This is pretty major, 15 year-old Gabriel Medina has won the 6-Star Maresia Surf International and takes away $20,000 notes for his efforts. Scoring an outstanding 8.33 in the final, Gabriel defeated 32 year-old vet Neco Padaratz in the final, with a combination of aggressive riding and big aerials. We’ve got the highlights for you below.

Check out the press release…

Florianopolis, Santa Catarina — The young Brazilian Gabriel Medina (15) has taken out the win at the 2009 Maresia Surf International at Mole Beach on Florianopolis today, defeating Brazilian veteran Neco Padaratz (32) after putting on an amazing display of frontside attack surfing and big aerials.

The young Brazilian with only fifteen years old walked away with US$20,000 in prize money and 2,500 ASP WQS ratings points for the win, and became the youngest surfer ever to win a WQS event. With a heat score of 15.83 out of a possible 20, Medina proved the surfer of the event and deservedly took the title of Maresia Surf International.

In a beatiful sunny day and messy three-to-four foot conditions waves, the Brazilian goofy-footer was in amazing form, blasting some vertical maneuvers and big aerials on his way to victory. Medina officially announced his intentions when he logged a 7.50 to take early lead. Neco quickly answered back with a 5.50 and a 6.50 with solid backhand attack.

Remaining five minutes to go, Medina arrived back in the lineup he found himself sitting directly in the path of a long left. Medina squared up and went vertically up the face to smash a huge re-entry, racing down the line and with two additional turns secure a high score of 8.33 points out of a possible 10 and leave Neco needing a 9.33 score to win.

With no waves coming Neco was unable to found a high score, and Medina was crowned the 2009 Maresia Surf International Champion. “I’m really happy to have won this event here at Mole Beach” said the winner after spraying the crowd with champagne.

“I’d just like to thank all my friends and everyone who was on the beach today supporting me, especially my dad who always belive on me. When I was out in the water I just concentrated on surfing as well as I could because I knew it will be really hard to surf against Neco in his home break, so I am really happy to have won such a prestigious event” concluded Medina.

Medina has been in great form the entire event, eliminating a host of big name surfers on his way to the grand final of Maresia Surf International and the second place of Neco marked the return of the one of the best Brazilians surfers ever after a serius inyured in his back. Neco already won two WQS events sponsored by Maresia in the past.

“First I would like to thank the city of Florianopolis and everyone from my state. I had dreamed of being back to this place and be in the podium again, so thank everyone who believed in me. The thing that I most love in my life is surfing and 1 year ago I thought that I could never do that any more” said Neco very excited.

“It was a great battle to be here again, much crying, great suffering, without sponsorship, but God gave me this new opportunity and now I have another chance to continue surfing” completed Neco for delirium of the great crowd that followed the podium ceremony of the Maresia Surf International.

The International surfers were barred on the semi-finals of the event. In the first semis new school standout and winner Gabriel Medina took on Hawaiian Dusty Payne (20) who got serius hurt in his back after the quarter-finals number one. “I hurt my back in my last heat, I don’t know what happen, I couldn’t even walk. I wanted to be in the final, but’s is ok, good result for me and now I just want to recover my self to the next event in Rio” commented Payne.

In the second Semifinal of Maresia Surf International, Australian Matt Wilkinson found himself having to contend with an in-form Neco, Was the third time that Wilkinson finished in third this year. “I still happy for sure, I got 1.875 points wich is pretty good, but I still a little disapointed because this is my third third this year, so I would like so much to make it through , I got one last wave in the end but the judges didn’t gave to me. My goal for this year is classified to the World Tour, so I hope continue surfing good and make another good results to reach the Dream Tour next year” concluded Wilkinson.

After Maresia Surf International Brazilian Jadson Andre is the new ASP WQS leader. Despite not reaching the final and losing to Neco in the last quarter-final, Jadson was happy with his fifth place in the contest and with the lead in the ranking. “Neco is a very experienced man. He surferd in a diferent place in the water and he was lucky that the waves came for him. I am now in the lead of the tour, but the all the other guys are really close. Now I just want to think in get another good result at Saquarema to increase my advantage” promised Jadson.

Next stop on the 2009 ASP Men’s WQS Tour will begin on this Tuesday at Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro State, with a 6-Star event.

MARESIA SURF INTERNATIONAL – GREAT-FINAL:
Final: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 15.83 def. Neco Padaratz (BRA) 12.00

MARESIA SURF INTERNATIONAL – SEMI-FINALS:
Heat 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 12.10 def. Dusty Payne (HAW) 10.60
Heat 2: Neco Padaratz (BRA) 11.53 def. Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 10.57

MARESIA SURF INTERNATIONAL – QUARTER-FINALS:
Heat 1: Dusty Payne (HAW) 13.17 def. Miguel Pupo (BRA) 10.16
Heat 2: Gabriel Medina (BRA) 13.13 def. Austin Ware (USA) 9.47
Heat 3: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) 11.13 def. Patrick Gudauskas (USA) 8.83
Heat 4: Neco Padaratz (BRA) 16.50 def. Jadson André (BRA) 10.57

2009 WQS RANKING – after 19 events:
01: Jadson Andre (BRA) – 12.600 points
02: Daniel Ross (AUS) – 12.225
03: Adam Melling (AUS) – 11.989
04: Owen Wright (AUS) – 11.338
05: Tanner Gudauskas (USA) – 10.700
06: Matt Wilkinson (AUS) – 10.675
07: Blake Thornton (AUS) – 10.638
08: Patrick Gudauskas (USA) – 10.513
09: Brett Simpson (USA) – 9.851
10: Austin Ware (USA) – 9.763
11: Joan Duru (FRA) – 9.601
12: Travis Logie (ZAF) – 9.276
13: Luke Munro (AUS) – 9.189
14: Nathan Yeomans (USA) – 9.063
15: Leigh Sedley (AUS) – 8.838
16: Marco Polo (BRA) – 8.826
17: Dusty Payne (HAW) – 8.675
18: Jarrad Howse (AUS) – 8.625
19: Gony Zubizareta (ESP) – 8.601
20: Dion Atkinson (AUS) – 8.576