Local surfer catches sponsors
BY FRANKLIN HAYES Gulf Breeze News franklin@gulfbreezenews.com

Submitted Photo Slater Trout, 12, of Pensacola Beach is now a sponsored surfer riding the monster waves off the coast of Hawaii.

Most Floridians spend this time of year bundling up in coats or staying indoors as much as possible. Then there are those who know that now is the best time to be swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, of all places, trying to catch waves. From October to March, when red flags are flying to warn swimmers to stay out of the gulf, it's common to see over 30 surfers in the water donning full body wetsuits and waiting for the best wave at Pensacola Beach.

"Winter season is the best season," said Shannon Hampton, a manager with Innerlight Surf Shop in Pensacola. "The past couple of weekends have been good. The waves have been overhead or double overhead."

Hampton added that summer is when the gulf waters are the flattest, but that is the best time to learn and it also happens to be when the well-known surf shop sponsors its annual "Surf Camp." The camp, which will also be sponsored this year by the international surf brands Quicksilver and Roxy, is open to all ages and past participants have ranged from 8 to 46 years of age, Hampton said.

"The main things we teach are what to do if you're caught in a riptide, proper surf etiquette, the difference in board sizes and how to balance on your board," Hampton said.

Hampton added that the camp's main goal is to teach people the basics of the sport and after that it's up to the individual to continue the learning process. A prime example of that personal responsibility would be former Pensacola Beach resident Slater Trout.

Trout, 12, participated in the camp at a young age and is now a sponsored surfer riding the monster waves off the coast of Hawaii.

"I like surfing because it gives me time to get away from other things that get me stressed out like homework and school and because I get to spend time with my friends," Trout, who is sponsored by Lightning Bolt Maui, wrote in an email from his home in Maui, Hawaii. "Being in waves can sometimes give you a feeling of fear but most of the time it is just fun feeling the power of the wave pushing you along and seeing what you can do with it."

The entire Trout family surfs and has shredded breakers all over the globe including Costa Rica, Fiji, California, and Australia. Slater caught his first waves at the age of 4.

"[We] moved to Hawaii last August for a new adventure and to try it for a year and see if it is someplace that [we] wanted to live," Slater's mother Jennifer Trout wrote the Gulf Breeze News, explaining their decision to move to the popular Pacific Island. "The family was excited to experience all that Hawaii had to offer and to be able to spend more time in the water."

Trout began competing locally in National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) contests, which also holds national and regional surfing competitions for wave riders under the age of 18.

Another young local surfer is trying to catch the wave of success by hanging 10 primarily in the gulf. William Warren, 14, is currently sponsored by Innerlight, Fortress Watches, Anarchy Sunglasses and Cobian Sandals. Warren did well enough in local NSSA competitions to gain sponsorship and compete regionally.

Warren and Trout both share the dream of competing on a global scale and turning their wet hobby into a professional career.

"I have a lot of devotion and I really want to go somewhere with my surfing," the International Baccalaureate (IB) student and NSSA member said. "I also try to do well at school... I like to take more challenging courses to put myself to the test to see how well I can do."

That "can do" spirit should serve the aspiring professional well, as the road to global surf competition and recognition is a long one. According to Transworld Surf magazine, the first step for an aspiring board rider is to become a fullfledged member of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP). After paying yearly ASP membership fees, $200 for men and $130 for women, surfers can begin competing in the open entry World Qualifying Series (WQS), affectionately referred to as "The Grind." Out of thousands of contestants worldwide, the top 15 men and six women move on to the World Championship Tour (WCT) to compete against the best 45 male or 17 female surfers alive.