Interviews, People, Surf culture, Surf Movies, TravelMe, Myself and Surfing:  Kepa Acero 

In this second instalment of “Me, Myself & Surfing”, we catch up with solo surf explorer and youtube sensation Kepa Acero. A Basque surfer who left the WQS tour to pursue his dream of searching out and surfing perfect waves in remote locations, Kepa filmed his adventures and found an audience. His trips have never been about producing web edits, however. These are a beneficial by-product for the rest of us of Kepa’s desire to go searching. His solo adventures to coastlines all over the world, from Alaska and Antarctica to Peru and Angola, show the raw and honest realities not just of what is possible when you go looking for unique waves and experiences, but also what it takes. True to form, Kepa submitted his responses to us via e-mail from the wifi at Lima Airport, as he sets of on another search for surf; we look forward to following his adventures on his youtube channel.

Name: Kepa Acero

Current Age: 34

Location: Algorta (Basque Country)

Occupation: Surfer

• My earliest memory of surfing… no one forgets that one….It was in Lekeitio, Basque Country. I was 9. I got my older brother’s board and got this first wave. I was super stoked and I remember I wanted another one so bad, and my brother took the surfboard from me…I started crying.
• Surfing to me is… a way to get in a connection, an intimate relationship with nature. But to me it’s also a way of traveling, to connect also with other people and cultures.
• Home is… where I belong. I love traveling to know other places, but also to go back home and appreciate every little thing with family and friends.
• My first overseas surf trip was to… California; I was 15 and was sent on my first trip by my sponsor.
• I still want to travel to… Indo, that’s where part of my heart lives. I think every surfer that experiences a journey through Indonesia for a long time, has the feeling that part of you belongs to Indo.

• I wish that I could… find an end to the injustice in the world.
• I’d love to have shared a few waves with… Bob Marley.
• My magic board/piece of equipment is/was a… PUKAS called “The original sixty-niner”, 5’5” and the most versatile board that I have ever tried.
• Wetsuits are… a salvation. They give us the chance to surf in many places, and explore lands, seas and waves that humans would not have even dreamt about not so long ago.
• Localism is… in humanity’s nature. You can go to a quality surf spot and understand why there is war in the world.

• Before I get in the sea I always… try to choose the right surfboard for the conditions. Unless you are Rob Machado, it is the key to keeping flow on the wave.
• My most memorable session was… some African point break. A 6 to 8 foot, world class wave and without a single person around,
• The last time I scared myself surfing… was in Antarctica. I was trying to surf waves breaking off the edge of an iceberg and it was full of penguins, seals, killer whales… that was hectic!
• My favorite surf movie is… Endless Summer.
• My guilty pleasure is… checking surfline while I am in the bathroom.

• If I didn’t surf then I’d probably… be a climber.
• My greatest fear is… heights.
• I’m happiest when… after getting barreled all day long, sitting back and drinking a beer with my girlfriend and friends.
• I check the surf forecast… twice everyday, for every ocean around the planet.
• I dream about… exploring new surf spots all around the world.

• In the future… I will keep trying to make my dreams come true.
• When I get barreled I… disappear. I feel like life stops for a few seconds.
• Surf culture… is our way to express the art of living.
• The ocean is… a miracle, our passion. It’s nature, it gives us life as fast as it takes your life.