Young local surfer Kanoa Igarashi just signed with major surfwear company Quiksilver. The 12-year-old Huntington Beach surfer – who holds a record 30 wins at NSSA contests - said he was “stoked” about the sponsorship. Kanoa can be seen surfing on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier on any given day when a good swell hits.
Kanoa joins a list of elite surfers sponsored by the Orange County-based surf brand, including nine-time world champion Kelly Slater. He also joins a slew of young surfers from the area to pick up sponsorships from big brands, but few – if any – have nabbed a major sponsor at such young age.
Check out this video of Kanoa talking about it on HB Surfshot.
The young surfer says he took his first wave at age 3 in Hawaii – so he’s been surfing about nine years of his 13-year life.
Amid the sea of young athletes trying to break into the pro surfing circuit, Igarashi stands out as the most promising that any have seen in a long time, reads a Quiksilver blog.
Here’s more from the company:
“Quiksilver is really excited to have Kanoa join the team,” says Chad Wells, Quiksilver’s Surf team manager. “He is a phenomenal athlete at such a young age and has a solid foundation of both air and rail surfing. Kanoa shows true signs of a world class athlete and his competitive record speaks for itself.”
Among his competitive achievements, Igarashi holds the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) all-time record for 30 wins in one season- an impressive accomplishment for someone of his age. Through his driving spirit, Igarashi has consistently built an ambitious range of skill, tricks and maneuvers—leaving seasoned pros in awe of his talent.
“I’m really excited about my future and how Quiksilver is going to help me reach my goals,” said Igarashi. “It’s a dream come true.”
Here’s a little taste of what this young grom is made of:
Click here to view the embedded video.
Local surfer, 12, signs with major surf company is a post from: OC Beach Blog
Sourced from: OC Beach Blog
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