“Everything in life has a a beginning, a middle and and end.”
The 2019 world champ Italo Ferreira has officially split from his longtime sponsor Billabong after seven years with the famous and once iconic but not so much anymore Australian brand.
Ferreira, who is twenty-nine, signed with Billabong in 2016 after winning the previous season’s rookie of the year following a third in Rio, fifth in Fiji, fifth in Tahiti and a second in Portugal. He finished seventh in the world.
Wild, yeah?
Now, Ferreira has pulled, or been pulled, from the Billabong teat, although the colostrum is neither as creamy nor as free flowing as it used to be when Taj Burrow and Joel Parkinson were biting the teton and his disappearance is unsurprising as the brand pivots into hair oils and inflatable toys. I would suggest he was offered a vastly reduced salary which he refused.
“Closing one chapter of my professional life,” write Ferreira. “I’d like to thank Billabong for being part of my story! It’s been years of a partnership that began in 2016 and has contributed to my career. But as everything in life has a beginning, a middle and an end…This cycle ends for others to begin.”
I spent a few days with the kid in 2019 when he got on that tear to win the title and found a sweet sorta guy who didn’t rip the top off his swinging masculinity. When his bank account started to get filled with sponsorship cash and prizemoney his first goal was to set his family up in Baia Formosa. He bought ‘em a hotel and restaurant called Pousada do Porto.
Once they were sorted, he bought himself a house on the beach in Baia and a restaurant in nearby, and fancier, Pipa Beach.
“Always trying to invest with my money rather than spend it all on shitty things,” he said.
Italo told me he hates drugs and doesn’t party ’cause three pals had died chasing the dragon.
“You have two ways to go, the good one and the bad one. It’s a choice,” he said.
When I asked him what his path in life was he didn’t hesitate.
“To be a good surfer that everyone can remember…”
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