Italo Ferreira Injures Knee Attempting Floater From Hell
“I have worked hard to be strong and avoid this type of injury, but unfortunately there is always this risk”
You can read our entire comp coverage from Day 3 in South Africa here.
Both Jeffrey’s Bay and the highly esteemed “floater maneuver” have histories of being particularly unkind to the muscular hinges of many surfers.
J-Bay’s danger likely comes from it’s high-velocity transition, which extends for minutes at a time — plausibly leading to on-wave exhaustion and, in Italo’s case last year, serious back spasms. Mick Fanning once injured his ankle doing a speed wrap during an extended CT warmup session at Supers, and many a surfer has limped up the bricks after a treacherous freefall attempt at Impossibles.
As for floaters, any number of things can go wrong when you land in the transition of a wave while it explodes back up at you. On a mistimed floater in Indonesia, Mick Fanning once “yanked his entire hamstring muscle clean off the bone.”
Not fun.
With 17 minutes remaining in today’s heat with Ian Gentil, Italo Ferreira took off far up the point, leaped onto the cresting lipline, and glided along as we’ve seen him do so many times before. As his body extended for the landing in the flats, his board skittered just a touch sideways, and his backfoot slid into the abyss. As a result, his body folded over his front knee, bending in a way no human should bend (except maybe Brendon Gibbens).
It was unpleasant to watch, especially in slow-mo.
Italo immediately signaled for the ski and clambered aboard — heading straight for the hospital.
Once there, Italo posted an update to his instagram, stating;
“I had to abandon the heat and go straight to the hospital after missing a maneuver and injuring my right knee. Unlike last year I was not able to continue after feeling a lot of pain. I have worked hard to be strong and avoid this type of injury, but unfortunately there is always a risk! I hope it’s nothing serious and I can get back as soon as possible with other plans! Everything has a purpose and if it had to be like this, one way or another I will find out and God will show me the best way. Thanks for the strength.”
You can read our entire comp coverage from Day 3 in South Africa here.
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