From Free Surfer to World Champ: Yago Dora Does it All

SURFER: First off, congratulations. What’s the feeling right now? Has it settled in or are you still processing?

Yago Dora: I think I’m still processing. There’s moments where it really settles in, then I forget about it, and then I see the trophy again, and I’m like, ‘oh! That really happened!’ I’m so honored and so lucky to have one of these forever. It’s crazy to think about.

Talk about that final heat a little bit. It got kind of crazy.

The waves got a lot bigger, and more powerful. There was that onshore breeze. I knew I had to do my best to match the power and come out with the intensity. I wanted to get it done in one heat. So, I prepared myself to come out the gates with high intensity.

You’re a little different than the other Brazilian world champs – like Gabriel Medina, Italo Ferreira, and Filipe Toledo. You were a free surfer for a long time. Was there a moment when things shifted for you and you decided to focus more on competition?

I always like competing, but my career gravitated towards free surfing, and I was enjoying it. I started doing some QS events, but every time a swell would pop up somewhere else, and I’d hop on a plane to go film. Things were flowing that way more. I always wanted to compete, though. I wanted to see how I could do. 2017 was a great year for me, and I finally qualified.

This year, on the CT in particular, was such a good year for you. What led to your success?

It’s a lot of things, both professionally and personally. I just started to do things by myself and the way I wanted to. That gave me more drive and more desire to win. I wanted to own it. This new fire was born within me.

Did you visualize it from the start how you wanted the year to go?

I have this notebook, and at the beginning of the season I wrote that: I wanted to win two events this year; I wanted to qualify for the Finals Day in the top three; And I wanted to win the world title. And I did all that.

Some of the other Brazilian world champs are, like, major celebrities back home. How do you think you’ll deal with the fame?

I just try and be like a normal person, like, go to the grocery store and just interact with people. Even in places like Rio, I try to be a normal guy. People are freaking out, but it’s like, I’m always here. It’s nothing new. I’m just a normal guy.

"I wanted to own it. This new fire was born within me."

Yago Dora

What’s the story with the new haircut?

So, Ronaldo [Luís Nazário de Lima], this famous soccer player in Brazil, he won the World Cup when I was a kid. He’s also number 9; he had the yellow shirt. I had the number 9; I had the yellow jersey. So, if I won, I planned on doing the haircut to give a shoutout to him.

What’s the future look like? More world titles, free surfing, or all the above?

I want some time to relax, to let everything sink in. We have a long off-season, so that’s good. Then, I’ll start training. I want to do some surf trips, make some films, too.

But yeah, I’m definitely chasing more world titles. This is what drives me. Competing makes me better. Now, I know the way. I want keep going and see if I can get a couple more. It’s a lot of weight off my shoulders to have one, but it also shows me the way to do it again.