Adur Amatriain and Carolina Mendes come out on top at the 34th ABANCA Pantin Classic Galicia Pro.
The ABANCA Pantin Classic Galicia Pro wrapped up today in clean, two-to-three foot surf to crown the 2021 event winners. Here's a breakdown of the event's finals.
Men's Final: Adur Amatriain Continues Incredible 2021 Run
Adur Amatriain wins - WSL / Laurent Masurel
"I can't believe I've won it," Amatriain stated. "The Final was super close and Joan got the best score of the entire event so I was very nervous out there and the time passed pretty slowly for me."
At only 17 years-old, Adur Amatriain continues to wow with an impeccable run through the Galician week. Only weeks after seizing his first win on the Junior QS in France, the Basque surfer stepped up big time to claim the victory in Pantin today.
"This is such a prestigious event," Amatriain continued. "Winning here makes me feel super confident and very motivated for the next following events."
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Adur Amatriain - WSL / Laurent Masurel
Amatriain pulled the trigger first on a good-sized set to post a solid 6.33 and apply pressure on Joan Duru early on, quickly putting on a second high 6 on the scoreboard. But the veteran sat patiently and waited for the bomb, to put a near-perfect, powerful backhand combo of multiple turns for a 9.33.
As time ran down though, the patient approach proved expensive for Duru, who couldn't find a second scoring ride and had to settle for the runner-up spot in Galicia.
Joan Duru - WSL / Laurent Masurel
The former Championship Tour surfer who already has four QS event wins in the bag, was surely betting on No.5 after his near-perfect score but unfortunately couldn't back it up.
"It was very small and Adur's been ripping the whole event so he deserved that win," a gracious Duru commented. "I got a very good wave and waited for another one but it just never came. Things like this happen, but I did my best and I'm happy with my performance. I wasn't sure I could get a 3 on one of the smaller waves so I just waited and unfortunately it didn't work out."
Women's Final: Against the Ropes, Mendes Finds Resources to Fight Back
Carolina Mendes (PRT) wins - WSL / Laurent Masurel
The women's Final was a similar opposition of style, stance and experience as long time QS warrior Carolina Mendes took on up-and-comer Canarian Melania Suarez Diaz.
In a wave-starved Final heat, Suarez Diaz got the better of a 28-minute exchange, building house on minimal swell while Mendes was struggling to find opportunities to surf. But with such low scores on the board for both surfers, the door was still wide open.
On the two-minute mark, the only set wave of the Final showed up and the Portuguese surfed it just well enough to post a medium score and turn the heat to win her career's second QS event.
Carolina Mendes - WSL / Laurent Masurel
"That was a really hard heat of small waves and nothing really breaking," Mendes said. "I'm just really happy that that one wave showed up and I'm stoked to win here. Pantin is such an amazing contest and being one of the winners here is special."
The Portuguese surfer who has been competing for over ten years on the WSL tours claims a second win, in what is undeniably her strongest season ever. Following an excellent equal third place in Caparica in May, the 2017 European Champion claims the second and last event of the 2020/21 season as the best surfer in the region.
Melania Suarez Diaz - WSL / Laurent Masurel
Following a decent junior career which included a win in Portugal, Melania Suarez Diaz (ESP) has now transitioned to the Qualifying Series and is already making her mark, reaching her first Final in Pantin this week. The stylish goofy footer put together two strong results this season and will be a force to be reckoned with, through the next Qualifying campaign on the Old Continent.
"I'm really happy to have made it this far in this event," Suarez Diaz said. "I never imagined I'd make the Final so that's very satisfying for me."
Leticia Canales Bilbao Joins Vasco Ribeiro Atop Region's Leaderboard
Leticia Canales Bilbao Euro champion - WSL / Laurent Masurel
In this special season spanning over two calendar years and with a restricted number of events due to the global pandemic, Leticia Canales Bilbao was fortunate to count on one huge result from her 2020 season, an amazing third place at the inaugural women's Challenger Series event in Sydney.
By reaching the Quarterfinals this week, Canales Bilbao built a big enough cushion to cement her spot atop the regional leaderboard and claims her first European crown.
"I couldn't believe it actually I thought I'd have to make a few more heats," Canales Bilbao said. "I came to Pantin with the goal to win the European title so it feels great to achieve one of my goals and now let's set some more for the future. I'm super happy to be the first Spanish woman to win this title of European Champion."
Full Results and Rankings Update
With the completion of the ABANCA Pantin Classic Galicia Pro, the European rankings are now final for the 2020-21 season, here is the Top 5:
European Men's QS Top 5:
1 - Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) European Champion
2 - Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
3 - Joan Duru (FRA)
4 - Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR)
5 - Kauli Vaast (FRA)
European Women's QS Top 5:
1 - Leticia Canales Bilbao (ESP) European Champion
2 - Pauline Ado (FRA)
3 - Vahine Fierro (FRA)
4 - Maud Le Car (FRA)
5 - Johanne Defay (FRA)
Check out all the photos, videos and results from Pantin right here on worldsurfleague.com!
Adur Amatriain and Carolina Mendes Claim 2021 ABANCA Pantin Classic Galicia Pro Titles
WSL
The ABANCA Pantin Classic Galicia Pro wrapped up today in clean, two-to-three foot surf to crown the 2021 event winners. Here's a breakdown of the event's finals.
Men's Final: Adur Amatriain Continues Incredible 2021 Run
"I can't believe I've won it," Amatriain stated. "The Final was super close and Joan got the best score of the entire event so I was very nervous out there and the time passed pretty slowly for me."
At only 17 years-old, Adur Amatriain continues to wow with an impeccable run through the Galician week. Only weeks after seizing his first win on the Junior QS in France, the Basque surfer stepped up big time to claim the victory in Pantin today.
"This is such a prestigious event," Amatriain continued. "Winning here makes me feel super confident and very motivated for the next following events." Â Â
Amatriain pulled the trigger first on a good-sized set to post a solid 6.33 and apply pressure on Joan Duru early on, quickly putting on a second high 6 on the scoreboard. But the veteran sat patiently and waited for the bomb, to put a near-perfect, powerful backhand combo of multiple turns for a 9.33.
As time ran down though, the patient approach proved expensive for Duru, who couldn't find a second scoring ride and had to settle for the runner-up spot in Galicia.
The former Championship Tour surfer who already has four QS event wins in the bag, was surely betting on No.5 after his near-perfect score but unfortunately couldn't back it up.
"It was very small and Adur's been ripping the whole event so he deserved that win," a gracious Duru commented. "I got a very good wave and waited for another one but it just never came. Things like this happen, but I did my best and I'm happy with my performance. I wasn't sure I could get a 3 on one of the smaller waves so I just waited and unfortunately it didn't work out."
Women's Final: Against the Ropes, Mendes Finds Resources to Fight Back
The women's Final was a similar opposition of style, stance and experience as long time QS warrior Carolina Mendes took on up-and-comer Canarian Melania Suarez Diaz.
In a wave-starved Final heat, Suarez Diaz got the better of a 28-minute exchange, building house on minimal swell while Mendes was struggling to find opportunities to surf. But with such low scores on the board for both surfers, the door was still wide open.
On the two-minute mark, the only set wave of the Final showed up and the Portuguese surfed it just well enough to post a medium score and turn the heat to win her career's second QS event.
"That was a really hard heat of small waves and nothing really breaking," Mendes said. "I'm just really happy that that one wave showed up and I'm stoked to win here. Pantin is such an amazing contest and being one of the winners here is special."
The Portuguese surfer who has been competing for over ten years on the WSL tours claims a second win, in what is undeniably her strongest season ever. Following an excellent equal third place in Caparica in May, the 2017 European Champion claims the second and last event of the 2020/21 season as the best surfer in the region.
Following a decent junior career which included a win in Portugal, Melania Suarez Diaz (ESP) has now transitioned to the Qualifying Series and is already making her mark, reaching her first Final in Pantin this week. The stylish goofy footer put together two strong results this season and will be a force to be reckoned with, through the next Qualifying campaign on the Old Continent.
"I'm really happy to have made it this far in this event," Suarez Diaz said. "I never imagined I'd make the Final so that's very satisfying for me."
Leticia Canales Bilbao Joins Vasco Ribeiro Atop Region's Leaderboard
In this special season spanning over two calendar years and with a restricted number of events due to the global pandemic, Leticia Canales Bilbao was fortunate to count on one huge result from her 2020 season, an amazing third place at the inaugural women's Challenger Series event in Sydney.
By reaching the Quarterfinals this week, Canales Bilbao built a big enough cushion to cement her spot atop the regional leaderboard and claims her first European crown.
"I couldn't believe it actually I thought I'd have to make a few more heats," Canales Bilbao said. "I came to Pantin with the goal to win the European title so it feels great to achieve one of my goals and now let's set some more for the future. I'm super happy to be the first Spanish woman to win this title of European Champion."
Full Results and Rankings Update
With the completion of the ABANCA Pantin Classic Galicia Pro, the European rankings are now final for the 2020-21 season, here is the Top 5:
European Men's QS Top 5:
1 - Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) European Champion
2 - Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
3 - Joan Duru (FRA)
4 - Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR)
5 - Kauli Vaast (FRA)
European Women's QS Top 5:
1 - Leticia Canales Bilbao (ESP) European Champion
2 - Pauline Ado (FRA)
3 - Vahine Fierro (FRA)
4 - Maud Le Car (FRA)
5 - Johanne Defay (FRA)
Check out all the photos, videos and results from Pantin right here on worldsurfleague.com!
Adur Amatriain
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ABANCA Pantin Classic Galicia Pro
Adur Amatriain and Carolina Mendes come out on top at the 34th ABANCA Pantin Classic Galicia Pro.
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