Brazilian to finish WSL Championship Tour surf career with 2015 title

2015 WSL Championship Tour champion Adriano de Souza has decided to compete for just one more season at the elite surfing level in 2021 and say goodbye to the friends he has made.

Here is all you need to know:

- De Souza was born in Guarujá, Brazil, and started surfing at the age of eight. By the time he reached his 18th birthday, he was already considered one of the best surfers in the world as he travelled the globe competing on the prestigious Championship Tour.

- He has been a trailblazer for Brazil ever since with the genial star winning the World Junior title in 2003 and becoming World Qualifying Series champion in 2005.

- After picking up four WSL Championship Tour victories between 2009 and 2013, he finally got his hands on the sport's most prized trophy with a title victory in 2015 thanks, in part, to two victories in the Billabong Pipe Masters and Margaret River Pro events.

- De Souza, who also won the 2017 Oi Rio Pro stop, wants to bow out on his own terms after more than 15 years of breathtaking surfing that has inspired millions.

- The 33-year-old revealed: "In the past 15 years I gave my life to surfing, with high dedication, and I lived the surfing in a 1000% way. Competing without passion is not a champion attitude, and it doesn't match with the energy of the sport. I want to celebrate these past 15 years – during this time I built relationships around the whole world, with beloved ones, and developed a strong connection with family, friends and fans – I want to spread a message of a new light on my path. With a competition jersey, I was always focused on great results, because I'm a World Champion but I wanted to do some things I've always imagined, like being part of a special event without so much pressure or go on a surf trip with friends."

- Fellow Brazilians Gabriel Medina (2014, 2018) and Italo Ferreira (2019) have also won the world title while - along with legend Carlos Burle - he has helped inspire talented compatriots such as Lucas Chianca, Lucas Fink, Mateus Herdy, Nicole Pacelli and Pedro Vianna.

- De Souza, whose trademark move is boosting airs, added: "My goal is to complete the whole CT in 2021, because I have so many friends and I don't want to say a 'half-goodbye'. My expectations are high right now, especially for Saquarema, where I believe it will be so intense. This 'goodbye' vibe will give me a good energy."

Photo  Red Bull Content Pool