ITAJAI, Brazil  - The second edition of the Maresia Surf International in Itajai began on today in good waves of three-to-five foot (1.5 metre) surf at beautiful Brava Beach.

In the first heat of the day, beginning at 9am, Brazilians Magno Pacheco and Flavio Costa won the first two places to move to the second round. After that, the Australian Alex Chacon won the second heat, and in the third heat, the best of the day, Brazilian Anselmo Correia fired posting the highest heat score of the Maresia Surf International so far.

He completed a great wave (9.17 score) with three strong maneuvers that ensured the victory by 16.50 points (out of a possible 20), posting the two records of the event so far.

"I woke up at 6am to come here and during the free surf I surfed really good waves, than I went very confident to my heat," Correia said. "My goal in this event is to win another contest here in Santa Catarina. I won a ASP WQS event in Mole Beach at Florianopolis in 2001 and I hope to win another one, surfing calm and with no pressure, just letting the things happen. There are great waves out there and if you get a perfect left, for sure that it will be a high-score. I was impressed with the level of surfing in my heat, because all the surfers found good scores. Thank god that wave came to me in the end. I completed a first good maneuver, than the wave formed again and I hit an even stronger to finish well to take a 9.17 points (out of a possible 10) of judges that left me very happy."

The battle for the second place in third heat also was intense and defined only in the final seconds with a fantastic turnaround from Brazilian Alon Campestrini on another Brazilian Alejo Muniz.

"I surfed five contests without passing a heat and I was already thinking that would be happen again, but I got that wave in the end and get the score, it was very exciting," Campestrini said. "Contests in our Home Town are always nice, everybody cheering for us, so I hope that I can use this positive energy to go very high in this event."

Most foreigners surfers enrolled in Maresia Surf International just will start surfing in Round of 96. But some of them have already competed in the first day of the event, one of them was the Australian Alex Chacon winner of the second heat and the American Shey Yates, who completed a big 360 aerial in his last wave in the last 20 seconds of the heat. In the middle of the day a strong south wind started in Brava Beach, forcing the suspension of the competition in the 14th heat of Round of 144.

"The heat was a little stressful because just a few sets came during the heat, but in the end I found a good one to guarantee my ticket into the next round," Yates said. "This is my first time here in Brazil and I am really enjoying this beautiful beach with a plenty of vegetation and with great waves and nice barrels. I also had a great free surfing here this morning.

Ten heats remain before the Round of 144 is completed and the competition will re-start tomorrow morning at 7am and 20 heats are scheduled for the second day of the Maresia Surf International.

The last winner of the Maresia Surf International, Brazilian Adriano de Souza, will not compete in the event this year, Adriano still in treatment of a contusion suffered last week during the ASP WQS event at Arpoador Beach in Rio de Janeiro and will not defend the title in the event. The American Jesse Heilman replaced him. Adriano started doing physical therapy to try to get into full physical conditions to defend his fifth place in the ASP World Tour, in the Brazilian Dream Tour stop in Imbituba.

The Maresia Surf International is webcast LIVE via www.aspsouthamerica.com.br