When Life Gives You Soft Top Contests, Turn Them Into Free Mentawai Trips

Money is just a means to an end. And for most surfers, that end is Indo trips.

In 2024, 23-year-old Sean Gunning won Somo Go Soft, a soft top-centric contest held in Cantabria on Spain’s north coast. Sean’s prize? A trip for two to the Mentawai Islands, with flights and accommodations covered. 

For his plus one, Sean smartly got a ticket for his friend Alvaro Cobo, who filmed the edit you see above. It’s the result of a remarkably efficient time management: three weeks in Indo off one day riding a soft top.

With dual heritage from Spain and Australia, Sean’s no stranger to globe-trotting. He grew up surfing in Spain, then moved across the world to Australia to finish high school at age 17. He intended to stay for one year and wound up there for five. When he wasn’t looking for waves on the Gold Coast, he clocked shifts as a dishwasher, chef and even a bartender at the Greenmount Surf Club.

A smooth yet aggressive goofyfoot, he took to Indo well. In “Any Fish Ments,” he’s prone to rotating over sections as well as tucking into frontside tubes. He’s also got a keen eye for boards. Peep that Maurice Cole, a gift he received in 2018 after winning the European championships U16 division. Still feels magic to this day, he claims. 

Sean’s been busy since moving back to the country of his birth two years ago. He picked up deals with Vans and Byrne Surfboards. He’s revving up his YouTube channel, a mix of travelogs, sessions and contests. It’s further evidence that Europe has an eclectic mix of freesurfing talent hellbent on putting on the rashie. Sean’s going to tally more airline miles this year as he qualified for the 2026 Challenger Series via the European QS. 

But the tropics hit hard. Especially when you’re not footing the bill.