Photo: ASP / KIRSTIN
Jadon Andre, Cinderella story

In a Cinderella story for the ages, Jadson Andre defeated former nine-time ASP World Champion and current ASP World No. 1 Kelly Slater to claim the Billabong Pro Santa Catarina.

The third stop on the 2010 ASP World Tour, the Billabong Pro Santa Catarina culminated in dramatic fashion today with Andre, a 'CT rookie claiming his inaugural victory in front of a capacity crowd at Praia da Vila.

"What do I say?" Andre said. "This is my dream. This is everything I have worked for in my life. To be on the beach and hear that I was the winner, something special came over me. I don't know how to put into words. It's a miracle. I have had some bad things happen in my life, but this is amazing. I am so thankful to everyone for this."

Photo: ASP / KIRSTIN
20 year old Jadson Andre relied on his progressive
surfing throughout the contest
While Slater never quite found his high-scoring form in Brazil, the Floridian adapted to the conditions each and every round, exhibiting his dominant nature throughout the Billabong Pro Santa Catarina. The Runner-Up Finish sees Slater ascend to the top of the ASP World Tour rankings a dangerous place considering the upcoming events.

"It definitely puts me in a good spot this season heading into Jeffreys (Bay) and Tahiti," Slater said. "I think it's been almost two years since I've led the rankings and yeah, it feels good. In these conditions it was always going to be tough to beat him (Andre). We'll see if he can match the performance at places like Teahupoo and Pipeline."

Photo: ASP / KIRSTIN
Aussie Taj Burrow takes flight during his heat
Dane Reynolds lived up to his reputation at the Billabong Pro Santa Catarina, logging in one phenomenal performance after another that culminated in the day's highest single-wave score, a 9.77 out of a possible 10 for a monster 360 Method Air on his backhand in the Quarterfinals. Unfortunately, Reynolds was unable to halt an early blitz from Andre in the Semifinals.

"Jadson (Andre) really found a rhythm early and I wasn't able to get anything going until the end there," Reynolds said. "I felt like I was pushing through the waves a bit too much. It's okay though. Equal 3rd is a good result and it puts me in a comfortable position moving forward. I had a good time here in Brazil. I had some fun heats and I'm looking forward to the next one."

Photo: ASP / KIRSTIN
After Brazil, Jordy Smith is now ranked number 2 in
the world
Jordy Smith fell to eventual Runner-Up Slater in the Quarterfinals but remained a standout in Brazil. The powerful South African's Equal 5th place finish sees him move to the ASP World No. 2 spot, an excellent position to be in heading into the next stop in South Africa.

The next stop on the 2010 ASP World Tour will be the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay from July 15-25, 2010.

BILLABONG SANTA CATARINA PRO FINAL RESULTS:
1 Jadson Andre (BRA) 14.40
2 Kelly Slater (USA) 14.00

BILLABONG SANTA CATARINA PRO SEMIFINAL RESULTS:
SF 1: Jadson Andre (BRA) 17.70 def. Dane Reynolds (USA) 16.67
SF 2: Kelly Slater (USA) 13.50 def. Owen Wright (AUS) 10.56

CURRENT ASP WORLD TOUR TOP 5 (After Brazil):
1 Kelly Slater (USA) 21750 pts
2 Jordy Smith (ZAF) 18500 pts
3 Taj Burrow (AUS) 18250 pts
4 Mick Fanning (AUS) 15500 pts
4 Jadson Andre (BRA) 15500 pts