Ribeiro has been through the wringer. Photo: Red Bull content pool
For a brief period, Portuguese surfer Vasco Ribeiro was given a glimmer of hope that his competitive surfing career could stay afloat amidst a three-year ban for refusing a drug test in April of 2022. As of last week, Ribeiro was gearing up to compete in the Pro Taghazout Bay, a QS 3000 event in Morocco. He had convinced the World Surf League (WSL) that the 2023 ban issued by the International Surfing Association (ISA) didn’t apply to WSL events. Then at the last minute, the league reversed its decision.
The ban, which was first issued in 2023 and upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sports in 2024 when Ribeiro appealed the International Surfing Association’s (ISA) decision, was initially announced as excluding Ribeiro from all ISA and World Surf League (WSL) events until July of 2026. That extended to Liga MEO events and other competitions governed by the Portuguese Surfing Federation (FPS). The ISA reportedly gave written consent to an exemption for the Pro Taghazout Bay, however, because it had no bearing on Olympic qualification. And that opened the door for the WSL to give Ribeiro a green light.
Then, on Friday, Ribeiro and his lawyer received a letter from the WSL saying his exemption had been reconsidered and upheld. He would not be competing in the QS event.
“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 WSL spokesperson told The Inertia in an email that same day.
Acknowledging the inconvenience and last-minute decision, the league is working with Ribeiro’s team to cover the costs associated with his travel to Morocco and registration fees for the event, but the setback is undoubtedly a brutal one for the 30-year-old from Cascais.
“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.”
