Brazil's Lima lives up to high expectations.....

I met Silvana a few years ago at Lower Trestles in San Clemente,California. She surprised me with her high powered moves and unimaginable airs. In the surfing community, an air is considered the ultimate expression. Almost like slam dunking a basketball. The euphoria while doing an air is unmatched only to dipping into a channel at pipeline in Hawaii.

There are only a few females on the planet earth that are capable of doing airs on water consistently.

The one's I've seen doing it on a regular

are Silvana and Melanie Bartels from the west side of Waianae, Oahu, Hawaii. Melanie's been doing them for years like it was

second nature. She's on another level when it comes to doing tricks on water. It's almost incomprehensible how someone can literally fly five to seven feet over the ocean and come down landing, feet firmly on the board.

Silvana has been able to integrate airs with the basic carving and off the lip moves that judges have embedded in their scoring bible. A basic move is sometimes scored higher than an air.

Considering that a basic move can be done by 99%

of surfing professionals an air can be achieved by a small few.

It's hard to understand when these judges are going to get with the

times and moderate their outdated scoring system. This goes for the

mens and the womens field of competitive surfing.

This past weekend Silvana placed second at the Beachley Classic

in Sydney Austrelia. She almost tweeked out a win, however

Australia's own rising star Stephanie Gilmore took first place.

Silvana is only one hundred points behind Gilmore for the overall lead

for the ASP world championship. The next meet is in Peru, and

then it's off to the big waves in Hawaii.

Look for a close finish for the championship between Brazils rising

star Lima, and Australia's wonder woman Stepanie Gilmore.