America’s Next Great Pair Of Surfing Brothers Has Arrived
There are a lot of reasons to be excited for the start of the 2024 WSL Championship Tour later this month, and if you’re a fan of American surfing, somewhere at the top of that list is Crosby Colapinto joining his older brother, world title contender and future Olympian Griffin this year. It’s been a hot minute since we had a pair of brothers on tour, and these two are special. Dedicated, talented, affable, they’re leading the charge as a new generation of U.S. surfers, including their friends Cole Houshmand, Kade Matson and Eli Hanneman, hit the road this season and look to upset the establishment.
Brotherly surfing duos are nothing new to American surfing. Three-time world champ Andy Irons and brother Bruce are front of mind, but right behind them are Damien and CJ Hobgood, as well as Cory and Shea Lopez and Derek and Michael Ho. All of those surfers changed surfing in their own unique and special way. For the Irons boys, it was an unabashed, scorched-earth competitiveness that drove them to greatness. In an era where guys like Kelly Slater, Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson were all chasing titles, they proudly wore the badge of “people’s champions” on their sleeves. “Everyone wins,” Andy was known to say from time to time.
Meanwhile, for the Hobgood and Lopez boys, they were the living legacy of what Slater started. After rattling off his world titles in the ‘90s, Slater stepped out of the spotlight at the turn of the century. The void was filled by his fellow Florida charges. CJ won the world title in 2001, while Damien and Cory proved that Florida boys will charge harder than most in the South Pacific. Their respective acts at Teahupo’o and Cloudbreak were barrier breaking. Meanwhile, Shea was the technician and strategist that was right there in the early Aughts with Matt Biolos and company as the …Lost got underway.
That brings us to Michael and Derek Ho, hands down the best pair of brothers to call Pipeline home. Michael famously invented the “pig dog” tube riding technique after breaking his arm in the Pipe Masters but refusing to quit. Meanwhile, has there ever been anyone as graceful and in tune with Pipe as Derek? No, the answer is no. The first Hawaiian world champion, Derek’s impact continues to reverberate and inspire to this day.
And now it’s the Colapinto boys turn to pick up the mantle and have a go. We’ve already seen what Griff is capable of the last few years, including his appearance at the WSL Finals last year. But now, with younger brother Crosby by his side, the shared energy between the two could elevate both of their performances to new levels. The mindset is positive, the energy is good and the vibes are up with these two. Just being together on tour was a dream come true, but with their homies in the water with them and a new season at hand, things are about to get even better for the Colapintos. Watch this space.
