Brazilian bodyboarders and surfers are working together to build bridges between the organizations that run both sports in the country.
The Brazilian Bodyboarding Confederation (CBRASB) announced that the sport will have a full-time member at the Brazilian Surfing Confederation (CBSurf).
Eder Luciano, a three-time ISA world bodyboard champion and former world tour athlete, will represent was appointed to be part of CBSurf's athletes' committee.
The rider from Itapema was responsible for restructuring the sport in Brazil in 2017 and founded the athletes' council at CBRASB.
Luciano will now be the voice of bodyboarding at the national governing body for the sport of surfing in his country.
"They say that every action has a reaction. After helping reshape bodyboarding, it will be an honor to represent our sport within CBSurf and be the spokesperson for our needs," said Luciano.
Aligning With ISA
According to the International Surfing Association (ISA), CBSurf is the sole governing bodyboard for the sport of surfing in Brazil.
And because ISA also rules bodyboarding, a potential merge between CBRASB and CBSurf would benefit both sports.
CBRASB believes that after ISA and CBSurf became part of the Olympic movement, it became clear that the organization needed to get closer to the parent entity in order to increase the development of bodyboarding in Brazil.
Eder Luciano will represent CBRASB's athletes commission, which is comprised of three men and three women - Luciano, Uri Valadão, Roberto Bruno, Neymara Carvalho, Isabela Sousa, and Nicolle Calheiros.
"It is important to underline that bodyboarding's representative will also have the right to vote at CBsurf meetings, which is an unprecedented moment," notes Jarbas Soares, president of CBRASB.
"We thank Adalvo Argolo, president of CBSurf, and the members of the athletes' committee for accepting our request. The bodyboarding community is honored to be represented at CBSurf."
CBSurf's athletes' commission is comprised of eight members: Bruno Galini, Nathalie Martins, Wiggolly Dantas, and Suelen Naraísa (surfing), Carlos José Oliveira de Jesus (longboarding), Luiz Phelipe Nobre (para surfing), Ivan Tadeu dos Santos (stand-up paddleboarding), and Eder Luciano (bodyboarding).