What a difference one wave makes. This year at Da Hui Backdoor Shootout, Tyler bagged the biggest bomb of the event and possibly the most talked about wave of the winter, propelling himself into the spotlight of the world’s most competitive stage. “One wave is all it takes,” explains Danny Fuller, who kick-started his career in similar fashion. “You get that one wave and it’ll launch you. People start noticing you, you start catching better waves, getting more opportunities, earning your spot.” It’s with that single act of bravado that Tyler has solidified his spot in Hawaii’s lineups. Emerging from relatively humble beginnings, Tyler’s scratched his way onto the scene, and like every good success story, the regularfooter’s not about to squander what he’s got now. Forget all that stuff about living in the shadow of Bruce and Andy or how Kauai is a breeding ground for surf talent; Tyler Newton would rip if he lived in Wisconsin.