Going into Brazil, with the race for the title still very much wide open, we here at FREESURF thought we’d set you wise to our picks to watch out for in the event. Keep in mind that as a collective of writers, editors, and art directors that we’ve only made a few heats competitively (with the exception of Mike Latronic)…so we may not be the best people to give advice on the subject. But then again, that’s never stopped us before. Without further ado, here’s our picks for Brazil. Get some, dear reader.

Kevin Whitton, Editor: I’m going with Jordy Smith. After sticking that ridiculous Rodeo, Brazil will the be the kind of shitty wave that will be perfect for him to pull something crazy…he'll be Rodeo flipping his way to the podium.

Tony Heff, Photo Editor: I’ve got to go with my boy Ceej. Cause he’s from Florida and those guys know their beachbreaks.

Richard Hutter: Art Director: I like Adriano De Souza. The locals will put him in a Brazo trance and I think he’ll win.

Jeff Mull, Associate Editor: Dane Reynolds. Without a doubt, the best surfer alive today. The man's so good I—and the rest of the surf media—truly doesn't care about how he does on tour. That said, it’s about damn time he wins an event.

Mike Latronic, Publisher: Taj Burrow’s my call. In small waves he owns it. Unstoppable. He almost won Tahiti on turns alone.