COSTA MESA, CA - February 8, 2011 - Youth lifestyle brand Hurley announced
today that it signed one of Brazil's most promising young talents,
19-year-old Miguel Pupo, to its team. "You can count the number of
20-and-under surfers with world-title potential on one hand," says Hurley's
VP of Sports Marketing Pat O'Connell. "And in my mind, Miguel is one of
those surfers. On top of that, he's a great kid and fits right in with our
crew."
"This is not only great for Brazil but great for surfing in general," adds
Hurley Brazil Brand Manager Valter Vale. "The Pupo family is surfing royalty
here and I know that Miguel will add to that legacy."
Pupo, son of former professional surfer Wagner Pupo, hails from the
relatively isolated Camburi Beach in Sao Paulo's North Coast. He regularly
surfs with his father, sister and brother while his mother films them. It's
this family support system that has helped Pupo already make a big impact on
the world stage. On top of being the 2010 South America Pro Junior champion,
he finished fifth at last summer's US Open of Surfing and stole the show
with his deep arsenal of air variations. He also followed that up with a
third at the ASP Prime event in the Canary Islands. "Hurley already feels
like a second family to me," says Pupo. "I'm looking forward to representing
them as I try to qualify this year."
The explosive goofyfoot joins an already stacked roster of Hurley juniors,
including Evan Geiselman, Conner Coffin, Mitch Crews and skater Curren
Caples. "We all have a lot in common," says Pupo. "We love to surf, love to
have fun and love to push each other in the water. I know we'll be pushing
each other for years to come."
Pupo's first major event as a Hurley surfer will be later this month - the
Hang Loose Pro at Fernando de Noronha in Brazil.