João Chianca Risks Further Injury to Keep Trestles Season Alive
João Chianca will compete at the Lexus Trestles Pro with a fractured left foot, risking further injury as he fights to remain above the postseason cutoff.
Chianca revealed he broke his left foot during the Fiji Pro, where he was eliminated by Morgan Cibilic in Round 2. Before the injury began to reshape his season, he still managed an impressive 8.67-point wave score at Cloudbreak.
The diagnosis is an acute, nondisplaced oblique fracture through the middle portion of the cuboid, a bone on the outer side of the foot. Doctors also suspect bruising in the fourth and fifth metatarsals, which only adds to the discomfort and uncertainty around his recovery.
This isn't just about getting back in the water; it's about his season. Chianca is currently ranked 18th. The field gets cut from 34 surfers down to 22 for the later events in Portugal and at Cloud 9, before the season wraps at Pipeline. He needs a strong result at Trestles to stay above that postseason cutoff.