Get Ricardo to the AZORES ISLANDS PRO!!!

The art of riding waves is my absolute passion. I have wanted to be a professional surfer since the day my birthday cake had eight candles lit. From the beginning, I biked miles to the beach on my own in order to spend the entire day training and that same work ethic has remained throughout my life, taking me to places I never would have thought possible.

My professional surf journey has been a rollercoaster which I am proud of and blessed to have experienced.

At age 14 I placed 4th in the World at the South African Junior Titles. In 2006 at age 16 I won the New Zealand National Open title. This brought on major international sponsorships which enabled me to live in Australia for much of my teenage years to compete on the Australasian Pro Junior series.

When I hit 20, My mission to join the Worlds best on the World Championship Tour began. To do this I needed to place inside the top 10 of the World Qualifying series.

In my third full year on the WQS(2011) I came within four places of qualification, narrowly missing out on my ultimate dream. The following year as the global financial crisis loomed, I was left sponsorless and financially unable to give it another go which was frustrating as I knew it was possible. I worked hard to keep my dreams alive at home, searching for sponsorship, working regular jobs and training harder than ever.

In 2013 with the help of NZ and abroad, I crowdfunded enough money to compete in the back-end of the ASP World Qualifying Series tour. With a 5th place at Zippers Beach in Mexico and a 13th at the World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach, Hawaii, I went from a World rating of 130 to end the year inside the top 100 at number 72. Without the support of people like you, this wouldn’t have been possible.

Since the beginning of my “comeback” in late 2013, I have been accumulating so much amazing support including some awesome new sponsorships and even more fans and support for my mission to qualify for the ASP World Championship Tour.

Having the top 100 rating at the beginning of 2014 allowed me to compete in every PRIME WQS event in the world this year, which I have committed to 110 % and it has in turn swallowed the majority of my available funds due to extensive air travel and general living costs at home and abroad.

In 2014 I have travelled to Australia, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, USA and Bali.

This year I have already banked a 5th place at the Coca Cola Saquarema PRIME event in Brazil which is a qualification “keeper” result. With five PRIMES remaining, the potential for me to qualify is definitely there.

I will soon be heading to Bali, Indonesia, one of the hotbeds of professional surfing to base myself for the next few months to train through the NZ winter so I can guarantee I am in my best physical condition to compete. I will travel to the final WQS events from there.

I am currently sitting 27th on the World Qualifying Series rankings.

This project is to simply raise the costs associated with getting me to the next WQS event in the Azores Islands off the coast of Portugal.

I am offering you the opportunity to become a part of my 2014 World Tour qualification team. I will keep you all personally updated on where I’m at throughout the remainder of this year through private photos, written updates and film clips to help share my journey with you as best I possibly can.

Cheers legends,

Ricardo

GENERAL COSTS

Flights to the Azores Islands (subject to change) :

$3500 with TAP Portugal, Air Asia and SATA airlines

10 days Car Rental - $750

10 days Accommodation - $750