Is Alejo Muniz another great Brazilian hope who has more passion than ability? Or does this kid have what it takes to walk away as the rookie of the year? Photo: Nike 6.0
The ASP Dream Tour made a few important modifications last year. By eliminating eleven spots from the competitive field (arguably the tour’s most significant change), they didn’t make it any easier on aspiring qualifiers, but with a few exceptions everyone seemed to end up where they belonged. Among that group, twenty-one-year-old Alejo Muniz managed to solidify his spot on the 2011 tour by finishing 31st in the new one-world ranking system. After being named the Nose Guard Rookie of the Year and winning the WQS Prime in Fernando de Noronha, Muniz has built plenty of momentum heading into the first event of the World Tour at Snapper Rocks, but what are his prospects for the year ahead? Is he another great Brazilian hope who has more passion than ability? Or does he have what it takes to walk away as the rookie of the year?
Muniz’s jump was anything but a matter of chance. His qualification was a manifestation of drive, perseverance, and sheer vision — something I learned during a brief encounter with him a few months prior to his qualification.
On the last day of the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach, I found myself sitting across the table from the soft spoken Brazilian in BJ’s Restaurant and Brew house, sharing a few drinks — soft drinks and waters in fact. Muniz talked about his younger brothers (both rising surfers), friends, and his Bombinhas breeding ground. Surfing came up a bit, too.
As we were in the middle of the surfing circus in Huntington Beach, I couldn’t help but ask about the perks of his job: parties, groupies, freebies and the like. Muniz smirked, and my eyes dilated with interest as I anticipated a reckless reply suited to the stereotype of a professional male athlete blessed with talent and good looks. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised. He told me he was staying in a different hotel from most of the contestants to avoid distractions, and aside from attending the premiere of the Julian Wilson biopic, Scratching the Surface, hadn’t done much in Cali during the contest period.
Dedication aside, the kid can shred. Having witnessed Muniz’s surfing before our conversation, his discipline shouldn’t have come as such a shock. The same passionate tone I witnessed when he spoke translated directly to his competitive flair. The difference was, in the water, Muniz abandoned his soft-spoken ways. Even after receiving an interference, which sliced one of his scores in half during the final, Muniz managed to claim the second place at Huntington.
The Brazilian earned another second-place finish in August at the Sooruz Lacanau Pro in France. Wiggolly Dantas, his good friend and competitor claimed the title, and the support from their countrymen on the beach gave the contest a decidedly World Cup-esque atmosphere.
It hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the young Brazo, though. Like many of his fellow countrymen, Muniz has been accused of crumbling in large surf (think Jadson Andre). In Hawai’i, Muniz lived up to the stereotype at macking Sunset, and later rebounded when the surf got smaller. When he left Hawai’i, Muniz didn’t know if he had qualified. He was at the mercy of fate and the slip-ups of Gabe Kling, Travis Logie, Kai Otton and Dusty Payne during the Pipe Masters.
He may have started the year swinging in Fernando de Noronha, but he admits that he’s nervous for Snapper. With only a few days until his debut on the Goldie, the standout has a lot to prep for if he wants to continue his streak.
Just how well can he do? I’m betting he’ll finish in the top ten.
It may seem outlandish, but I stand by it. Granted, his recent win was in Brazil, where he has hassled for waves since he was a grom. And his consistency remains to be seen at other tour locations. However, inexperience can be alleviated with a savvy competitive approach, which he has in spades.
Take the case of fellow Brazilian, Adriano De Souza, who in 2007 ended 28th in rankings at the age of 20. In 2008, De Souza finished no. 7 in the world. Now, we’re left with a comparatively similar situation: Brazilian wunderkid with no. 28 spot, 21 years old, and a strong grasp of the competitive circuit.
Anyone else want to place a bet?
