25-02-2025
In Last-Minute Decision, WSL Reaffirms Ban on Portuguese Surfer Vasco Ribeiro
After several years without surfing in a jersey, it appeared Vasco Ribeiro was about to get his wish. The powers that be had permitted him to enter a regional Qualifying Series contest at a pumping Moroccan pointbreak. Then, it was gone.
It's been a difficult road for the Portuguese surfer Ribeiro. Now age 30, he was once one of the best-up-and-coming surfers from Portugal. He was the WSL World Junior Champion in 2014 and has been a wildcard in the Peniche CT event five times.
But his unfortunate saga began when Ribeiro refused to take a drug test in April 2022, which violated the International Surfing Association's anti-doping rules. In 2023, the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport banned him from all events. Ribeiro appealed, but the decision was upheld. The court also disqualified all his results since April 17, 2022 (when the test occurred) which included a runner-up finish at a QS 3,000 in Portugal.
The ban excluded him from all ISA and World Surf League events until July of 2026. However, the ISA reportedly gave consent for him to surf in the upcoming Pro Taghazout Bay in Morocco because it had no bearing on Olympic qualification.A week ago, when he found out that he was going to compete in Morocco, he wrote a heartfelt message on Instagram thanking the WSL and noting how he had worked to overcome personal struggles that led to the ban on competitive surfing.
'I'm very grateful to the WSL for this opportunity to get back to doing what I love most, which is competing,' he said. 'I want to take this opportunity to better myself, to prove to myself that I'm capable of continuing at the highest level.
'I went through a period of major difficulty with addiction, which forced me to relearn how to organize my life and live without drugs. It's an ongoing process and a daily commitment, but with the support of my family, friends, and professionals, I've managed to pick myself up and find myself again.
He concluded, 'If my journey can inspire or help someone to see that there is always a way back, then all this effort will have been worth it. Now I'm looking forward to putting on the jersey and getting back to the heats.'
However, on Friday, the day before the event began Ribeiro (who was in Morocco) received word from the WSL that he was still suspended from competing. The league is reportedly going to cover Ribeiro's travel costs and registration fees. As for the reasoning behind upholding Ribeiro's ban, the WSL released a statement saying, 'Following further correspondence with the International Surfing Association, the WSL has determined that Vasco Ribeiro will not be eligible to compete in the upcoming WSL event in Morocco. The WSL is currently reviewing these developments to determine whether the ISA's current ban will apply to all WSL events.'
A tough blow for Ribeiro, who was no doubt looking forward to laying his rail into the rifling righthand pointbreak. You can see how good the first day was here. 'The WSL, as an independent entity from the International Surfing Association, had assured me I was eligible for this event,' Ribeiro said. 'However, in a last-minute decision, without giving me any chance to respond, the WSL reversed its position based on new information and pressure from the ISA.'
