{
  "id": 13593945,
  "title": "Pro surfer swaps California waves for life in the outback",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/11/pro-surfer-swaps-california-waves-for-life-in-the-outback",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-11T00:30:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-11/surfer-caio-ibelli-moves-to-outback-queensland/107242836"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Brazilian professional surfer Caio Ibelli has traded his Maldives surfing adventures for a life in the remote outback of Mount Isa, a city in north-west Queensland, Australia. At 32, Ibelli is now one of the city's newest residents. Born and raised in Brazil, Ibelli moved to Australia after a short stint in California, where he began surfing at the age of three. By his mid-twenties, he had earned a spot on the World Surf League tour, embarking on a nine-year career as a professional surfer.\n\nAfter his surfing days, Ibelli and his family, including his one-year-old son Thomas, moved to Mount Isa when his wife completed her medical degree. Despite the extreme heat, with temperatures reaching up to 46 degrees, Ibelli and his family have found home in the outback. Ibelli expressed his pride in raising his son in Mount Isa, praising the community and the opportunity for his son to grow up in \"real Australia.\"\n\nWhile the family has limited exposure to the sea, with only about six beach visits since moving, Ibelli's recent victory in the Maldives was a testament to his muscle memory and his new-found \"outback attitude.\" Winning the contest was a thrilling experience for Ibelli, and he cherished watching his son play in the blue waters of the Maldives.\n\nIbelli's move to Mount Isa has earned him recognition as one of the city's athletic legends, alongside tennis star Pat Rafter, golfer Greg Norman, and AFL player Charlie Cameron. He admitted to missing surfing, but his enthusiasm for teaching bush kids how to surf and potentially establishing a Mount Isa Surf Club for competitions gives him hope for a bright future in his adopted hometown.",
  "summary": "Professional surfer Caio Ibelli moved his family to outback Queensland, and while he's almost 2,000 kilometres from the nearest surf break, he's happy in the red dirt.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Phys.org",
        "title": "Powerful waves lash California coast as storm threatens more damage",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/10/powerful-waves-lash-california-coast-as-storm-threatens-more-damage",
        "published": "2026-10-10T12:20:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}