Photography: Jorge Matreno
The World Surf League (WSL) announced that Vissla and MEO emerge as new sponsors of the Challenger Series portuguese stage, which will be the first on the calendar in Europe, followed by Quiksilver and Roxy Pro France, from 16 to 24 of the same month, in Landes, on the southwest coast of France.
Vissla thus joins MEO and Turismo de Portugal in a deal for the next three years, being the naming sponsor of the Portuguese competition.
the big news this year will be the return of the women’s competition
It is between the 2nd and 10th of October that the second of the four stops of the new Challenger Series will take place – the MEO Vissla Pro Ericeira. The iconic world-class waves of Ribeira d’Ilhas will be the stage for the dispute on the 2022 World Tour – the World Championship Tour or WCT.
This will be the first time that Vissla sponsors a large-scale professional event in Europe – after having named the ISA Junior World Championships and the WQS events in Australia – and may even give to some of the Portuguese young people sponsored by the brand, such as Martim Paulino or Martim Nunes, the opportunity to compete in this stage.
Francisco Spínola, responsible for WSL EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), stressed the importance of supporting these events that give surfers the opportunity to reach the world elite: “We are very happy to welcome Vissla and MEO as naming sponspors of this step. We are confident it will be an extraordinary event over the next three years.”
Kanoa Igarashi, Frederico Morais and Vasco Ribeiro are expected names for this race
WSL Europe’s communication also points to the fact that Kanoa Igarashi, resident in Ericeira and silver medal winner at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games, is a potential headliner for this event. Frederico Morais, the only Portuguese surfer who belongs to the 32 best in the world, and Vasco Ribeiro, national champion, are other stars expected in the competition.
The big news this year will be the return of the women’s competition, which will feature, among others, Teresa Bonvalot, also an Olympic athlete.
Hélder Sousa Silva, Mayor of Mafra, spoke a few words about the value that this stage has for the territory of Ericeira: “In the year that marks the 10th anniversary of Ericeira’s consecration as a World Surfing Reserve, receiving one of the main stages of qualification for the World Surfing Championship not only reflects the recognition of this unique heritage, which is unique in Europe, but also the quality and safety of the destination, contributing to its notoriety and internationalisation.”
Esta publicação também está disponível em | This article is also available in: Portuguese (Portugal)
