- They defeated Francisco Ordonhas and Maria Dias in the final;
- Martim Nunes isolated himself at the top of the men’s ranking;
- Erica Máximo catches up with Maria Salgado at the top of the female ranking;
- The next stage takes place in São Jacinto, on the 13th and 14th of July;
Martim Nunes and Erica Máximo achieved, this Sunday, the triumph in the Projunior Viana do Castelo, the second stage of the Junior Tour 2024, the circuit that defines the U20 national titles. This was the second victory in as many stages for Martim, while Erica made her debut win of the season after a stage that featured waves of around 1 meter on Arda beach, in Viana do Castelo.
The current two-time Pro Junior national champion was on top form throughout the event, achieving high marks in the various rounds played. Proof of this was the 15.25 points achieved in round 2, which was the best score of the event. To guarantee the victory, Nunes surpassed Francisco Ordonhas in the final, after scoring 13.75 points, against 11.65 for his opponent.
“I’m very happy to have won in Viana do Castelo, especially because this triumph precedes the European Pro Junior season, which starts in a few days, in Morocco”, Martim Nunes began by stating. “It was an important championship, in which I managed to show good surfing, which leaves me motivated for what comes next. I’m also very happy to have competed in the final with Francisco Ordonhas, who is a great friend and also surfed very well in this event”, he concluded.
Salvador Vala and Francisco Mittermayer both closed the stage in 3rd place, after being defeated in the semi-finals by Martim Nunes and Francisco Ordonhas, respectively.
In the women’s race, there was balance until the end, with Erica Máximo standing out from the competition in the final stretch of this stage. The semi-finals saw the biggest surprises of the championship, with Maria Dias eliminating ranking leader Maria Salgado and Erica Máximo defeating the reigning U20 national champion Gabriela Dinis. In the grand final, Erica Máximo scored 11.75 points to beat Maria Dias.
“I’m very happy with the victory”, Erica Máximo began by saying, after the final in Viana do Castelo. “I had started the year with a 3rd place and now this result gives me a boost of confidence for the rest of the season. It was a championship with somewhat difficult conditions, but in the final I managed to find a good wave, which allowed me to manage the rest of the heat. I was really happy with the triumph and I hope that the success will be repeated in the next races”, she highlighted.
With this triumph, Martim Nunes further isolated himself at the top of the men’s ranking, putting himself in a good position to win the U20 national title for the third consecutive year, already having an advantage of 530 points over vice-leader Francisco Ordonhas. On the women’s side, Erica Máximo reached Maria Salgado in the lead, with defending champion, Gabriela Dinis, occupying 3rd position in the ranking, 140 points behind the leading pair.
São Jacinto, in Aveiro, hosts the third and penultimate stage of the Junior Tour, which takes place on the 13th and 14th of July and could be decisive for the U20 national titles.
Via do Castelo Projunior Results:
Men’s final: Martim Nunes 13.75 x Francisco Ordonhas 11.65 points
Women’s final: Erica Dias 11.75 x Maria Dias 8.25 points
Best male wave: Martim Nunes and Francisco Ordonhas 8.00 points
Best female wave: Gabriela Dinis 8.50 points
The second stage of the Junior Tour was a competition organized by the Surf Clube de Viana and the National Surfers Association, with the collaboration of the Viana do Castelo City Council, the Portuguese Youth Institute, the Sports Foundation and the technical support of the Portuguese Surfing Federation. This event is sponsored by Quiksilver and Roxy and has media partners Surftotal, Beachcam and ONFIRE Surf Mag.
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