ABU DHABI: They say not all superheroes wear capes, but Italo Ferreira certainly does.
Having won the inaugural Surf Abu Dhabi Pro final at the weekend after two waves of four, Ferreira celebrated by tying a Brazil flag around his neck and hopping back on his board.
The clip of the Olympic 2020 gold medalist and 2019 World Surf League Championship Tour winner weaving in and out of the Surf Abu Dhabi waves with his nation’s flag billowing may turn out to be an iconic sporting moment.
While many may have thought of Superman, patriotic Ferreira had another sporting superhero in mind — Brazil’s late, great three-time Formula One world champion Ayrton Senna, who celebrated in similar fashion.
“That was a really cool moment for me,” said Ferreira. “It was like Ayrton Senna, one of the idols from Brazil. We have so many good sporting talents in Brazil who inspire us, both from the past and right now. It was a really cool moment for me.”
For confirmation of the adoration for Brazil’s sports stars, you only had to look at the capacity crowd at Surf Abu Dhabi on Hudayriyat Island over the three days of action.
There was a sea of yellow including many Brazilian jerseys with the numbers of Ronaldo or Neymar on their backs. But the most important number for Ferreira, who surfs wearing 15, is now No. 1 as the champion.
“That was really special for me making history here,” said Ferreira of his victory at the debut Surf Abu Dhabi Pro, which was also the first time the Middle East has hosted a WSL Championship Tour event.
“I’m so glad to live in this moment, that was very special. It’s great to be here and have this kind of wave pool in the middle of the desert in Abu Dhabi,” the 30-year-old added.
Surf Abu Dhabi’s state-of-the-art technology was designed by another superhero, Kelly Slater, widely considered the greatest surfer of all time. Surf Abu Dhabi’s system holds multiple Guinness World Records, including for the longest and largest artificial wave pool, and world’s biggest barrel.
Ferreira, a national hero who has some 3 million followers on Instagram, won his quarterfinal on Sunday against Kanoa Igarashi, in a repeat of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics gold medal match.
Ferreira then soared through every run in the semifinal versus Jack Robinson with increasingly higher scores, building to a 17.37. And Indonesian star Rio Waida, so impressive in the competition, could only watch as the Brazil flag fluttered from the back of Ferreira in the final.
“It was incredible having a lot of Brazilians right here,” said Ferreira, who is from Baia Formosa, the easternmost city in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte.
“I had big support from all the fans, not only here but all around the world. The Brazil fans are special, and I can’t wait to surf again with them right here.”
The Surf Abu Dhabi Pro was the second of 12 global events in the 2025 WSL Championship Tour. Next on the roster is Portugal in March. All the top surfers, including Ferreira, are competing.
But beyond that, the legacy of the inaugural Surf Abu Dhabi Pro is something that matters greatly to Ferreira, who is keen to inspire surfers in the Middle East.
“We are making great moments right now, aren’t we?” he said. “We are making history; building new wave pools and making something special for the sport.”
It is perhaps apt that Ferreira, cape and all, was the first superstar to write his name in the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro record books. His Wikipedia page states that he learned to surf on the 91-centimeter lid of a cooler box his father used to transport fish to sell to restaurants in Baia Formosa.
“My history is really special,” smiled Ferreira. “I’m so glad to live this life, you know, it’s like I came from the bottom and right now I’m at the top and this is motivating me more and more.
“My family have been supporting me every year and pushing me always, and my team as well. It’s really cool.”
