Italo Ferreira

World Champion and Olympic gold medallist at Tokyo 2020 — Italo Ferreira's aerial surfing is the most spectacular in the current professional era.

Born in Baía Formosa, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, on June 6, 1995, Italo Ferreira grew up in a coastal town where surfing provided an escape from economic hardship. Raised by his grandmother after his mother's early death, Ferreira began surfing on a broken foam board at age eight. His natural talent emerged quickly in Brazil's competitive junior surfing scene, where he developed the aerial maneuvers that would later define his professional career. Ferreira qualified for the World Surf League Championship Tour in 2015, establishing himself as one of the sport's most dynamic aerial performers. His breakthrough came during the 2019 season when he claimed his first WSL World Championship title, becoming only the second Brazilian to achieve this honor. That year featured multiple event victories and consistent high-level performances that demonstrated his evolution from a one-dimensional aerial specialist to a complete competitive surfer capable of adapting to diverse wave conditions. The pinnacle of Ferreira's career arrived at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where surfing made its Olympic debut. He captured Brazil's first Olympic gold medal in surfing, defeating Japan's Kanoa Igarashi in the final at Tsurigasaki Beach. This historic achievement elevated his status beyond surfing circles and cemented his position among Brazil's premier athletes. His competitive repertoire combines technical aerial maneuvers with solid fundamental surfing, allowing him to excel across different wave types and conditions. Ferreira's impact on professional surfing extends beyond individual accomplishments to represent the broader emergence of Brazilian surfing talent on the world stage. His success, alongside compatriots like Gabriel Medina and Adriano de Souza, helped establish Brazil as a dominant force in competitive surfing. His aerial innovations have influenced a generation of surfers, while his Olympic triumph provided surfing with mainstream exposure in Brazil and internationally. Ferreira continues competing at the highest level, representing both his country's surfing excellence and the sport's global expansion. Ferreira led the 2025 title race in its early stages and reached Finals day at Cloudbreak, where his campaign was ended by Griffin Colapinto as compatriot Yago Dora went on to take the crown.

High-performance aerial maneuvers and progressive surfing

Pioneered aerial surfing and brought Olympic recognition to the sport

• WSL World Champion 2019
• Olympic Gold Tokyo 2020
• Most aerial surfer