January 2, 1995 // Kilauea, Kauai
Synopsis: We’re gonna go out on a limb here and say that the future of Hawaiian surfing comes in the form of 5 feet of wise-cracking, pig-hunting, lip-destroying pubescence named Koa Smith. In a heat, Koa proved himself time and again in 2008 by winning the Open Boys and Explorer Menehune divisions at Nationals as well as winning the 12-and-under division of Rip Curl’s National GromSearch.
Variables: Koa’s had such an illustrious career thus far that it’s easy to forget that the lad is still barely a teenager. He has time—the race to the ’CT is marathon, not a sprint.
Forecast: Koa’s sitting at the top of his age group with more talent and charisma than he knows what do with. If he remains dedicated to pursuing a career as a professional, it’s his for the taking.