Watch: The Wave That Put Italo Ferreira In An Ankle Brace

It was a bit of a surprise to see Italo Ferreira donning an ankle brace in his first Keramas sessions. It was even more of a surprise that the brace seemed to have little to no impact on his surfing (see above).

Italo was the consensus standout during the Keramas event warm-ups. He refused to sleep (against doctor’s orders)—instead using the nighttime to practice under the lights, beyond the distraction of his competitors—and looked more than ready to defend his Bali Protected title, ankle-braced or not.

So, this begs the question(s): Did Italo’s ankle injury affect his surfing against Freestone? How does a guy who’s surfing like that in freesurfs completely disintegrate in a heat? Should Italo maybe come out of the water for a nap every once in a while?

After watching the edit above, it would be naive to say that the injury played a considerable role in his Round 3 exit. But, considering the dynamicism of Italo’s approach, you have to wonder if injuries are going to hold the bleach-haired Brazilian back from consistent event results and, ultimately, a World Title.