 |
| SURFER PROFILES |
Birthday: 12/27/88 Like a lot of his contemporaries, this past January Dusty Payne had shipped out to Narrabeen immediately after the New Year with his sites clearly set on a breakout showing at the Billabong World Juniors. Unfortunately, his knee had other intentions. Enjoying a simple warm-up session, Dusty came down from what for him could be construed as a relatively routine floater, and in the process mangled the tendons in his left knee. Relegated back to Lahaina where rehab awaited, for Dusty, a kid who already owns his own condo on Maui and has become accustomed to sojourns with the likes of Andy and Bruce Irons, it was a definite setback. But injuries can be double-edged. Like Mick Fanning or Timmy Reyes, Dusty's battled back. And now, as evident by his recent surge at both the Junior and WQS level, he's shed the knee-brace, regained his momentum, and most importantly, discovered a new appreciation for simply being able to go out and perform the way he wants to.
Birthday: 8/31/93 The younger of the dynamic Geiselman duo, there’s a lot of East Coast pride riding on this brotherly pair’s shoulders. When the question is posed as to who’s going to follow in Slater and the Hobgoods’ footsteps, more often than not it’s Eric and Evan’s names that come up. Initially it was Evan’s smooth, effortless style that caught the media’s eye several years back, but as the goofyfooter’s matured, his surfing has become considerably more explosive, showing hints of Cory Lopez at times, especially when it comes to backhand tube stalls. An admitted contest junkie, Evan takes a certain satisfaction in “beating my friends.” Like other Right Coasters before him, Evan will have to eventually reckon with bigger surf, but thanks to a steady diet of Indonesian tubes and winters in Hawaii, he’s already been conditioned, not to mention the fact that he’s also developing an appetite for the spotlight, which is bound to put him in a compromising situation at one point or another. While he lists Iron Maiden, The Police, and The Go Go’s as a few of his favorite bands, we won’t hold that against him, after all, nobody’s perfect.
Birthday: March 15, 1988 While it seems like Adam Wickwire has been in the spotlight forever—and for good reason, because his talent is undeniable—it’s easy to forget that he’s only 19 years old. A few quiet years left many wondering when he was going to buckle down and make a push, but he answered the call in 2007, stringing together a series of results to win the ASP North American Junior Title. With another year left to go in the minors, and a championship already under his belt, Wickwire can continue to build on the momentum he's established. “I’m just going to be traveling and hitting up some of the domestic contests, getting ready to make that next big step,” he says.
Birthday: 6/22/1989 “I’m growing up, I guess,” tells Arrambide of his recent graduation from Junior League surfing. “It seems weird. It’s a big world out there; I hope I’m ready. I think am.” Born into a surf family as the youngest of three kids it was pretty much a given that from Day One Arrambide would spend his days in the water. Growing up in the tradition-rich Ventura area, at an early age Arrambide benefited not only from the tremendous variety of quality surf in his area, but also from the wide range of influences he watched in the lineup on a daily basis. Elder statesmen like Tom Curren and Shaun Tomson tickling the Queen of the Coast, not to mention stylist Bobby Martinez swooning her with his seductive backhand, and when they’re not out urchin fishing, soul guys like the Malloys offer an alternative perspective. Then there are tricksters like Tim Curran who day-in and day-out experiment in the Oxnard throaty beachbreaks. And lest we forget good old-fashion freaks of nature like Dane Reynolds leading the youth charge. With those kind of educators serving as examples, it’s no wonder a kid like Arrambide is turning heads right out of high school. So what does he have planned after graduation? Well, he’s been working with a personal trainer who’s helped him return to form after a torn meniscus, but more than that, it looks like he’s going to be spending plenty of time crisscrossing the country taking his entrance exams, for lack of a better term. “I’ve got a lot on my plate,” he admits. “But I love it. Just to have an opportunity, you’ve got to make the most of it.”
Birthday: 2/03/1990 “He surfs like Bruce Irons,” tells Maui’s Micah Nickens. “I’ve been watching him and all of those Maui kids since they were little groms and Granger has really developed his sense of style over the years.” A very complete surfer, Granger Larsen is not only becoming one of the most eye-pleasing young freesurfers to watch, but he’s also got a nose for competition. Sparing with the likes of Dusty Payne, Clay Marzo, Kai Barger, and a host of Maui’s rising stars, he’s quickly becoming a seasoned competitor. When it comes to pulling in, Granger’s got no problem, even if at times he is a bit preoccupied with releasing his fins and flying through the air. Like the freesurfing/competitor conundrum that’s plagued Bruce Irons, Granger’s going to need to find his focus to take his career to the next level. All the attributes of a future star are there, now it’s just time to chose a path.
Birthday: 11/20/89 The underground powerhouse in Maui, Kai Barger is quickly developing into a force to be reckoned with. While fellow Garden Isle stars like Dusty Payne and Clay Marzo steal the spotlight, Kai’s quietly been going about his business…which as of late has consisted of massive forehand gaffs and long, no-hands, backside pits. The capable goofy-footer—who has shades of both Freddy Patacchia and Sunny Garcia in his surfing—has refined his act, thriving in anything from perfect six-foot Honolua, to the kegging Brazilian beachbreaks of Fernando De Noronha, to your everyday, run-of-the-mill beachbreak junk. Feasting on a steady diet of pro junior events and travel, the 2008 summer might be Kai’s big breakout season…and if that doesn’t work out, he’s always got the North Shore this winter, where he’ll undoubtedly turn some heads.
Birthday: March 15, 1988 Sharing a name with one of the greatest surfers to ever live can be a tough row to hoe, but Santa Cruz’s Nat young seems to be handling the task just fine. Building on an ’07 season that saw him finish 15th on the ASP North American Junior Tour, as well as a big win at the Oakley Pro Junior ASP North American Championships during the O’Neill Cold Water Classic in his home town. Perhaps even more impressive was Nat making the quarter-finals of the Cold Water Classic losing to ’07 WQS #1 in the world Jordy Smith and Santa Cruz local stand out Josh Loya, not a bad result for a 16 year old. Young plans on buckling down in 2008 and applying what he learned in the hyper competitive lineups of his hometown to his routine in competition. |
Dusty Payne
Evan Geiselman
Adam Wickwire
Cory Arrambide
Granger Larsen
Kai Barger
Nat Young