As a scintillating 2022 rookie on the WSL’s Championship Tour, Joao Chianca was unceremoniously booted via the resurrected mid-year cut. The following year, he finished fourth in the world and secured a spot for the Paris Olympics.
How? Because Joao is as fiery as they come. Skill-wise, he’s of the rare ilk who can stand with best in heavy barrels and go vertical in crumble. And this new profile from Red Bull offers a visual chronicle of his story.
It’s a highlight reel of that freakishly fast-twitch ability we’ve come to expect from the 23-year-old. But despite the talent, his early-round losses to John John Florence at Pipeline and Bells set him back in the ratings his rookie year. Those two matchups were some of the heats of the year, but it wasn’t enough to keep him on the leaderboard.
“90% of my thoughts were pretty negative back then,” Joao reflected. “Defeat after defeat. I truly thought I would never return to the CT.”
Joao clearly was a high-energy kid who had little brother syndrome. And when your older sibling is Lucas Chianca, hanging with big bro meant paddling out to solid Indo reefs at age 12.
“I’ve never set limits on myself, or my mind,” Joao said. “I’ve always had an ego. Along with self-confidence, which many might get it wrong, but ego can be dangerous when we let it levitate us. And then we get lost in it.”
Photo: Domenic Mosqueira/Red Bull Content Pool
But that ego/self-belief kept him in the game. Joao went through the 2022 Challenger Series to requalify for the 2023 CT. There, he looked better than ever, making semis at Pipeline and Sunset before winning in Peniche. He was the the No. 1 surfer on the tour for a period of time. Later, he made the WSL Finals that September, knocking off Jack Robinson in the first heat of the day at Lower Trestles.
It could be argued that Joao getting cut from the CT provided extra motivation to want it that much more. On the other hand, any surf fan worth their salt could see Joao belonged in the big leagues. Either way, the guy’s got a compelling story.
Related: After a Terrifying and Traumatic Head Injury, João Chianca Is Back in Blistering Form
Adding to the drama, this video underscores just how bad his head injury at Pipeline in December 2023 was. Jake Maki recalls swimming from shore to grab Joao’s unconscious body. We see footage of Lucas rushing to find his brother on the sand, surrounded by first responders. Joao even briefly lost feeling in his legs. It’s a chilling reminder of Pipeline’s unwavering brutality. Months after the incident, his family tears up when recounting it.
“It really shook my faith,” Joao said, who moved his foot a week after the incident. “I’ve always had such positivity about my actions. And the accident took that away from me at first. I got quite frustrated. I would get really angry at any negative point I had during physiotherapy. Many times I didn’t even recognize myself as a person who always had unshakable faith.
“I think that was an important transition in my recovery when I admitted to myself how flawed I was. Admitting to yourself that during that period you’re not up for it, you’re not at your best. And being able to have a conversation with your inner self. Being able to tell yourself that things are indeed getting better. Affirming that you are happy, that you are a healthy person. The next day will be better.”
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from Joao, he is resilient. He’s back on the CT and will have the injury wildcard next season. No doubt he’s got big plans.