João Chianca

Brazilian professional surfer known for competing on the World Surf League Championship Tour and representing Brazil in international competitions.

João Vítor de Azeredo Chianca was born on 30 August 2000 in Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro — Brazil's surfing capital — into one of the sport's most successful families. Nicknamed "Chumbinho" ("little lead pellet"), he grew up surfing from age three alongside his older brother Lucas "Chumbo" Chianca, who went on to become one of the world's leading big-wave specialists, and childhood friends Samuel Pupo and Mateus Herdy, forming part of the second wave of Brazil's "Brazilian Storm" generation. Chianca won the WSL Latin America title in 2019 and qualified for the WSL Championship Tour as one of Brazil's youngest representatives, though an early setback at the 2022 Challenger Series — a round-of-32 loss at Margaret River — kept him out of the top tier that year. He broke through with his maiden Championship Tour event win, and 2023 proved his breakthrough season: he climbed to a career-high world ranking of fourth, reached the WSL Finals at Lower Trestles, and qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics. While his brother Lucas has built his reputation chasing the world's biggest waves at venues like Nazaré and Punta Galea, João has focused on the Championship Tour, known for his aggressive, high-performance surfing and composure in heavy barrels at breaks including Pipeline and Teahupo'o. He has yet to win a world title, but his rapid rise through the rankings has established him as one of the leading figures of Brazil's next surfing generation.

Aggressive, high-performance surfing with strong tube-riding ability and composure in heavy, powerful waves.

Part of Brazil's second-generation "Brazilian Storm," and one half of the Chianca brothers alongside big-wave specialist Lucas "Chumbo" Chianca.

• Qualified for WSL Championship Tour as youngest Brazilian surfer (2019)
• Won WSL Rookie of the Year award (2021)
• First WSL Championship Tour event victory at Pipeline (2022)