Brazil's Italo Ferreira has secured a triumphant victory against Japan's Kanoa Igarashi to make history winning the first-ever Olympic gold medal for surfing at Chiba's Tsurigasaki Beach.
Ferreira grew up in a small fishing village in north-east Brazil, called Baia Formosa which boasts a perfect right-hand pointbreak and population of just eight thousand.
As a boy, he wasn't the pampered professional-surfer-in-waiting. He learned to surf standing on the foam box his father sold fish from as an eight-year-old.
Not content to follow in his father's footsteps, surfing was a ticket to another life and the Brazilian quickly progressed, winning local junior events, then regional and national events setting his sights on the Championship Tour.
Italo Ferriera rose from humble beginnings to the top of the world - Sean Evans/ISA
Under the guidance of Luiz ‘Pinga' Campos, a talent scout who is responsible for unearthing Adriano De Souza, Caio Ibelli, Jadson Andre, and Miguel Pupo, Ferreira was always in good hands.
‘Pinga' connected Ferreira with San Clemente shaper Timmy Patterson, and the partnership has been paying off ever since. Patterson designs to his partners in Brazil, at Silver Surf where nearly 75-percent of Ferreira's boards are made.
He qualified for the CT in 2015 after only his first full year on the Qualifying Series, watching Gabriel Medina clinch Brazil's first world title in 2014. Ferreira was emboldened and won Rookie Of The Year finishing the season ranked No. 7 in the world.
He signed with Billabong in 2016 and won his first CT event in 2018 and in 2019 secured his first world title after a victory at the Billabong Pipe Masters against countryman and two-time world champion Medina.
Italo Ferreira won his first CT event at Bells Beach in 2018 - WSL / Kelly Cestari
His elevation to stardom has been swift and has now made history as the first gold medallist in the sport's history at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
On the women's side of the draw, America's Carissa Moore made history claiming her gold medal with a victory over South Africa's Bianca Buitendag.
Moore arrived at Tsurigasaki beach as the favourite, and she quickly found a couple of decent waves in the Final to open up an early lead over Buitendag that she would not relinquish.
With the tears of joy flowing and an American flag raised above her shoulders, Moore was chaired up the beach on what will go down as a defining day in the sport's history.
Going into her first Olympic Games, the 28-year-old from Honolulu was already regarded as one of the most successful surfers in history.
In her first season on the world tour in 2010, she won two contests and finished the season third overall. After her first win on the CT held in New Zealand, Moore donated her victory check to the tune of $15,000 to the local surf club, the Waitara Bar Boardriders.
Carissa Moore donated the winnings from her first CT victory to the local boardriders club - WSL / Kirstin Scholtz
At 17, she was named Rookie of the Year and won world titles in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2019. In April Moore tied South Africa's Wendy Botha's record of 24 CT event wins after her victory at the Rip Curl Newcastle Cup.
She is currently ranked No. 1 in the world on the WSL championship tour this season.
Her Dad, Chris Moore, introduced her to surfing when she was just 5 years old and served as her primary coach from the age of 12 until taking a break in 2016.
Since then she has worked with Mitch Ross and former CT competitor Brett Simpson who was head coach of the USA Olympic surf team.
Revered for her gracious humility, Moore is an ambassador of aloha and radiates the surfing spirit. She has continued throughout her professional career breaking performance barriers in heavy water and above the lip.
The Paths That Took Surfing's Gold Medallists To Olympic Glory
Alex Workman
Brazil's Italo Ferreira has secured a triumphant victory against Japan's Kanoa Igarashi to make history winning the first-ever Olympic gold medal for surfing at Chiba's Tsurigasaki Beach.
Ferreira grew up in a small fishing village in north-east Brazil, called Baia Formosa which boasts a perfect right-hand pointbreak and population of just eight thousand.
As a boy, he wasn't the pampered professional-surfer-in-waiting. He learned to surf standing on the foam box his father sold fish from as an eight-year-old.
Not content to follow in his father's footsteps, surfing was a ticket to another life and the Brazilian quickly progressed, winning local junior events, then regional and national events setting his sights on the Championship Tour.
Under the guidance of Luiz ‘Pinga' Campos, a talent scout who is responsible for unearthing Adriano De Souza, Caio Ibelli, Jadson Andre, and Miguel Pupo, Ferreira was always in good hands.
‘Pinga' connected Ferreira with San Clemente shaper Timmy Patterson, and the partnership has been paying off ever since. Patterson designs to his partners in Brazil, at Silver Surf where nearly 75-percent of Ferreira's boards are made.
He qualified for the CT in 2015 after only his first full year on the Qualifying Series, watching Gabriel Medina clinch Brazil's first world title in 2014. Ferreira was emboldened and won Rookie Of The Year finishing the season ranked No. 7 in the world.
He signed with Billabong in 2016 and won his first CT event in 2018 and in 2019 secured his first world title after a victory at the Billabong Pipe Masters against countryman and two-time world champion Medina.
His elevation to stardom has been swift and has now made history as the first gold medallist in the sport's history at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
On the women's side of the draw, America's Carissa Moore made history claiming her gold medal with a victory over South Africa's Bianca Buitendag.
Moore arrived at Tsurigasaki beach as the favourite, and she quickly found a couple of decent waves in the Final to open up an early lead over Buitendag that she would not relinquish.
With the tears of joy flowing and an American flag raised above her shoulders, Moore was chaired up the beach on what will go down as a defining day in the sport's history.
Going into her first Olympic Games, the 28-year-old from Honolulu was already regarded as one of the most successful surfers in history.
In her first season on the world tour in 2010, she won two contests and finished the season third overall. After her first win on the CT held in New Zealand, Moore donated her victory check to the tune of $15,000 to the local surf club, the Waitara Bar Boardriders.
At 17, she was named Rookie of the Year and won world titles in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2019. In April Moore tied South Africa's Wendy Botha's record of 24 CT event wins after her victory at the Rip Curl Newcastle Cup.
She is currently ranked No. 1 in the world on the WSL championship tour this season.
Her Dad, Chris Moore, introduced her to surfing when she was just 5 years old and served as her primary coach from the age of 12 until taking a break in 2016.
Since then she has worked with Mitch Ross and former CT competitor Brett Simpson who was head coach of the USA Olympic surf team.
Revered for her gracious humility, Moore is an ambassador of aloha and radiates the surfing spirit. She has continued throughout her professional career breaking performance barriers in heavy water and above the lip.
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