The Hawaiian big wave surfer reflects on his meteoric rise on the WSL Big Wave Tour.
After winning the first event of the Big Wave Tour (BWT) season and finishing runner-up in the second, Makuakai Rothman (HAW) has won the 2014/2015 BWT title. He competed as a BWT wildcard and surpassed all expectations, wrapping up the season with 20,833 points on the BWT rankings, That's almost 7,000 points ahead of this year's runner-up, Gabriel Villaran (PER).
"I just love surfing, it's who I am," Rothman said. "When you've been surfing all your life you just catch waves. If you're having fun out there there's no reason you can't be at the top. I'm not the kind of person who thinks so much. I just do."
Rothman scores big during the Punta Galea Challenge.
Rothman said earlier in the season that he doesn't consider himself the best 'small wave' surfer around. But when the conditions get heavy the Hawaiian's true talent begins to shine.
"It's another world title for Hawaii," said BWT Commissioner Peter Mel. "Makua expressed early on that he wanted to participate in a big way and his dream was to be part of the tour. So, definitely, congratulations are in order."
Read the official WSL release about Rothman's win. And don't miss the Big Wave Awards show, where Rothman and other big wave chargers will be honored Friday, May 1, LIVE at worldsurfleague.com.
Congratulations Rothman, Big Wave Tour Champ
WSL
After winning the first event of the Big Wave Tour (BWT) season and finishing runner-up in the second, Makuakai Rothman (HAW) has won the 2014/2015 BWT title. He competed as a BWT wildcard and surpassed all expectations, wrapping up the season with 20,833 points on the BWT rankings, That's almost 7,000 points ahead of this year's runner-up, Gabriel Villaran (PER).
"I just love surfing, it's who I am," Rothman said. "When you've been surfing all your life you just catch waves. If you're having fun out there there's no reason you can't be at the top. I'm not the kind of person who thinks so much. I just do."
Rothman said earlier in the season that he doesn't consider himself the best 'small wave' surfer around. But when the conditions get heavy the Hawaiian's true talent begins to shine.
"It's another world title for Hawaii," said BWT Commissioner Peter Mel. "Makua expressed early on that he wanted to participate in a big way and his dream was to be part of the tour. So, definitely, congratulations are in order."
Read the official WSL release about Rothman's win. And don't miss the Big Wave Awards show, where Rothman and other big wave chargers will be honored Friday, May 1, LIVE at worldsurfleague.com.
Makuakai Rothman
2020 Ride of the Year Entry: Makua Rothman at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on December 12, 2019. Angle 2. Video by WSL VIdeo Team
2020 Ride of the Year Entry: Makua Rothman at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on December 12, 2019. Angle 1. Video by WSL VIdeo Team
2020 Ride of the Year Entry: Makua Rothman at Jaws, Maui, Hawaii on December 12, 2019. Video by Marcus Rodrigues
Opening Day of the VTCS saw a colorful display of culture
Opening day of the QS 3,000 saw excellent conditions and performances from proven winners
News
Click here for key information about stop 2 on the 2024 World Surf League Challenger Series
A dreamy morning on the Gold Coast provided a high-performance showcase for men's superheats to decide head-to-head, Round of 16 bouts
Barreling morning conditions, high-performance potential, and a gritty finish to Day 4 provided all moods of a pristine Snapper Rocks
Defending event winner Samuel Pupo looks to start his redemption surge back to the CT with another win at Snapper as he dominates his Round
The Brazilian star João Chianca is back in the jersey and in winning form with a Round of 32 victory utilizing his dynamic forehand