Neco Padaratz remains to be the only surfer who has been ever caught using steroids

Anabolic steroids are utilized by surfers too. Sport governing body announces that controlled substances are an essential problem in this sport. That’s why the Association of Surfing Professionals made a decision to introduce testing for anabolic steroids and other prohibited medications which are taken for performance-enhancing effects.
The Association of Surfing Professionals had certain discussions with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). They asked how they could introduce testing for banned products into surfing. Since anti-doping program of the WADA is claimed to be the best policy, the surfing organization wants to apply this protocol. Of course, this is the next victory of the WADA that promotes the opportunity to manage drug-testing programs in sports.
Everybody knows that surfing is a competitive sport. So, strength, speed and endurance are chief skills that promote winning. Thus, surfers could decide that usage of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs promotes success greatly. It is also important to take in consideration that amount of money that is received by winners is large. Winners obtain no less than 100, 000 dollars. Desire to get money could lead surfers to decision to take anabolic steroids.
Nonetheless, it is said that usage of anabolic steroids and other products which cause performance-enhancing effects is not widespread in surfing. Numerous people believe that usage of recreational drugs is more widespread among surfers than administration of steroids. Sport of 1970s and 1980s was frequently associated with marijuana and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). Current facts support this impression. The number of surfers that are caught administrating marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine is quite high.
The professional surfer Andi Irons died in November 2010. A heart attack that he had was caused by drug abuse. It was determined that steroids hadn’t been involved in this case. Traces of methamphetamine, cocaine and methadone metabolites were found in his system.
Another surfer, Peter Davi, died in December 2007. Enhanced levels of meth were also found in his system.
As for the professional surfer Anthony Ruffo, he was caught selling meth.
Only Neco Padaratz, a professional surfer from Brazil, was caught using steroids. He received a one-year ban. This person tested positive for prohibited products in 2004. This surfer said that he had used these drugs to get a complete recovery from back injuries. In spite of his defense, he was sentenced to a ban. He was the first person that was caught administrating steroids by the Association of Surfing Professionals. According to numerous reports, he remains to be the only surfer that has ever been caught by the ASP.
The ASP has already the initial budget for introduction of the WADA steroid program into surfing.
Although it is unlikely that steroids represent a problem in surfing, the new drug-testing program may create a wrong public perception.