Not only the location off the Brazilian coast was historic – the duel between Ferrugem and Piolho in the final was also a reminder of old times. Winner Ferrugem will go down in the history books himself: as the very first winner of the Red Bull Batalha no Forte.

It wasn’t the bloodiest day in the 350-year history of Fort Sao Marcelo, but definitely one of the most exciting. 30 skateboarders – 28 locals and two “gringos” - met in the All Saints’ Bay off Salvador de Bahia for a contest with unusual obstacles. They transformed the inner ring of the fortifications into a skatepark, grabbing over cannons, grinding along chests and barrels and flipping over sacks full of gun powder.

Man-to-Man with Surprises

2000 fans had rowed along to witness the premiere. A double premiere, to be precise: not only was it the first edition of the Red Bull Batalha no Forte – the competition rules were new too: this was the first street contest fought as a man-to-man duel. The riders in the round of sixteen were paired off (from the 16th with the first to the 8th with the 9th) to fight for the judges’ favour. Each skater had one minute per run to provide his direct opponent with a free afternoon.

This happened surprisingly early for the winner of the qualification, Rodolfo Ramon: he was eliminated in the round of sixteen by his compatriot Nilton Urina, who had finished the heats in 16th place. Vert superstar Sandro Dias was forced even sooner to recognise that the street is governed by other laws. The number 1 in the world of ramps didn’t get past the qualification round on the street course, but still did better than two discipline specialists with his 28th place.

A Winner with Self-Confidence

The crucial duel was nothing new to most: Rodil Araujo Jr vs. Carlos de Andrade (or “Ferrugem” vs. “Piolho”, to use their better-known stage names) was the line-up for the final. They are both from Curitiba and know each other very well from many finals during their amateur days.

Ferrugem won the Fort Sao Marcelo contest with a margin of three points. His comment after the contest displayed his healthy self-confidence: “The format of the competition was great. It allowed only the best to win the battles.” Ferrugem was pleased not only with the prestigious victory, but also with the 7,000 Real (EUR 2,660/USD 3,190) prize money.

Shin Shikuma
RB Batalha no Forte
Rodrigo K-b-ca
RB Batalha no Forte