Brazilian surfer Pedro Scooby has accused judges at the WSL Saquarema Pro Challenger Series of racism following the elimination of fellow Brazilian Weslley Dantas in the round of 64.
Scooby, who has 7.7 million Instagram followers, posted a video claiming that Dantas was unfairly scored because of his race and lack of sponsorship.
“Weslley Dantas is black,” Scooby said. “There’s a lot of racism. He doesn’t have a sponsor, and he’s Brazilian.”
In the video, Scooby compares the waves surfed by Australian George Pittar and Dantas, arguing that Dantas’ wave deserved a comparatively higher score. Pittar (12.17) and Peru’s Lucas Mesinas (12.27) advanced through the heat, while Dantas finished third with a 10.80.
“They pick who they want to advance,” Scooby said in Portuguese. “It’s unbelievable. Anyone who even minimally understands surfing knows these people are crazy.”
This isn’t the first time Scooby has used his massive social media platform to call out surfing’s institutions. During the 2024 Olympics, he reposted a photo of judge Ben Lowe with Australian Olympian Ethan Ewing. The post went viral, prompting the International Surfing Association to remove Lowe from the judging panel due to perceived bias.
While Scooby may not be a household name outside Brazil, he’s one of surfing’s biggest influencers. His 7.7 million Instagram followers – plus nearly another million on TikTok – is bigger than the combined Instagram followings of Kelly Slater, Bethany Hamilton, and Alana Blanchard. Only Gabriel Medina, with 13.5 million, has more social media reach within the surfing space.
When Scooby speaks, people listen.
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