Amazing!!! He is nearly as old as me and he is still progressing. The videos of his surfing from this event are mindblowing.
im a peniche local , the contest was insane .
its already set for next year , true info !
the prize was a portuguese astrolabio( what the ancient portuguese sailors use for guidance) with a rip curl symbol on it.
Just beautifull
Ohh yea, Kelly Slater has the possibility of winning #10 right here in Puerto Rico. Circus is coming to town!
The contest will be either at Middles Beach in Isabela or at Wilderness in Aguadilla. Middles is a very hollow right hand reef that on a good day is similar to Off The Wall. It breaks very close to the beach so spectators can watch the action from a close distance. Bad thing is that predominant East trade winds blow sideshore and after 9-10 am the wave is usually "not that good as in the glassy morning" (ie: crap). Let's hope for south winds...
Contest directors say that if the swell is too big for Middles the contest will take place at Wilderness, a big wave spot that can hold 30' faces. Wilderness faces more West so trade winds are offshore all day. It is a very beautiful place with lot's of trees and dirt roads hence the name Wilderness.
Waiting period: October 30 - November 10 this is the time when every year we get the fabled "dead man swell" it is usually the first of the heavy cold fronts which travels from the US and marks the beginning of our fall/winter surf season. It is called the dead man swell because it usually happens near November 1 (El día de los muertos..)
Good luck to baldy! Bald surfers over 30 rule!
Event ad and clips of big Wilderness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m920ZjjV9Ys&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u29Y9Mm_XZ0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e13P3LxijLY&feature=more_related
Above: Wilderness December 29, 2009
He’s getting so old he was having trouble lifting the trophy above his head 
Disappointed that the ASP is going to Middles. The place will never be the same.
Dude, when was the last time you surfed Middles, it’s not the 80’s nor the 90’s, place is always crowded. Fortunately the island is full of outer reefs and secret spots…
Tony, agreed(not that I surfed there before) You could say the same of Bali, it isn’t really the search. Why don’t we just have the Search at Rincon, CA next year or Off The Wall?
I think thanks to the internet everyone pretty much knows or can know where every wave in the world is. It’s just that they don’t need to be reminded that it’s there from the constant up dates on websites.