It’s no secret that today’s crop of junior surfers coming out of Hawaii—most notably Maui—rank among the best youngsters in the world. With a plethora of waves to choose from, the Valley Isle’s Albee Layer is the perfect example of what happens when natural talent is put into a nurturing environment. Growing up in Haiku, on Maui’s north shore, he’s had the good fortune of being exposed to some of the biggest, most ferocious waves on the planet, as well as rubbing shoulders with some of the craziest surfers ever to stand in tow-straps. While a the same time other swell-exposed parts of the island offer the freedom of test tracks like Honolua Bay and Ma'alaea. A few years junior to talents such as Clay Marzo, Dusty Payne and Hank Gaskell, in small waves Layer’s most definitely taken a page out of their progressive, 21st century playbook. But thanks to his northern shore upbringing, for his age, there’s little he’s afraid of. The 2006 Hawaiian Quiksilver King of the Groms champ, it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the surf world realizes how truly talented this regular-footer truly is.