Meet the world’s best groms! Here’s: Vitor Mendes

Interview by Matt Hoy | All photos by Ricardo Bravo Right now, the world’s 10 best under 18 surfers are in Brazil’s Fernando de Noronha, for the final of Quiksilver’s 2015 King Of The Groms. While they’re there, we’ll be profiling the kids who are keeping the future of surfing bright – as interview by the vibrant Matt Hoy. Today, let’s meet… Vitor Mendes! My name is Vitor Mendes, and I’m 17. I think I’m the oldest one here! I’m from Sao Paulo, Brazil. My favourite wave is Super Suck. My favourite dimensions are 5’7”x 18’1/4”x 2’1/8”. At King Of The Groms, Sammy Pupo has been ripping, for sure. And Sebastian Williams too. The thing I like most about King Of The Groms is that it’s not a normal contest, it’s just freesurfing and having fun with friends out of the water, talking to each other. In a normal contest you stay near the wave, looking at the wave, not talking to anyone. But here you talk to everybody, make fun of everybody! Everyone’s been cool in the water and respects each other. I think Mick will win the World Title this year, but I wish that it was Gabriel. Filipe, maybe, I like him more than Gabriel as a surfer, and Adriano has the same sponsor so that would be cool. But I think it’s easier for Gabriel to win it. My favourite surfer in the world right now is Gabriel. I think he is the best right now. If you gave me a million dollars, I’d spend it on investing in my life, travelling, putting money in investments, maybe going to all the QS events. If I was going to a deserted island, I’d bring a surfboard, family and a house (*laughs). Ten years from now, I mean, I hope I’m surfing for another 15 years professionally, but otherwise I just hope I’m a normal guy in the world, working. Though, there’s nothing I’d like to do except surfing. The people I look up to most from my local break are my brother Jesse, and Adriano, for sure. Adriano lives not that far from me, maybe 10 minutes by car. The person who has the most influence on my surfing in general? There’s a lot of people who say I surf like my brother, and I’ve always surfed with him so I’m sure I have a lot of influence from him. I hope I get on the tour before him though. Ha! I’m most scared of big waves, but I do like to ride them. I’ve surfed 15 foot waves in Hawaii but I have a lot of respect for the waves.