Deivid Silva Wins Ballito Pro presented by O’Neill

BALLITO, South Africa (Sunday, July 7, 2019) – Deivid Silva (BRA) was crowned as the winner of the 2019 Ballito Pro pres by O’Neill after convincingly defeating Jack Freestone (AUS) in the final of the 51^st edition of the world’s longest running professional surfing event on Sunday.

The last day of the first QS10,000 rated World Surf League (WSL) Qualifying Series (QS) event was held in 1.3 – 1.5 metre (4-5ft) surf at Willard Beach, with occasional larger set waves and a strong Southerly cross-shore wind which created tricky bumps on the wave faces.

WSL Qualifying Series (QS) Rankings (After Ballito Pro)
1. Jadson Andre (BRA) 16,000 points
2. Jorgann Couzinet (FRA) 13,160
3. Matt Banting (AUS) 12,550
4. Deivid Silva (BRA) 12,320
5. Reo Inaba (JPN) 12,210

Silva and 2018 event runner-up Freestone, both members of the Top 32 ranked surfers on the elite WSL Championship Tour (CT), opted for a power surfing strategy on Finals Day. In the 35 minute Final, Silva started strongly by unleashing three massive backhand turns for an excellent 8.33 out of 10, which immediately put his opponent under pressure.

Deivid Silva (BRA) hacking his way to an excellent final score in The Ballito Pro pres by O’Neill
Credit: © WSL / Ryan Janssens

Freestone could only produce a series of low-scoring rides before Silva picked up a beautiful set wave and delivered two gravity-defying manoeuvres that the judges rewarded with a near-perfect 9.3. That put the Australian into a combination situation and needing to find two new scores totaling 17.64 before time ran out and he had to settle for second successive runner-up finish.

“This is the best thing in my life right now!” said Silva. “I’m so happy I got two good waves in that heat because Jack (Freestone) surfs so well, so I just thank God for giving me those two waves. The waves are good, even though the wind is strong, and I got that one big wave for two manoeuvres, so I am stoked.”

The victory and haul of 10,000 points saw Silva rocket 126 places up the QS rankings to No. 4.

\Jack Freestone (AUS) in The Ballito Pro pres by O’Neill final. Credit: © WSL / Ryan Janssens

Freestone looked incredibly comfortable on the last day of competition as he proceeded through the Quarterfinals and Semifinals on his way to his second successive Final at Ballito.

“Of course I wanted to win it, but I’m so stoked to be in the final again, back to back years,” said Freestone. “It just gives me something to work for next year. In that final I felt so confident, it’s just the waves that got incredibly hard, so I can’t wait to carry this momentum feeling of God into J-Bay.”

The two-time WSL World Junior Champion controlled the first Semifinal against Jorgann Couzinet (FRA) by performing big hits on the waves he rode while Couzinet fell on several of his rides. The Frenchman made a comeback towards the end of the encounter, but could not find the required score.

Silva dominated his Semifinal clash against Wade Carmichael (AUS) with excellent wave selection. The eventual winner looked lethal on his backhand, smashing the chunky walls for a total of 11.60 to move into the Final, while Carmichael had took home another 3^rd place finish at Ballito.

Pictured: Jack Freestone (AUS) congratulates Jorgann Couzinet (FRA) after the Frenchman received a wildcard entry in the Corona J-Bay Open. Credit: © WSL / Ryan Janssens

Although Couzinet did not reach the final, he was awarded the WSL wildcard into the Corona Open J-Bay as the highest placed surfer on the QS rankings not seeded into the CT event, which starts in Jeffreys Bay on Tuesday.

“At the end of the heat I thought I got the score, but I’m so stoked to get into J-Bay!” said Couzinet. “It’s the dream, I’ll have a good sleep tonight. I came here thinking of making quarters, so a semifinal is amazing. It’s a big dream to surf J-Bay, I feel like I’m going to cry!”

Ballito Pro pres by O’Neill Final Results:
1. Deivid Silva (BRA) 17.63
2. Jack Freestone (AUS) 9.46

Ballito Pro pres by O’Neill Semifinal Results:
SF1: Jack Freestone (AUS) 12.03 def Jorgann Couzinet (FRA) 11.37
SF2: Deivid Silva (BRA) 11.60 def Wade Carmichael (AUS) 8.16

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL RESULTS

About O’Neill
Jack O’Neill opened the world’s first surf shop in 1952 out of a garage off the Great Highway, San Francisco. He started out shaping boards and selling wax, eventually experimenting with insulated surf vests to extend sessions in the frigid waters of Northern California. This thought process lead to the creation of the neoprene wetsuit, an invention of Jack’s that changed the surf world forever. The shop later moved to Santa Cruz and went full force into the wetsuit business. That same progressive spirit still drives the company forward today. We at O’Neill strive to innovate, evolve, and produce timeless products to benefit those who live the surf lifestyle.About the WSL
The World Surf League (WSL) is dedicated to celebrating the world’s best surfing on the world’s best waves through a variety of best-in-class audience platforms. The organization, headquartered in Santa Monica, is a global sport with regional offices in Australasia, Africa, North America, South America, Hawaii, Japan and Europe.
The WSL has been championing the world’s best surfing since 1976, annually running more than 230 global events across the Men’s and Women’s Championship Tours, the Big Wave Tour, Redbull Airborne, Qualifying Series, Junior and Longboard Championships, as well as the WSL Big Wave Awards. The League possesses a deep appreciation for the sport’s rich heritage while promoting progression, innovation and performance at the highest levels, and in doing so crowns the undisputed Men’s and Women’s World Champions across all tours.
Showcasing the world’s best surfing on its digital platform at WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL has a passionate global fan base with millions tuning in to see world-class athletes like Kelly Slater, Stephanie Gilmore, Tyler Wright, John Florence, Lakey Peterson, Grant Baker, Keala Kennelly, Paige Alms, Kai Lenny, Steven Sawyer, Soleil Errico, Carissa Moore, Gabriel Medina, Courtney Conlogue and more battle on the most dynamic field of play of any global sport.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.comAbout Surfing South Africa
Surfing South Africa is recognised as the governing body for surfing in South Africa by the Department of Sport and Recreation. SSA is a member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC), the African Surfing Confederations (ASC) and the International Surfing Association (ISA). All national and International surfing contests held in South Africa are required to be sanctioned by Surfing South Africa.