The current world number 22, stylish goofy footer and talented tube rider, Yago Dora, distanced himself from what his tour companions, Gabriel Medina, Italo Ferreira and Filipe Toledo, have expressed.

In a statement to Globo Esporte, Dora said that there is no “persecution” on the part of the judges of the world tour against Brazilians.

“If I think about it, I'll be boycotting myself because I'm just another person in the water. I feel like Brazilians have a habit of feeling robbed in every close series,” she said.

Looking for an explanation for the Brazilians' poor start to the year, the worst in the last 20 seasons, Yago spoke about the changes in the judging criteria that, in his opinion, are detrimental to the Brazilians.

“The judges value power surfing and connecting one maneuver with another without imbalance. This is precisely what favors the “gringo” surfers who grew up on this type of waves, with a coral bottom,” he says.

Dora made an indirect reference to what recently happened with Gabriel Medina in the Bells stage, who called the trial the worst in history and the affair then continued with John John in Margaret.

In the same vein, after last year's pool stage took place, Medina, Ferreira and Toledo all openly complained about the judging of the heats at that event.