Does aerial surfing have no bounds?
Probably, yes. Actually, most definitely yes. Nobody is going to be pulling triple backflips anytime soon. But don’t tell folks like Albee Layer, or Matt Meola, or Jacob “Zeke” Szekely that. Let them live in sweet ignorant bliss for our entertainment.
But that doesn’t mean that boundaries aren’t going to be pushed, airs are going to be launched higher, new maneuvers will be unlocked, and…rotations? Well, surfing’s notoriously behind, when compared to its counterparts in skateboarding and snowboarding, but that doesn’t mean that progression has stalled.
Italo Ferreira, Brazil’s version of the energizer bunny hopped up on Red Bull, is a world champion, the first Olympic gold medalist surfer, and a competitive threat in pretty much any wave on the World Surf League’s Championship Tour.
However, the dude also likes to punt. In competition and out.
As such, check out the above near-landing a double rotating air reverse. Fully spinning in the air. No landing halfway through then rotating out, as has been done in the past. Two full spins. Technically, 720 degrees of rotation. Although, folks will still likely skewer that classification due to how he started the rotation, but so is it goes in surfing.
Related: Watch: Italo Ferreira Pulls (Probably) First-Ever Surf Trick in Wavepool
It’s worth mentioning that Italo was strapped in while attempting the maneuver. Had he not been, he probably couldn’t have stuck to the board long enough, to continue the spin.
And, of course, there are predecessors to such a maneuver, although none have been pulled quite like this. There was Albee Layer’s double-spin alley-oop (backside). And Kelly Slater’s double-rotation frontside air reverse, though with a revert.
Maybe one day…
Aerial legend and pioneer Josh Kerr commented:
“You got it!”
To which Italo responded:
“Soon.”
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