FIORAVANTI Leonardo

Preferred stance
Regular (worldsurfleague.com, 06 Jul 2021)

General
LATE OLYMPIC CALL UP
After an injury forced South African surfer Jordy Smith to withdraw from the Olympic Games in Tokyo in early July 2021, Fioravanti was awarded his spot at the Games as the next eligible surfer on the ISA's alternates list. (eurosurfing.org, 03 Jul 2021; worldsurfleague.com, 06 Jul 2021)

SERIOUS INJURY
The two broken vertebrae he sustained in a wipeout in 2015 could have ended his surfing career, and his ability to walk. However, the surgery was successful and he was able to return to surfing. "My accident in 2015 made me realise that things don't come easy. It was a good awakening moment, that this life can be taken away from you in a blink. After six months I came out of it way stronger, physically and mentally. Since then, I've always wanted to improve more and more each day." (flaunt.com, 25 May 2021; wavelengthmag.com, 04 May 2019)

BREAKING THE MOULD
He said he agrees with the idea that surfing doesn't have as many unique "characters" as it used to, saying "80% of surfers are the same. I say 80% because there are guys like Mason Ho and Dane Reynolds who are totally different. And Kelly too, with everything that he's done outside of our world. But there are a lot of people who think about surfing and not much else. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, but I try to mix it up. I want to expand myself, you know? Surfing and winning are still the most important things in my life, but I want to explore any other opportunity at the same time." (stabmag.com, 03 Feb 2018)