AGE: 17
HOME: ZARAUTZ
WEIGHT: 65KG
HEIGHT: 178CM
SPONSORS: RIP CURL, ELECTRIC,
CREATURES OF LEISURE, ESSUS.
CONTEST RESULTS: GUIPÚZCOA
OPEN CHAMPION 2006-7
If surfing heritage plays any part in forging successful pro surfing careers, it would be hard to script a better upbringing than Marcos Sansegundo’s. Born in the beach resort of Zarautz in the Basque Country, he paddled out for the first time when he was 7 under the watchful eyes of his folks, who are also surfers. But not just any surfers, Marcos’ dad Sanse was one of the first surfboard shapers in the Gipuzkoa region, setting up his own surf shop in town right back in 1986, called Essus, which the family still runs today. Later, Marcos’ dad also created a local boardriders club in town that today, after merging with the Zarautz Surf School, exists as the well-known beachfront Zarautz surf club. It’s within this tight-knit surf community and ideal training grounds that Marcos grew up and now thrives, and he’s quick to recognise this, “My main influences have definitely been my parents, and then all my friends that I surf with every day at the Club, not forgetting Hodei and Aritz whenever they happen to be around.” This year has also seen some of the young goofy’s first important travels, with time spent both in Hawaii and Indo. “I went to Hawaii for three weeks in February. It was my first time there. We went with the Rip Curl team with guys like PV Laborde and Adrien Toyon to get a better feel for more powerful surf and all the different kinds of waves you get there. We got it pretty good so I was stoked!” His trip to Indonesia, where he went to shoot a film about Timor and the waves there with Ugo Benghozi didn’t go quite so well when he slammed on the reef and had to have six stitches in his swede. But such setbacks are part of any young talent’s development and success, and when pressed about his future he’s happy to bide his time and take things in his stride, “Right now I’m still studying to pass my baccalaureate, which I should get next year, and then after that if I’m still doing well with my surfing then great. I’m only 17 so I’ve still got time to get some contest results and see how I go until I’m 20.”