How To Maintain Style And Composure In Times Of Radical Terror

Style: you either got it or you don’t. 

While it’s partially true that one can fake style on a surfboard (typically on easy-to-ride but hard-to-shred alternative crafts), in moments of high stress, the facade will crack and the person’s squatty, arm-flailing self shows through. 

People to whom this does not apply include John John Florence, Craig Anderson, Tom Curren, Steph Gilmore, etc.

For these men and women, it doesn’t matter if they’re surfing one-foot slop or 10-foot slabs. The organic nature of their aesthetic brilliance dominates any situation. And it’s safe to say that Puerto Rico’s Sebastian Soto finds himself in that same fortunate group. 

Perhaps ironically, Sebastian’s style appears to become more natural and relaxed as the waves increase in size. His approach to oversized Zicatela is truly sublime, complete with highlines, pure trims, and soul arches. This is what big(ger) wave surfing should look like, in our opinion.