Bruno Santos (BRA) proved to be a dangerous wildcard at the Billabong Pro Tahiti, defeating World No. 1 Adriano de Souza (BRA) in the early stages of the event. And while he didn't go on to win (he finished in ninth place), Santos ruled Teahupo'o in the Tahiti GoPro Challenge, topping 35 submissions to win the $10,000 prize purse.
In his winning submission for the Tahiti GoPro Challenge, Bruno Santos captures Teahupo'o breaking before tucking into the barrel.
The GoPro Challenge asks competing World Surf League (WSL) athletes to submit their own GoPro videos from the competition venue and surrounding areas, with clips accepted starting two days prior to the contest window and no later than the conclusion of the event. Though Teahupo'o was fickle and not always contestable, it still made for some fantastic shots, with views of Tahiti's lush mountains at the end of the tunnel -- literally.
Santos' video had the perfect mix of the contest's winning criteria, which include cinematography, degree of difficulty of shooting, perspective and overall beauty and lighting. Each element held equal weight and the panel of five judges -- three from the WSL staff and two from GoPro -- ultimately crowned Santos as champion.
The GoPro Challenge returns in 2015, starting with the elite Tours' arrivals on Fiji.
The GoPro Challenge Tahiti edition is the second one so far this season. C.J. Hobgood (USA), who was honored with Billabong's Andy Irons Most Committed Performance Award in Tahiti, won the kickoff contest at the Fiji Pro with a sunlit barrel ride at Cloudbreak.
Want to know how to shoot winning clips? Check out this tutorial.
The Tahiti GoPro Challenge was the most popular event last season, but this year saw almost twice the number of submissions. Here are some of the other nominees:
The Tour icon drops into a dark and stormy barrel in his first entry for the Tahiti GoPro Challenge.
Josh Kerr submits the first GoPro Challenge Tahiti clip for a hollow righthander.
Kai Otton slides into and out of a barrel for his fourth GoPro Challenge clip.
The next GoPro Challenge will be at the Billabong Pipe Masters, which kicks off December 8 and is the final stop on the men's 2015 Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour. Watch all the submissions to the 2015 GoPro Challenge here.
Santos Wins Tahiti GoPro Challenge
WSL
Bruno Santos (BRA) proved to be a dangerous wildcard at the Billabong Pro Tahiti, defeating World No. 1 Adriano de Souza (BRA) in the early stages of the event. And while he didn't go on to win (he finished in ninth place), Santos ruled Teahupo'o in the Tahiti GoPro Challenge, topping 35 submissions to win the $10,000 prize purse.
The GoPro Challenge asks competing World Surf League (WSL) athletes to submit their own GoPro videos from the competition venue and surrounding areas, with clips accepted starting two days prior to the contest window and no later than the conclusion of the event. Though Teahupo'o was fickle and not always contestable, it still made for some fantastic shots, with views of Tahiti's lush mountains at the end of the tunnel -- literally.
Santos' video had the perfect mix of the contest's winning criteria, which include cinematography, degree of difficulty of shooting, perspective and overall beauty and lighting. Each element held equal weight and the panel of five judges -- three from the WSL staff and two from GoPro -- ultimately crowned Santos as champion.
The GoPro Challenge Tahiti edition is the second one so far this season. C.J. Hobgood (USA), who was honored with Billabong's Andy Irons Most Committed Performance Award in Tahiti, won the kickoff contest at the Fiji Pro with a sunlit barrel ride at Cloudbreak.
Want to know how to shoot winning clips? Check out this tutorial.
The Tahiti GoPro Challenge was the most popular event last season, but this year saw almost twice the number of submissions. Here are some of the other nominees:
The next GoPro Challenge will be at the Billabong Pipe Masters, which kicks off December 8 and is the final stop on the men's 2015 Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour. Watch all the submissions to the 2015 GoPro Challenge here.
Bruno Santos
Bruno Santos está gostando tanto da experiência de viver com a família em Bali que tem considerado uma mudança definitiva
In the end, it was a battle of former Championship Tour powerhouses: Aranburu vs. Aussie Nathan Hedge.
Kelly Slater earned another perfect 10 during his rematch with Bruno Santos, and moved through.
Three former Teahupo'o winners waged a fierce Round Four battle for a trip to the Quarterfinals, and it was good.
After Jeep Leader Matt Wilkinson lost in Round Three, No. 2-ranked John John Florence secured another crucial win.
Billabong Pro Tahiti
Kelly Slater takes the win at the 2016 Billabong Pro Tahiti.
See what surfer made moves up and down the Fantasy Surfing lineup at the Billabong Pro Tahiti.
Big exits from the Championship Tour's 2015 trip to Teahupo'o.
Drone highlights from the Billabong Pro Tahiti, Stop No. 7 on the Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour.
Jason Stevenson of JS Industries talks about the board that took Jeremy Flores all the way at the Billabong Pro Tahiti.