Whether on land or in the water, young surfers in Santa Barbara say a passion for the sport is driving them to compete at an early age.
“I want to be a pro surfer,” Clyve Unander said.
At the age of 10, Unander and Kellen Smith are already entering competitions.
“What I love about surfing is catching a wave and riding,” Smith said. “I love hanging out with my friends and family, and when you’re in the water, you don’t worry about anything.”
The children train under Kilian Garland, owner of Surf Santa Barbara, who said surfing has deep roots in the area.
“Santa Barbara is the birthplace of the shortboard,” Garland said.
Garland said coaching young surfers is rewarding as he watches their skills improve quickly.
“It’s very rewarding to see their progress. Sometimes it happens fast, they’re getting good after a week or two, and then you hear about their contest results,” he said.
The young surfers also look up to professional surfer Lakey Peterson, who is from Santa Barbara.
She recently won the women’s title at the World Surf League Margaret River Pro in Australia during the 2026 Championship Tour season.
Garland said seeing local athletes succeed is meaningful.
