story

caio ibelli

And I remember WSL was like, “Hey, we didn’t see your name. Like, if you don’t enter today, you’re not able to compete.” And I told them like, “Hey, thank you, but I’m done. I’m not competing,” and yeah, so that night I went to sleep and I asked God very clear like, “Lord, please, I don’t know if what I’m doing is the right thing. Like, I want to actually be living the purpose you have for my life. And I’m going to sleep. Tomorrow is the last day to enter. And if You don’t have that on the purpose of my life, and if this is not what You want, You show me. Otherwise I’m not going to compete and I’m done with it.”

Can you share a time when you felt God answered your prayers in a very clear way?

Alright so my name is Caio Ibelli. I’m 29 years old, from Brazil, and a professional surfer. In 2018, I broke my foot during the third stop of the world tour and couldn’t compete for the rest of the year. I managed to surf the final event at Pipeline and did everything I could to secure a wild card but with John John Florence and Kelly Slater also injured, they took the two available spots. By December 31, I knew I didn’t have a place on tour but I didn’t feel it was my fault, or that I did anything wrong. I felt like it wasn’t very fair and for that reason I thought maybe God was showing me another path, another way – and so I was ok with that. Things were getting very hard – I lost my sponsors at the time, so without sponsors and with no desire to go through the QS, I decided I was done competing. I was going to quit.

On the last day to enter QS events for the next season, WSL called me and was like: “We didn’t see your name, like if you don’t enter today, you’re not able to compete.” But I told them: “Thank you, but I’m done, I’m not competing”

So that night I went to sleep and I asked God very clear like, “Lord, please, I don’t know if what I’m doing is the right thing. Like, I want to actually be living the purpose you have for my life. And I’m going to sleep. Tomorrow is the last day to enter. And if You don’t have that on the purpose of my life, and if this is not what You want, You show me. Otherwise I’m not going to compete and I’m done with it.” And so I went to sleep at peace with it.

The next morning, around six, my phone rang. At first, I didn’t want to answer; you know I felt like my life was falling apart – I had lost my sponsors, lost my spot on tour, lost the ability to compete for the whole year. I had reached rock bottom you know. So I saw that it was Adriano de Souza calling me. He told me he had injured himself and was pulling out of three events in Australia, and I was next in line to take his place. He was calling WSL right then to make it official but wanted to let me know so I could be ready. It felt like an answer straight from God.

The night before, I had asked for clarity, and the next morning, I received.

This opportunity out of nowhere – for me, it was a clear sign that surfing was still part of my purpose, and I was given the chance to restart my career and keep doing what I loved most. I believe only the Lord could have made that happen, and I’m grateful He gave me another shot.

How do surfing and faith intersect in your life?

So I had my first Bible when I was nine years old. It was given to me by a man I knew but didn’t see often. He said he wanted to give me something, and it turned out to be a Christian Surfers Bible, signed at the back with a message for me. I placed it next to my bed, and it stayed there for a long time – I still have it today. As a young surfer, you know not in the competitive scene yet – I was fascinated by reading the testimonies inside, like even the favorite Bible verses of well-known surfers and shapers. Back then, without Instagram, the closest I could get to people like Eric Arakawa, Andy Irons’ shaper, was by reading these stories that were in that Bible. So that was actually my first real access to the Word of God.

For me, now life is full of moments where I feel close to God – waking up early to see the sunrise, eating the food I love, watching the sunset with someone special. I feel His presence throughout the day, especially when I stop to appreciate these simple blessings.

Sometimes it’s hard to get out of bed, it’s super cold but then I’ll paddle into the water and think, “Ah thank you God, this is really amazing! I love doing this.”

Something very special for me is praying with my fiancée at night. We read a little bit of the Bible together, sometimes using the online app, and it’s something I try to practice everyday. These small moments – whether in the water, at home, or sharing faith with someone I love – are how I stay connected to God and live my life with gratitude.