This article was originally published by SURFER.
For this five-part series, we spoke with modern icons at iconic waves around the world, and asked them for a list of the most underrated surfers at their homebreak. Because every wave has a least one of them: The underrated ripper who, for one reason or another, hasn't quite garnered the mainstream media attention they deserve.
For the second installation of the series, we've turned our attention to Lower Trestles and one of its mainstay locals, Dane Gudauskas-twin brother to Pat and older brother to Tanner, who together make up the happiest trio in surfing. Along with his brothers, Dane was raised in the water at Lowers, where he climbed the ranks from the the inside to the peak, before eventually taking his Lowers-grown talents to the heaviest waves in the world: Pipe, Teahupo'o and Cloudbreak.
"There are so many talented underground guys at Lowers, in all ages," Dane says. "But these are the under-the-radar guys that I just get so jonesed-up to surf with right now."
Kevin Shultz - Pete Taras
Kevin Shultz
"I love Kevin's surfing," says Gudauskas. "He's right at the age where his talents are coming full force, and Lowers is such an open canvas that he's taking it to a whole ‘nother level. He's had a couple of big contest wins recently in the low-rated events, and then he comes back and surfs Lowers and you can see his progression lifting during every surf. I feel like Kevin is on the brink of something absolutely huge. I back Kevin 100 percent. Every time he's out at Lowers and I'm in town I'm really psyched to surf with Kevin."
Jeff Lukasik
"Jeff Lukasik should definitely be on the list," explains Gudauskas. "He's an absolute frother, and he has the best energy ever. He just really loves it. You can see it clearly. His air game on the left is next level-he's probably had more air attempts on the first section of the left than just about anybody I know. And aside from stomping airs, he's just got this rad art setup in San Clemente and his art career has really blossomed. I'm really thrilled to see where his life is at right now. He's just a rad underground performer and he's always on it when it's good. I've got a couple little tide windows I love out there, and Jeff is always thinking the same thing. He just knows all the right tide and wind combinations. He's always on it. And he's always going left [laughs]."
Nate Yeomans"I gotta say Nate, the world's highest-rated sales rep," Gudauskas laughs. "He's still surfing Lowers at the peak of his talent. He was on Tour the year they had the mid-year cutoff rotation, which was unfortunate, because I would have loved to have seen him get the chance to surf the Lowers 'CT event. I know he never ended up re-qualifying, but I feel like that really carried his determination to stay fit and healthy and progress as a surfer, even into the next chapter of his life. He just beat Kanoa Igarashi in a heat at the last 1-star in Huntington and was claiming his highest rated sales rep status so hard [laughs]. I can see his love for surfing. He doesn't have to be out there pushing it but he still is, and he's stoking out the groms now and firing them up. He's a really positive influence out in the lineup at Lowers."
Nate Yeomans - Grant Ellis
Nate Yeomans
"I gotta say Nate, the world's highest-rated sales rep," Gudauskas laughs. "He's still surfing Lowers at the peak of his talent. He was on Tour the year they had the mid-year cutoff rotation, which was unfortunate, because I would have loved to have seen him get the chance to surf the Lowers 'CT event. I know he never ended up re-qualifying, but I feel like that really carried his determination to stay fit and healthy and progress as a surfer, even into the next chapter of his life. He just beat Kanoa Igarashi in a heat at the last 1-star in Huntington and was claiming his highest rated sales rep status so hard [laughs]. I can see his love for surfing. He doesn't have to be out there pushing it but he still is, and he's stoking out the groms now and firing them up. He's a really positive influence out in the lineup at Lowers."
Shaw Kobayashi
"Shaw rips," says Gudauskas. "His dad Masaki is out there all the time too and his younger brother Kei also rips. Shaw surfs kind of like Kekoa Bacalso-just a regular foot powerhouse. Now he works at …Lost in the factory, but somehow he still manufactures these massive hits. You'll be walking down to the lineup and just be like, 'Who in the hell was that?' He'll destroy a right. And he's the guy who's making sure your …Lost surfboard is getting where it needs to be. Shaw is super mellow, too. He's the ultimate man behind the scenes."
Jeremy Carter
"He's insane," says Gudauskas. "He's super underground. Friends with Kolohe [Andino] and that whole crew, and he's just a smooth operator. Now he rips for the San Clemente Boardriders. Every time he surfs out there he's on the best waves. He's always on the perfect wedging right that runs all the way down the reef and he just tees them up and makes every wave. The thing about Jeremy is he's so mellow in the lineup. He's just one of those dudes that's easy going and really great to share a lineup with. He's a chill cat. But he fits right in with all of the best surfers out there."
This article was originally published by SURFER.
The Five Most Underrated Surfers At Lower Trestles
Zander Morton
This article was originally published by SURFER.
For this five-part series, we spoke with modern icons at iconic waves around the world, and asked them for a list of the most underrated surfers at their homebreak. Because every wave has a least one of them: The underrated ripper who, for one reason or another, hasn't quite garnered the mainstream media attention they deserve.
For the second installation of the series, we've turned our attention to Lower Trestles and one of its mainstay locals, Dane Gudauskas-twin brother to Pat and older brother to Tanner, who together make up the happiest trio in surfing. Along with his brothers, Dane was raised in the water at Lowers, where he climbed the ranks from the the inside to the peak, before eventually taking his Lowers-grown talents to the heaviest waves in the world: Pipe, Teahupo'o and Cloudbreak.
"There are so many talented underground guys at Lowers, in all ages," Dane says. "But these are the under-the-radar guys that I just get so jonesed-up to surf with right now."
Kevin Shultz
"I love Kevin's surfing," says Gudauskas. "He's right at the age where his talents are coming full force, and Lowers is such an open canvas that he's taking it to a whole ‘nother level. He's had a couple of big contest wins recently in the low-rated events, and then he comes back and surfs Lowers and you can see his progression lifting during every surf. I feel like Kevin is on the brink of something absolutely huge. I back Kevin 100 percent. Every time he's out at Lowers and I'm in town I'm really psyched to surf with Kevin."
Jeff Lukasik
"Jeff Lukasik should definitely be on the list," explains Gudauskas. "He's an absolute frother, and he has the best energy ever. He just really loves it. You can see it clearly. His air game on the left is next level-he's probably had more air attempts on the first section of the left than just about anybody I know. And aside from stomping airs, he's just got this rad art setup in San Clemente and his art career has really blossomed. I'm really thrilled to see where his life is at right now. He's just a rad underground performer and he's always on it when it's good. I've got a couple little tide windows I love out there, and Jeff is always thinking the same thing. He just knows all the right tide and wind combinations. He's always on it. And he's always going left [laughs]."
Nate Yeomans"I gotta say Nate, the world's highest-rated sales rep," Gudauskas laughs. "He's still surfing Lowers at the peak of his talent. He was on Tour the year they had the mid-year cutoff rotation, which was unfortunate, because I would have loved to have seen him get the chance to surf the Lowers 'CT event. I know he never ended up re-qualifying, but I feel like that really carried his determination to stay fit and healthy and progress as a surfer, even into the next chapter of his life. He just beat Kanoa Igarashi in a heat at the last 1-star in Huntington and was claiming his highest rated sales rep status so hard [laughs]. I can see his love for surfing. He doesn't have to be out there pushing it but he still is, and he's stoking out the groms now and firing them up. He's a really positive influence out in the lineup at Lowers."
Nate Yeomans
"I gotta say Nate, the world's highest-rated sales rep," Gudauskas laughs. "He's still surfing Lowers at the peak of his talent. He was on Tour the year they had the mid-year cutoff rotation, which was unfortunate, because I would have loved to have seen him get the chance to surf the Lowers 'CT event. I know he never ended up re-qualifying, but I feel like that really carried his determination to stay fit and healthy and progress as a surfer, even into the next chapter of his life. He just beat Kanoa Igarashi in a heat at the last 1-star in Huntington and was claiming his highest rated sales rep status so hard [laughs]. I can see his love for surfing. He doesn't have to be out there pushing it but he still is, and he's stoking out the groms now and firing them up. He's a really positive influence out in the lineup at Lowers."
Shaw Kobayashi
"Shaw rips," says Gudauskas. "His dad Masaki is out there all the time too and his younger brother Kei also rips. Shaw surfs kind of like Kekoa Bacalso-just a regular foot powerhouse. Now he works at …Lost in the factory, but somehow he still manufactures these massive hits. You'll be walking down to the lineup and just be like, 'Who in the hell was that?' He'll destroy a right. And he's the guy who's making sure your …Lost surfboard is getting where it needs to be. Shaw is super mellow, too. He's the ultimate man behind the scenes."
Jeremy Carter
"He's insane," says Gudauskas. "He's super underground. Friends with Kolohe [Andino] and that whole crew, and he's just a smooth operator. Now he rips for the San Clemente Boardriders. Every time he surfs out there he's on the best waves. He's always on the perfect wedging right that runs all the way down the reef and he just tees them up and makes every wave. The thing about Jeremy is he's so mellow in the lineup. He's just one of those dudes that's easy going and really great to share a lineup with. He's a chill cat. But he fits right in with all of the best surfers out there."
This article was originally published by SURFER.
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