Italo Ferreira has looked right at home on the left-hand ramps of Raglan. Photo: Josh Pomer//screenshot
For the first time, we don’t have to imagine the lines the world’s best surfers would draw on Raglan’s long, peeling walls. Over the past few days, clips from New Zealand have flooded social media as Championship Tour surfers warm up ahead of the wave’s debut on the pro circuit.
For years, CT surfers have pushed for more high-performance lefts on a tour dominated by right points and barreling left reefs. That imbalance has meant limited opportunities to see elite goofy-footed aerialists — including Italo Ferreira, Gabriel Medina, and Yago Dora — fully unleash on long, open-faced left-handers like Raglan.
Now, with footage emerging from the free surfs, we’re getting an early glimpse of what that might look like.
Filmmaker Josh Pomer is on the ground in New Zealand documenting the sessions, recently releasing a 22-minute edit of Ferreira’s waves. Known for his speed and unpredictable aerial repertoire, Ferreira looks immediately at home on the wave. From airs to tubes to drawn-out lip slides, he’s already hinting at what could unfold when the event kicks off on May 15.
Currently ranked eighth on the CT, Ferreira will face the winner of the round one heat between Seth Moniz and Ramzi Boukhiam.
