In an exhilarating final day at the Itacoatiara Pro 2024, the 4th stop of the Men’s World Tour calendar, Armide Soliveres emerged as the champion, showcasing his exceptional talent and resilience.

The young rider from the Canary Islands battled through intense heats, including a nail-biting quarter-final against debutant Uri Valadão, a semi-final against Ethan Capdeville, and a close Final against Pierre-Louis Costes.

The event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, marked by impressive performances and fierce competition, culminated in a thrilling all-European podium in a morning full of action, where the swell held up until the final heat, providing all riders with proper waves to showcase their skills and advance to the upcoming stages.

If the first semifinal was a battle of experience and expertise, the second heat was the opposite, showcasing the new generation as Armide Soliveres from the Canary Islands, and Ethan Capdeville from France battled for a spot in the final. Armide managed to find the best waves and advanced to the final with a combined score of 15.75 points, once again, showing for what he came.

The final was the Canary Islands against France, a new generation member versus a veteran former 2x world champ. Armide Soliveres or Pierre-Louis Costes, one of them would win the Itacoatiara Pro for the first time.

PLC started stronger with a 7.75, but was unable to find a proper backup score, the Frenchman left room for Armide to build his board. With a 7-point ride and an 8-point ride, Soliveres achieved a total score of 15 points, winning his first World Tour event ever in the Men’s Division after coming close to victory in the first event of the season in Morocco (where he placed second).
Armide Soliveres leads now the world ranking with 8848 points, Gabriel Braga (Brazil) is second with 7786 points, Tristan Roberts (South Africa) is third with 7656 points, Uri Valadão (Brazil) is fourth with 7547 points, and Dave Hubbard (Hawaii) closes the top 5 with 6902 points.
These athletes are followed by Ethan Capdeville (France), Joaquin Soto (Chile), Pierre Costes (France), Amaury Lavernhe (France), and Moisés Silva (Chile), closing the list of the best 10 in the world today.

We are now 7 weeks away from the start of the second half of the season, which will kick off August 1st with the Maldives Pro 2024, extending its window until August 10th. xxx

All photos by Tony D´Andrea / IBC