Needing a solid result or two in Hawaii in order to make the leap up the rankings to qualify for the ASP World Tour, Sebastian “Seabass” Zietz, instead, won the first event at Haleiwa and solidified his spot among the top 34 in 2013. Here we look back at the past year and talk to Seabass about his path to reaching his dream and getting to represent his friends and family from Kauai on the Tour.
Contrary to their laidback reputation, top surfers require peak level aerobic fitness with the right combination of strength, power and endurance to stay competitive and in shape, according to a study.
Researchers from Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand (SPRINZ) have shown how physically demanding it is for surfers to stay at top levels, with their heart beating for a maximum of   … More
In 1992, a Brazilian father named his newborn son “Derek” after professional surfer Derek Ho. He hoped his son would become a professional surfer. At the time, Brazil was emerging as a professional surfing powerhouse. But the father’s dream quickly faded after learning his son had been born completely blind.
However, seventeen years later, and after never having surfed, that son, blind Derek Rabelo, wanted to learn surfing and ultimately surf Pipeline in Hawaii, perhaps the world’s most challenging waves. It took Derek three years to learn how to surf.
“You can just imagine the difficulty Derek had learning how to  … More