Michel wins Billabong Pro Rio

How that possie is a venue for a WCT tour event is anyone's guess. Sure, Brazil is crazy about surf so the ASP wanna go for the "whole bums on seats" approach, but yoh, there really are better waves there than those we've had to endure the past few years. Take the boys to the heaving crystal blue barrels of Fernando de Noronha (below) and the surfers and the viewers will be frothing.

Michel Bourez emerged victorious from the lotto otherwise known as the Billabong Pro Rio. Cos it was anyone's game out there. Big slurpy barrels or closeouts, with a 2 outta 10 barrel to close-out ratio. Pure luck what your wave turned into, which meant a lot of luck in who advanced and who didn't.

Michel musta blown on the dice nicely, cos the waves kept rolling up for him and he surfed them like a champ. Kelly had been looking strong - specially after dropping a perfect 10 for the first wave of the day. A free fall no hander backside below sea level drainer, that saw him throw out a deserved claim. Adriano seemed to be shocked into submission, and didn't catch a wave the entire heat, bar the one he caught to come in on, which scored a paltry 3. something.

Trav pissed on the chips a bit as had Kolohe for an interference, but with 2 really arb wave scores got beat on the buzzer by Brother hooking a single wave that counted more than both of Trav's put together. Jordy stuttered in his QF against final winner Michel.

Kolohe and Kelly went ping pong in the semi's, but with it all to play for Brother threw out a huge air and stuck it, and kept Kelly out the hunt. Taj was in with a shot during the semi's, but the wave god's sent Michel a barrel and into the final he went.

Ask anyone at the start of the comp if it woulda been a Michel vs Kolohe final and you woulda got great odds.

Michel now has his 2nd CT win for the year. Who woulda thought......!

Billabong Rio Pro Final Result:
Michel Bourez (PYF) 13.84 def. Kolohe Andino (USA) 6.43

Rio Women’s Pro Final Result:
Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 16.27 def. Carissa Moore (HAW) 14.27

Billabong Rio Pro Semifinal Results:
Semifinal 1: Kolohe Andino (USA) 14.73 def. Kelly Slater (USA) 14.17
Semifinal 2: Michel Bourez (PYF) 15.30 def. Taj Burrow (AUS) 12.33

Rio Women’s Pro Semifinal Results:
Semifinal 1: Carissa Moore (HAW) 17.97 def. Lakey Peterson (USA) 6.00
Semifinal 2: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 15.17 def. Tyler Wright (AUS) 9.80

Billabong Rio Pro Quarterfinal Results:
Quarterfinal 1: Kelly Slater (USA) 14.50 def. Nat Young (USA) 12.37
Quarterfinal 2: Kolohe Andino (USA) 12.44 def. Bede Durbidge (AUS) 7.40
Quarterfinal 3: Michel Bourez (PYF) 16.83 def. Jordy Smith (ZAF) 11.67
Quarterfinal 4: Taj Burrow (AUS) 15.66 def. Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 7.20

Rio Women’s Pro Quarterfinal Results:
Quarterfinal 1: Lakey Peterson (USA) 13.47 def. Pauline Ado (FRA) 13.26
Quarterfinal 2: Carissa Moore (HAW) 15.50 def. Alessa Quizon (HAW) 7.00
Quarterfinal 3: Tyler Wright (AUS) 15.37 def. Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 14.43
Quarterfinal 4: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 14.77 def. Coco Ho (HAW) 12.90

Billabong Rio Pro Round 5 Results:
Heat 1: Kelly Slater (USA) 15.50 def. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 3.37
Heat 2: Kolohe Andino (USA) 6.83 def. Travis Logie (ZAF) 8.17
Heat 3: Michel Bourez (PYF) 8.60 def. Joel Parkinson (AUS) 8.10
Heat 4: Sebastian Zietz (HAW) 11.76 def. Josh Kerr (AUS) 8.17

Daniel Eden is the lucky winner of the ML Fantasy Surfer comp - after being one of the few who picked Michel for the win. Dan - a lekker Billabong hamper worth R1600 is coming your way (Billabong boardshorts, TShirt, cap, leash and grip). Next comp will be the Fiji Pro at the beginning of June, so start thinking about who to choose.