Fernando Stalla wins the elite race at Battle of the paddle in Brazil

Translation: Heido Sundstrom

Mexican surfer, Fernando Stalla, triumphed in Brazil, winning the Elite Race at the Battle of the Paddle event that was held on the white, sandy beaches of Cabo Frio, north of Rio de Janeiro.

The Elite Race began and immediately Fernando Stalla was in the lead, followed closely behind by the local team who were eager to show their talent in national waters and on their beach. Luis Guida, Vinicius Martins and the dark horse Joseph Cerdas included those in pursuit of Stalla.

Stalla, the “Tarzan” of Sayulita, dominated the race and paddled hard in the final period to win a comfortable victory and become champion of the first battle of the Elite Paddle Race in Brazil. The second place position went to Jose Cerdas and third place went to local Luiz Guida.

The Distance Race included two periods of a 6km loop. The conditions were better than the previous day’s Elite Race, and although the wind was hitting the front (making it a very technical race) Stalla took off like a rocket. The young sensation, 17-year-old Vinicius Martins, went head-to-head with Stalla for almost the entire race, paddling parallel to each other. Finally, it was Stalla who took the lead and won by a 30-second difference. The young Martins took a well-deserved second place and Jo Cerdas came in third.