I don't like the whole show surrounding the CT in Brazil, that there is a mascot for the event, that a guy comes down in a parachute with the trophy, that there is an airplane show.

I don't like the "show-ification" of surfing championships, and it's not just that I don't like it, it has proven that it doesn't work as a business. The WSL reality show was a failure, Apple TV's Make or Break was also a failure, and everything that was meant to take surfing away from its roots was also a failure.

And if they weren't a failure, they hit the mark. The core audience, like me, hates it. And without a core audience, without the fan base that made the sport grow, this fails.

This is why the brands of the past, those owned by groups of investors who know nothing about surfing, are failing and those that are growing are those that are getting closer to the core, those that are run by surfers, those that have spirit.

This whole intro is because today I found out that the best press manager, press advisor, media manager, press chief, whatever you want to call it, of the WSL South America, Joao Carvalho, no longer works there.

He is, in my opinion, the best press manager in world surfing, in any region of the WSL and in any surfing institution worldwide. The WSL let him go. Just as they let the banana boat that brings the trophy in by parachute come, they let the best press manager in the world go.

In other words, the message of what the WSL South America (or WSL Brazil or WSL Latin America) wants… The message is clear: Welcome to the clowning, goodbye to the master, goodbye to those who know about surfing…

Joao Carvalho was in the press office for the Imbituba championship where Andy lost to Nathan Hedge and Kelly won his seventh world title; helping the press, informing the press, I was there and I remember perfectly the way he worked. Year 2005, November 9th.

10 years ago I was writing about the performance of Fabio Gouveia and Teco Padaratz.

20 years later, on the titles of Medina, De Souza, Toledo. In front of a press that he educated, that he worked hard to pay attention to surfing and that ended up doing so.

Today he is no longer there and it is truly a shame that this happened.

The WSL loses a bastion of the world press and the world press loses its best advisor. Ergo: We all lose, surfing loses, surfers lose, the WSL loses.

How can these things happen?

Ask the WSL.

-Joao Carvalho no longer works in the WSL: https://dukesurf.com/joao-carvalho-no-trabaja-mas-en-la-wsl/

-Adriano de Souza is Tatiana Weston Webb's new coach: https://dukesurf.com/adriano-de-souza-es-el-nuevo-coach-de-tatiana-weston-webb/

-Nadia Erostarbe in an interview: “It was incredible news”: https://dukesurf.com/nadia-erostarbe-fue-una-noticia-increible/

-This is how Rip Curl Girls Surf Day 2025 went: https://dukesurf.com/this-is-how-rip-curl-girls-surf-day-2025-went/

-The second edition of the Uruguay Longboard Festival is confirmed: https://dukesurf.com/esta-confirmada-la-segunda-edicion-del-uruguay-longboard-festival/

-Tomás López Moreno and his new video: The kid's dream: https://dukesurf.com/tomas-lopez-moreno-y-su-nuevo-video-el-sueno-del-pibe/

-Nadia's entry was due to "minor injuries" to Johanne Defay: https://dukesurf.com/nadia-entry-was-due-to-minor-injuries-to-johanne-defay/

-The Pipe CT series are now available: https://dukesurf.com/ya-estan-las-series-del-ct-de-pipe/

-Abu Dhabi CT ticket prices range from $16 to $220: https://dukesurf.com/abu-dhabi-ct-ticket-prices-range-from-$16-to-$220/

-Great girls in January: https://dukesurf.com/great-girls-in-january/

-Blouse: Caitlin Simmers' very good new movie: https://dukesurf.com/blouse-caitlin-simmers-very-good-new-movie/

-Another dream day of tubing in the French winter: https://dukesurf.com/another-dream-day-of-tubing-in-the-french-winter/

-Ryan Callinan signed with Rivvia Projects: https://dukesurf.com/ryan-callinan-signed-with-rivvia-projects/

-Alan Cleland: “It was somehow the best feeling ever”: https://dukesurf.com/alan-cleland-it-was-somehow-the-best-feeling-ever/

-Alan confirmed in the CT 2025; the first Mexican in history in the elite: https://dukesurf.com/alan-confirmed-in-the-ct-2025-the-first-mexican-in-history-in-the-elite/

-Confirmed: John John will not compete in the CT 2025: https://dukesurf.com/confirmed-john-john-will-not-compete-in-the-ct-2025/

-Maya Gabeira announced her retirement from professional surfing and big waves: https://dukesurf.com/maya-gabeira-announced-her-retirement-from-professional-surfing-and-big-waves/

-Nike logo on Ítalo Ferreira's board, confirming the brand's return to surfing?: https://dukesurf.com/nike-logo-on-italo-ferreira-board-confirming-the-brands-return-to-surfing/

-Desert Point in all its splendor: https://dukesurf.com/desert-point-in-all-its-splendor/

-The ISA released the dates for the World Longboard Championship and WSG in El Salvador: https://dukesurf.com/la-isa-divulgo-fechas-del-mundial-de-longboard-y-world-surfing-games-en-el-salvador/

-Another view of Eddie's swell in northern Peru: https://dukesurf.com/otra-vision-al-swellazo-del-eddie-en-el-norte-peruano/

-The wave that left Crosby out of the CT for at least six weeks: https://dukesurf.com/the-wave-that-left-crosby-out-of-the-ct-for-at-least-six-weeks/

-Daria Fuchs: Snowboarding in the Alps, surfing in the Indian Ocean; all in one video: https://dukesurf.com/daria-fuchs-snowboarding-in-the-alps-surfing-in-the-indian-ocean-all-in-one-video/

-Mark Zuckerberg foiled some solid waves in Hawaii: https://dukesurf.com/mark-zuckerberg-foiled-some-solid-waves-in-hawaii/

-Ross Williams moves away from in-person coaching at the CT: https://dukesurf.com/ross-williams-move-away-from-in-person-coaching-at-the-ct/

-Arena Rodriguez and Dylan Donegan finished third in the world championship: https://dukesurf.com/arena-rodriguez-and-dylan-donegan-finished-third-in-the-world-championship/

-Crosby Colapinto was injured and will miss the first stages of the CT 2025: https://dukesurf.com/crosby-colapinto-se-lesiono-y-se-perdera-las-primeras-etapas-del-ct-2025/

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