Australia's Trent Munro today won his first World Championship Tour (WCT) event, defeating compatriot Mark Occhilupo in the final of the Rio Surf International in Brazil.
Competing in the first final of his rookie year on the tour, the 22-year-old dominated his older opponent in the 2-3 foot (1m) surf at
Arpoador on Rio's famous Ipanema Beach.
Munro got the better start in the peeling left-handers, with 35-year-old Occhilupo, the 1999 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) world champion, having to play catch-up throughout the final.
Halfway through, and with a handy lead, Munro picked off the highest score of the day, posting a nine (out of a possible ten) to seal the victory and collect the $US30,000 ($73,000) first prize.
On the way to the final Munro took out world No. 6 Taj Burrow of Australia and Hawaii's No. 16 Andy Irons before beating fellow Australian rookie Joel Parkinson in the semifinals.
With the win Munro moved into 13th position on the ASP WCT ratings while Occhilupo moved into second behind Florida's CJ Hobgood, who he beat in the semifinals.
The next event on the WCT, the Billabong Pro at Jeffreys Bay in South Africa, starts on July 17.
