Brazilian native Jihad Khodr has had an interesting arrival onto the ASP World Tour. Growing up in Matinhos, Brazil, he began surfing at age six and quickly showed promise and a passion for the sport. He would often watch movies featuring current ASP World No. 2 Taj Burrow, and then take to the water to emulate his hero. The young Brazilian's dreams were realized in 2002 when he found himself competing against Burrow; that year also marked his first year as a professional. While getting onto the ASP World Tour was a dream come true, traveling in 2002 was another story for him.

During his rookie year, his season was cut short when he was barred from entering the United States because of the origin of his Muslim name, which means "Holy War." This put the flexibility of his travel plans on hold, however, in 2004 he came back as the champion of Reef Classic ASP WQS event. This win would reignite his competitive flare and the next three years would see Khodr climb the ASP WQS rankings, finishing 9th in 2007 and earning a spot on the ASP World Tour in 2008.