Weslley Dantas, above, was at the center of a judging controversy fueled mostly by Pedro Scooby. Photo: WSL
Just a day after Brazilian big-wave surfer Pedro Scooby competed in the WSL Nazaré Big Wave Challenge, news broke that the WSL is filing legal proceedings against him in Brazil. The action stems from comments Scooby made in October regarding the judging of Weslley Dantas at the Saquarema Pro Challenger Series event.
Scooby took to Instagram, where he has seven-million followers, and ripped into the judges for a perceived slight in their scoring of Dantas compared to the Australian George Pittar.
“Weslley Dantas is black,” Scooby said in Portuguese. “There’s a lot of racism. He doesn’t have a sponsor, and he’s Brazilian.”
“They pick who they want to advance,” he continued. “It’s unbelievable. Anyone who even minimally understands surfing knows these people are crazy.”
Now, Scooby will have to explain himself in a Saquarema court. While he never directly mentioned which event he was referring to, it’s clear what he was talking about. The legal action requests Scooby clarify what he meant by the comments, show proof to support the accusations, and state whether he still stands by what he said.
Depending on his response, or lack thereof, the WSL could sue him for defamation and moral damages, according to a report in Globo.
The irony is that Scooby was one of the standout performers in Saturday’s big wave event. His partner, Lucas Chumbo, won the men’s best performer award.
Scooby’s combination of high-profile surfing and outspoken nature has made him a central figure in Brazilian surfing. He also sparked the social media campaign that led to the expulsion of an Australian judge at the 2024 Olympics after the judge was photographed with competitor Ethan Ewing.
We reached out to Scooby’s management for comments, but have yet to receive a response.
Update: Recent reports from Brazilian media revealed that the parties reached an agreement in November and that there are no longer any active legal proceedings.
