Evan Geiselman
Birthdate: August 31, 1993
Hometown: New Smyrna Beach, Florida

In March of 2008, 14-year-old surfing phenom Evan Geiselman tore into his competition at the NSSA East Coast Nationals at Florida's Sebastian Inlet, leaving with victories in Open Juniors, Open Airshow, and Explorer Boys - he even pulled down the highest single-wave score of the Open Juniors division. His performance earned him a record 12th NSSA East Coast Title, so it's easy to see why he's being lauded as one of the next all-time great surfers, even drawing comparisons to the legendary Rob Machado. Evan's not one to get caught up in the hype, though, cutting it all down to a simple philosophy: be a better surfer every time he steps on his board.

PURE-BRED SURF CHILD
Hailing from New Smyrna Beach, Florida, you could say Evan was destined to ride the waves. His parents were avid surfers, particularly his father Greg, who competed as a pro on the ASP East Tour for seven years and is now a sought-after shaper at Orion, Evan's board sponsor. Greg and his wife Gina had their boys in the water early; Evan started surfing when he was seven. He took to it as naturally as his older brother Eric and was competing by the time he was eight.

Now a promising competitor on the ASP Junior Pro circuit, Eric, who is five years older, has served as inspiration for Evan. "It's a little bit of a rivalry," Evan says, "because now I surf against him in Junior Pro, but it's more of a motivator. I love watching him; he's doing some really progressive moves, so I just try to feed off of that." Evan developed a smooth, effortless style early on that helped him stand out, and that theme continues to be the dominant characteristic of his technique today, with more than half his life spent on a board.

Evan's parents didn't waste any time getting Evan accustomed to bigger surf than their Florida roots could offer. "I went to Hawaii when I was 8," he remembers. "That was a big step for me, experiencing the whole lifestyle in Hawaii and how much more powerful the waves are." With regular trips to Hawaii and excursions to places like Indonesia and Costa Rica under his belt, Evan's surf schooling is on the right course.

MAD SKILLS MEAN MAD PROPS
Evan's style and skill hasn't gone unnoticed, especially when being a right-coaster with an equally skillful brother draws comparisons to the Hobgood brotherly legacy. On his own, Evan's name has come up in the same breath as Machado's, a comparison Geiselman doesn't take lightly. "I've been compared to him in a couple magazines," he says. "That feels awesome. It's a real confidence booster." When it comes to long-term speculation, some even predict that if Evan continues on his present track and remains dedicated, he's the surfing world's best hope to become the next Kelly Slater.

While flattered by the praise, Evan doesn't let the bigger picture detract his focus. "I feel a little pressure; but that's more from me, I don't do it for anybody else. I'm just trying to surf the best I can and get better every time I surf." Landing in the number two spot on Surfer's Hot 100 Groms list two years running proves that he's definitely holding true to that goal.

MAKING HIS FUTURE
Focused more on inspiration than imitation, Evan may take cues from other surfers, but he's determined to craft his own style. "[My progression has] been pretty natural; I haven't really looked at people and tried to copy their style. I'm trying to do the most progressive stuff I can, but I want it to look effortless and powerful." With a mindset like that already firmly entrenched, the youngest Geiselman is certainly destined for greatness.

When asked about his future goals, Evan responds as you'd expect any 14-year-old surfer to: Finish high school early, get on the WQS, and qualify for the 'CT. However, he adds one more ambition: to be a role model. Clearly, he's got his objectives in order. For the short-term, he'd like to win a Junior Pro contest and get some fishing in, the only activity he likes almost as much as surfing. So what is it about surfing that has him so hooked? "Feeling free. I've grown up in the ocean; I love being there, and I love working hard to progress my surfing and not worry about anything else."