Trips to Hawaii are work for a guy like Italo Ferreira. Hard work. Granted, that’s the approach for every professional surfer who comes to the 7 Mile Miracle between Thanksgiving and the following spring, but Ferreira’s visits tend to have World Titles on the line — something only a very small fraction of surfers experience. And with the World Tour making its annual Pipeline event the kickoff to CT seasons in 2021, rather than its last hoorah, Italo’s time on Oahu is now all about preparation for the road ahead.
It doesn’t look like there’s ever a dull moment traveling with the former world champ. Every session at Pipe is training, studying, and fighting the pack for a single wave. Oh, and he shows up on the beach with a dedicated camera following him in the water, one on the sand, and his coach observing every minute of it. Then there’s film to watch and study after. Board selection to dissect and get dialed. The only real downtime the guy gets seems to come when and if the ocean goes flat.
When the Billabong Pro Pipeline did come around this year Italo exited in the Round of 16, ousted by his countryman, Miguel Pupo. The Sunset Pro was even tougher with Ferreira sent out of competition in the Round of 32. Suffice to say it wasn’t the start Italo imagined to his 2022 campaign. He’s seemingly turned it around though, climbing his way into the Top 5 of the rankings after Portugal and two Australian events.
