Does A Better 13-Year-Old Surfer Than Eli Hanneman Exist?

Occasionally, someone much younger than you comes through the pipeline and makes you want to hang up the board and wettie altogether. Our kind’s a jealous lot, which is why when your good pal gets the wave of the day you hoot for him and curse his better positioning.

Eli Hanneman in these four minutes is displaying surfing beyond most adults wildest notions. “I want to be able to have every single trick you can possibly do in my pocket and pull it out at any time,” says the young Mr Hanneman, and by the looks of it, he’s getting damn close. The kid’s slicing the guts out of tunnels, spinning every which way and for a 13-year-old wafe, is moving water with his turns. He surfs like a miniature Julian Wilson. And, has twice-a-day-sessions for three to five hours a pop. With what the youth see as possible today, via John John, Gabs, Clay Marzo, Jordy Smith, Albee Layer and Matt Meola, it’s no wonder they’re surfing at levels exceeding the kids of ten or even five years ago.