Is Crosby Colapinto The Second Half Of San Clemente’s Next Surfing Dynasty?

Surf families are a dime a dozen in San Clemente. From the Fletchers, to the Beschens, the Gudangs to the Longs, brotherly duos aren’t an uncommon occurrence here.

Now it appears it’s time for the Colapinto boys to add their name to the list.

After a breakout rookie year, Griffin’s bound for his sophomore season with a head full of steam. That should come as a surprise to no one. What may come as a surprise is how quickly his younger brother, Crosby, is catching up to him 

“Griffin and I have thought about being on tour together a lot. We talk about it every day,” Crosby explained when Stab caught up with him after he won the Jack’s Pro in Huntington Beach. At 17 years old it was his first QS victory. With a rapidly developing style akin to an adolescent Joel Parkinson, he clearly has bigger things in mind.

“I think that’s why he pushes me so hard, he sees us being a brother duo, kind of like Andy and Bruce. That’s kind of our goal, our dream. We’re just going to keep working toward that,” Crosby continues.

Much like Griffin’s rapid ascent to the top of the game, all of this may be happening quicker than Crosby expected.

“Griffin wants me to come to some of the contests with him this year, so I’m going to go to Snapper and be around the contest there. Then I’ll be in the Bells trials, so I’ll be with him there too,” he says. “He’s really supportive of me and I’m really supportive of him, so it’s pretty cool that we have a good relationship.”

Whereas it was sometimes hard to tell the difference between Bruce and Andy in the water, Griffin and Crosby don’t surf anything alike. They’re both talented in their own way. Griffin is coiled, spring-loaded, ready to explode into an air section at any moment. Crosby is taller, looser and has a more upright stance. His rail game is his strong suit.

“It’s funny how different our styles are,” he laughs. “I’m a lot taller and lanky and have my dad’s genes, while my brother’s a little bit smaller. I’m a couple inches taller than him already. He’s got better airs than me. When I see him do them I’m like, ‘Okay, I gotta buckle down and get to work.’ But then I think when he sees some of my carves it pushes him in the same way.”

Matt Biolos has been building boards for the boys for their entire careers and their trust in their equipment is obvious. They’re also in a constant state of refinement. 

“I still sometimes try Griffin’s boards because we’re the same weight, and so his boards are a little wider and they work good for me. But now I’m getting my own boards and figuring out all my own dimensions,” Crosby says. “Kolohe has me riding some of his boards and they work really good for me too. Kolohe and I are the same height. It’s sick to be able to pass boards around and figure things out like that.”

But it’s not all about the brotherhood, Crosby has his only little crew, and as they continue to mature they’re going to be making more and more noise. This next generation from San Clemente might be the best yet.

“We kind of have a little SC crew right now. It’s Cole Houshmand, Kade Matson, Jett Schilling, Taj Lindblad and me, and we’re kind of like a pack,” Crosby explains. “We surf together every day. We’re always pushing each other in the water. It’s pretty cool to have friends that are really gnarly so you can push each other. If I see somebody get a good one, then I’ll want to get a good one and outdo them. It’s pretty sick. It’s super fun.”

“I think it’s really cool how all the generations are all tied together here in town. Even the older guys like Dino and Archy and Wardo, they’re all super supportive of us young kids coming up,” Crosby is quick to add. “It’s cool to see that. It’s cool to see Nate Yeomans and the Gudangs out at Lowers and they’re still pushing us. And I feel like now we’re pushing them. They’re all so supportive of all the San Clemente kids, so it’s cool.”