At 27, after surfing for 20 years at the Brazilian surfing mecca of Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Rodrigo Sphaier accomplished in one year what hundreds of longboarders dream of achieving in their lifetime.

He started last year’s stunning performance on the right foot by winning the first stage of the ASP South America Longboard Qualifying Series in January in Peru. He then placed third at the second ASP stage and third again at the final stop.  These victories won him the South American Longboard Title and a ticket to the World Longboard Tour.

He then placed as the Runner-Up of the Brazilian Professional Longboard Tour for the second time in a row.  In October, Sphaier crowned an already exceptional year by winning the gold medal at the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games.

“It was definitely the best year of my life,” he said to the ISA Media Department. “I’ve got no words to express what I felt when they said on the loudspeakers that I was the World Champion. Even now, three months later, I still tear up when I remember that moment.”

He was not the favored longboarder in the event, with the likes of World Longboard Tour competitors as Harley Ingleby (AUS), John Constable (AUS), Atonine Delpero (FRA), Ben Skinner (GBR), Matthew Moir (RSA) and Tony Silvagni (USA) among others, competing in the event.  

 “I did not expect the victory, especially considering that I was competing against the cream of the crop of longboarding. This made the title really special, but also the fact that I was surfing for my country and for my team, which supported me a lot during the entire event. My heart was beating so fast when I was at the podium listening to my country’s anthem,” said Rodrigo.

A happy Rodrigo, who was relatively unknown before 2010, starts this year as a favorite in any Longboard competition. He said he definitely wants to defend his ISA gold medal and go for the ASP World Title, too.