November 25, 1989 // Kona, Hawaii
Synopsis: One of the fastest surfers in the Hot 100, Tonino Benson has been solidifying himself in the eyes of the surf media for the past few years now, drawing sharp comparisons to another Big Island legend: Shane Dorian. Like Dorian, Tonino is equally progressive on 2-foot ramps or 10-foot Cloudbreak
Variables: In 2008, Tonino focused more of his time freesurfing and filming for an upcoming Reef movie than on contests. Although he did a select few ’QS events and had a solid Pro Junior result, he claims that the highlight of his year came in the form of rushing 10-foot Cloudbreak with Dorian.
Forecast: Tonino’s old enough to know exactly how young he is. Although he’s planning to do a few select ’QS events in ’09, he doesn’t want to burn himself out by placing too much of an emphasis on the ’QS just yet.