Italo Ferreira May Never Fall Again

Italo Ferreira may have a more legitimate need for traction than anyone on the planet.

His Instagram supplies near-daily testament to that fact. Italo’s spins, flips and what-have-yous are what initially made him such a force on tour, and none of that would be possible without reliable gear for your back foot.

Many surf sponsorships are merely an exchange of goods and services, with surfers advertising the product for the financial benefit it provides. This is not the case in Italo’s latest partnership. As the story goes, Italo picked up some Creatures of Leisure leashes after snapping all of his on the Euro leg and never looked back.

We’d likely have to hire another Gossip Girl to keep up with the ever-changing environment that is the bottom of a Brazilian pro’s surfboard. But this is no local juicery or sub shop. Creatures and Italo’s pairing is of genuine interest because it could make the world’s best surfer* even better. 

Swipe to read our convo with the World Champ’s latest sponsor and how his confidence has (somehow) increased as a result.

*Both officially and by peer-review!

Stab: Italo! Congrats on signing with Creatures. Is it true you got turned onto their gear after snapping all your cords in France and buying some Leisurely leashes from a local surf shop?
Italo Ferreira: Yes, I had too many broken leashes, until one day I didn’t have one to choose. Decided to go to a surf store and buy a few for the European Leg.

How many leashes have you broken since then? 
I don’t know [laughs]. It’s not only about broken leashes. My old leashes were too elastic and at the end of a surf session it looked like two times bigger.

You surfed like 100-ft Nazaré a few weeks ago. Did you use a leash there?
No [laughs]. The boys in Nazaré said it’s safer to not use leashes out there.

Ok, but leashes are only half of the equation. Let’s talk about grip. What’s your favorite Creatures pad and why?
Mick Fanning pads are the best for now, until mine come out [laughs]. It’s really comfortable and my foot feels stuck into the pad. They give me more confidence on the maneuvers that require grip.

Do you wax your pads? 
Sometimes [laughs]. It’s something that I have done since I was young, but I’m doing it less than I used to.

What type of wax do you use?
Fu wax.

Have you ever considered using a front pad? I heard Mitch Coleborn has a pretty cool one. 
I need to try one. Mitch’s signature pads look awesome. Maybe I’ll try next time for an air session.

Did Mick Fanning have any influence on you joining the Creatures team? It seems you two bonded quite closely at Bells in 2018. 
For sure. He’s my inspiration to achieve my goals, just as he did his. Those times that I bought Creatures pads, it was only his signatures.

Last year at Dbah, I watched you land seven airs in a row in a 40-minute heat. How many airs can you land in a row with a Creatures pad?
When I good air wind and a consistent ramp, anything can happen. Creatures have given me the confidence to worry about what’s in front of me, not what’s under my feet.

What’s the Italo grip gonna look like? Give us a sneak peek!
Something similar to my 2019 world title campaign. I can’t say anymore [laughs]. Look up all my boards ridden in 2019 and you’ll find some clues.