The national surfing elite is back on the waves in Porto and Matosinhos to compete in the Joaquim Chaves Saúde Porto Pro, the second stage of the MEO Surf League, which takes place from the 21st to the 23rd of April. The best Portuguese surfers once again measure forces in the 1st division of Portuguese surfing, which determines the maximum titles of male and female champions, in a total of five stages.
The inaugural stage that took place in Figueira da Foz ended with the victories of Gabriela Dinis and the national champion in title Guilherme Ribeiro, both of whom thus assume the status of competing in the Joaquim Chaves Saúde Porto Pro with the yellow lycra Go Chill.
Guilherme Ribeiro – 2022 National Champion and Winner of the 1st stage of the MEO Surf League
“The stage in Porto and Matosinhos is different due to its urban setting, with two very good beaches for a competition. Both Praia Internacional and Leça da Palmeira are beach breaks that give good opportunities for everyone to score high and where anything can happen. My goal is not only to defend the national title I won last year but also to win as many stages as possible this year in the MEO Surf League. I’m coming from a victory in Figueira da Foz and I’m going to Porto and Matosinhos with the same motivation as winning.”
Gabriela Dinis – Winner of the 1st stage of the MEO Surf League
“The victory in Figueira da Foz was undoubtedly very important because I had needed it for a long time. I feel that all the work was worth it and it was a giant gain in confidence. It is very good to wear yellow lycra. Now the priority for the Porto and Matosinhos stage is to maintain consistency. It’s good to compete in Porto and Matosinhos. I still haven’t surfed there many times, but I hope to catch good waves.”
The main spectacle of national surfing then goes to the waters of Northern Portugal, where it is always interesting to follow the struggle between generations, particularly in 2023, where the youngest reached the victories, relegating the surfers with the most famous names to the background of importance. The Joaquim Chaves Saúde Porto Pro will be the 18th time without interruption that the MEO Surf League visits the cities of Porto and Matosinhos.
Rui Moreira, Mayor of Porto
“In addition to associating itself with events like this, important for the affirmation of the beaches of the North as a destination of choice for the practice of wave sports, the Porto City Council has been assigning increasing importance to surf. Proof of this is the inclusion of this modality in the recent sponsorship program for high-performance athletes with high sporting potential, launched earlier this year, which once again demonstrates the attention that the Municipality has given to this sport.”
Vasco Pinho – City Councilor of Matosinhos
“The Municipality of Matosinhos is consistently committed to the sporting, economic, and tourist potential associated with surfing and other water sports, bearing in mind its geographical, historical, and social context, as well as its umbilical relationship with the ocean. Atlantic and nautical sports. Hosting a stage of the most important national surfing competition demonstrates the recognition of the work carried out by the Municipality of Matosinhos in this sector, namely, through the enhancement of the quality of our bathing waters and respective monitoring, the investment in water safety through a permanent team beach rescue and close collaboration with the various Matosinhenses surf schools in promoting and increasing this modality. We are committed to this sporting event and certain that it will be, like previous editions, a huge success.”
Winners Gallery Joaquim Chaves Saúde Porto Pro (last five years)
2022 – Afonso Antunes and Teresa Bonvalot
2021 – Vasco Ribeiro and Teresa Bonvalot
2020 – Vasco Ribeiro and Teresa Bonvalot
2019 – Tomás Fernandes and Yolanda Hopkins
2018 – Marlon Lipke and Teresa Bonvalot
Miguel Vieira Marques – Marketing Director at Joaquim Chaves Saúde
“Joaquim Chaves Saúde (JCS) is proud to be associated, once again, with the MEO Surf League, as this is an initiative that meets two major commitments assumed by the brand: disease prevention and promotion of healthy lifestyle habits. JCS’ activity is currently based on four distinct areas (Laboratories, Medical Clinics, Oncology and Fitness), through which it provides a comprehensive range of services, ranging from diagnosis to treatment, without ever forgetting the aspect of prevention. And it is based on this 360º offer that the association of our brand with sport is unavoidable, with Surf being one of the protagonists of this sporting day. We want to be the Surf brand in Portugal and, for this reason, we have been alongside surfers in national and world-renowned competitions, including a disruptive concept of presenting ourselves as “Health Shapers”.”
Joaquim Chaves Saúde Porto Pro 2022 in numbers
– Stage Champions: Afonso Antunes and Teresa Bonvalot
– 1229 waves surfed by 99 registered surfers
– Best wave (maximum 10 points): 9.25 points from Vasco Ribeiro
– Best score (maximum 20 points): 16.75 from Vasco Ribeiro
In the 2nd stage of the MEO Surf League, Joaquim Chaves Saúde Best Wave (best wave of the stage), Bom Petisco Girls Score (best score exclusively dedicated to women), Go Chill Expression Session (best individual maneuvers in both men’s and female) and the Wavesby Round (best sports performance in round 3). Remember that the Go Chill Expression Sessions will take place twice after the postponement of their dispute during the previous stage in Figueira da Foz.
Fantasy Surfer – Participate at fantasy.ansurfistas.com
Stage winning prize: Rip Curl Search GPS 2 Watch
Team constitution deadline: call time on the first day of the race
Remember that the Joaquim Chaves Saúde Porto Pro is part of the Wave Series 2023 program where, next weekend, namely on the 15th and 16th of April, the 1st stage of the Junior Tour will be played, reserved for surfers up to 20 years, at Praia Internacional do Porto, which will help the youngest to warm up their engines for the MEO Surf League that will follow the following week.
Joaquim Chaves Saúde Porto Pro can be followed live on Sport TV, as well as on other official media: MEO Facebook, MEO app – available at position 810 of the MEO channel grid, and at www.ansurfistas.com and social networks at @ansurfistas.
Liga MEO Surf 2023 is an organization of the National Association of Surfers and Fire!, sponsored by MEO, Joaquim Chaves Saúde, Allianz Seguros, Bom Petisco, Go Chill, Corona, Somersby, sustainability partner Jerónimo Martins, support local councils of Porto and Matosinhos and technical support from the Onda Pura Surf Center and the Portuguese Surfing Federation.
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