For Leonardo Fioravanti, waves are a true obsession. You might think that he derives satisfaction from a life spent exploring the world’s most incredible surf spots, especially since for him “a day without surfing has no meaning”. Although surfing is now considered a top-level sport, most athletes experience it more as a passion than a simple discipline, a passion that sometimes leads them to extreme choices.
In the case of Leonardo Fioravanti, this choice was made at the age of 11, when he left his hometown of Cerveteri in Italy to train on the most beautiful waves in the world. He says that from a very young age, “his greatest desire was always to become a professional surfer and be one of the best”. Today, Fioravanti is among the top 20 surfers in the world, but “it’s not enough; I want to be in the top 5. I’ve known that since I was little.”
Surfing is a sport that is practiced in very specific conditions, over which athletes have no control: “When the conditions are right, whether it is cold or raining, nothing can stop you. Especially in Italy where waves are rare,” says the athlete. Whether in Australia, Hawaii or Polynesia, by travelling to the best surfing spots in the world, Leonardo Fioravanti has earned a place for himself in the world circuit of the WSL (World Surf League), where he represents Italy in international competitions.
His wave – the one where his potential is best expressed – he found in Tahiti in French Polynesia. This is a place where the waves break on the coral reef; in surf jargon we call this phenomenon the ‘reef break’. At this location, a large amount of water rises and forms very powerful waves: “My surfing is fully expressed in Teahupo’o, where the sea is rough and the waves are strong. The facts speak for themselves; it is on these waves that I finished in 3 last yeare position in the semi-finals of the World Championship,” said the Italian.