moche League in Porto: 9th place (corresponding to elimination in 3rd in Round 3).
Eduardo Fernandes was the only Algarvean to qualify for the quarter-finals on Saturday man on man. On Sunday, Edu won the duel with his friend Pedro Henrique in the quarter-finals and qualified for his first semi-final in Liga Moche since 2011.
This year, Eduardo Fernandes still hadn't made it past Round 3. In Porto he reached the semi-finals, where he was dismissed by national champion Frederico Morais, and won 3rd place in the competition and 730 points for the national ranking.
Frederico Morais would eventually lose the final to Vasco Ribeiro, who won his second consecutive victory in the Liga Moche 2014 and took a giant step in the fight for the national title.
The next stage of Liga Moche 2014 is in the Algarve, at Praia do Amado, Aljezur, between the 6th and 8th of June.
Sumol Porto Pro Finals – Liga Moche 2014 (3rd Stage)
Male
1. Vasco Ribeiro (SCCS) – 12.10 (5.00 + 7.10)
2. Frederico Morais (SCCS) – 9.25 (3.00+6.25)
Female
1. Teresa Bonvalot (SCCS) – 10.75 (4.75+6.00)
2. Ana Sarmento (ESC) – 8.50 (penalized with an interference)
3. Camilla Kemp (NSG) – 7.90 (4.25+3.65)
4. Yolanda Hopkins (CNPortimão) – 5.10 (3.10+2.00)
Algarve Results
Male
Semi-finals ('man-on-man')
Eduardo Fernandes (AlgarveSC) – 3rd (out with 11.50)
Round 3 (batteries of 4)
Miguel Mouzinho (AlgarveSC) – 9th / eliminated in 3rd (10.45)
Joackim Guichard (AlgarveSC) – 13th / eliminated in 4th (7.20)
Round 2
Luca Guichard (AlgarveSC) – 17th / eliminated in 3rd (8.05)
Paulo Almeida (CNPortimão) – 17th / eliminated in 3rd (6.50)
Francisco Duarte (CNPortimão) – 25th / eliminated in 4th (6.50)
Pedro Alcobia (AlgarveSC) – 25th / eliminated in 4th (6.55)
Round 1
Ivan Bailote (AlbufeiraSC) – 33rd / eliminated in 3rd (5.90)
Frederico 'Martim' Magalhães (CNPortimão) – 49th / eliminated in 4th (4.75)
José Montez (CNPortimão) – 49th / eliminated in 4th (4.00)
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