Peterson Chrisanto burst onto the scene as 18-year-old making a QS Final in Zarautz in 2012. He was defeated by Gabriel Medina in that competition, but along with Medina and Pupo, it seemed inevitable that he would make the CT. Peterson had grown up in a difficult environment in Matinhos, but with early support from Billabong at just 17 he hit the road and had a rapid rise through the QS rankings (he finished 48 in 2014) and the plan seemed to be on track. However Peterson had a gift for career self-harm and when Billabong axed him from the team the dreamed turned sour. Two years competing in Brazil in 2015 and 2016 funded a return to the QS in 2017 despite having no major sponsor. The explosive mix of progressive airs and low centre of gravity grounded rail work was still there, but he’d added a sense of maturity and a desperate will to not throw away his dream a second time. He finished 50 in 2017, but a win in the QS10,000 Ballito Pro and solid backup at Huntington, meant the comeback was complete in 2018. His rookie year in 2019 had its ups and downs, but a brave performance at the Pipe Masters where he surfed the wave for the very first time, sealed his 2020 qualification. It seemed that having waited so long to achieve his dream the nuggety Brazilian sure wasn’t going to give it up.