The life of a professional windsurfer may sound like a permanent vacation, living in and traveling to beach destinations in places like Chile, Hawaii and the Canary Islands. But it is a demanding sport that requires exceptional fitness, strength and core stability to navigate the wind and the waves.
“We need to be both physically and mentally tough to excel in this sport,” said 31-year-old professional windsurfer Federico Morisio, who specializes in wave windsurfing. “You have to be able to read waves and the wind. The power of the wind helps us use the wave as a ramp to jump off at top speed and use the sail like an engine to launch you high into the air where we do tricks like forward and backward loops. It’s a sport with two parts: using the waves to jump and then understanding how to surf them, too.”
Born and raised in Turin, Italy, Federico fell in love with windsurfing as a kid. At 19, a trip to Maui, Hawaii, inspired him to pursue the sport professionally, a decision that ultimately led him to become an internationally recognized professional windsurfer.
“Maui is the wave windsurfing mecca and that trip just blew my mind,” Federico said. “At that point, I knew this was what I wanted to do with my life. I left with incredible motivation and drive. I was willing to sacrifice everything to become a professional windsurfer.”
Within a few years, Federico had won his first international windsurfing competition in Peru and continued to excel in competitions around the world. Then in 2021, after years of success doing what he loves the most, Federico sustained a major injury out on the water.
“It was really kind of a fluke. I wasn’t even riding big waves or doing huge moves in the air,” Federico remembered. “I landed hard on my left leg and felt my knee go sideways — it felt like it went a meter out of my body. The impact and the pain were intense. I didn’t fall, but I knew it was bad immediately.”
That impact left Federico with a torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee.
“In those first days after the injury, I was in a really dark place, wondering if I would get back to windsurfing. I knew an ACL tear was a serious injury that takes athletes out for six months or more,” Federico said. “Initially, I felt my whole world collapsing.”
But he quickly pivoted, deciding that he would once again do whatever it took to compete at the top of his sport.
“I decided to see this time-out as an opportunity to improve my physical fitness and devote myself to new projects, including ocean conservation, and renew my focus on media and building my brand,” Federico said. “Windsurfing is a sport that requires a lot of motivation and discipline to maintain, and I had never taken any time off. This was a chance to focus on being productive off the water and keep moving toward my dreams of building a successful career. I was determined to come back better and stronger in every way.”
Federico turned to orthopedic surgeon Francesco Saccia, MD (Turin, Italy), who performed an Arthrex all-inside quad tendon autograft ACL reconstruction with two FiberTag® TightRope® implants.
“I chose this approach because Federico is a high-level athlete,” Dr. Saccia said. “In his case, I preferred using his own quadriceps tendon. It’s a strong construct, perfect for a top-level athlete, and minimally invasive."
Following the successful surgery, Federico devoted himself to physical therapy and within about six months, he started windsurfing again. A recovery Dr. Saccia called “remarkable.”
“Usually, we recommend athletes return to their sport after about nine months,” he said. “But Federico was both very determined, already very fit and he was careful throughout his recovery. Watching a top-performing athlete is quite like magic because they can do things the average person can’t. Helping them get back is the most rewarding part of my job.”
A year after his surgery, Federico posted his best performances ever, with two third-place finishes in World Cup events, among other standout results. Today, he is feeling great and looking forward to a long career as a professional windsurfer.
“I still love it. I still have that fire and determination to be my best,” Federico said. “I came back stronger than ever, and I feel like the next five to 10 years are going to be even more amazing.”