By Jake Howard
There’s no stoke like grom stoke. Case in point, 7-year-old Bodhi Aguilar.
“Getting long waves with good turns inspires me because it makes me feel good and makes me want to go back the next day,” Bodhi said after being asked what fires him up about riding waves. “Surfing with my friends inspires me…and I always want to see a whale out in the water.”
The next-gen San Clemente ripper first got on the board at the ripe old age of 3 when his pop taught him to surf at San Onofre. These days you’ll probably find him shredding the inside wedges at Lowers.
Bodhi Aguilar. Photo: Larry Cole
“I look up to John John Florence because he does good airs and layback snaps,” Bodhi said. “I also look up to my dad because when he does turns, he drifts sometimes and it looks really cool. I really look up to Kelly Slater, Jordy Smith, Yadin Nicol—I’m going to ask Yadin if he will teach me to do airs—all of the San Clemente shredders, like Kolohe Andino, the Colapintos, all of the Gudauskas brothers. I also look up to my little sister, Sunshine, because she tries really hard and is always smiling and having fun when she surfs.”
Bodhi’s froth level is high, as is his appreciation for the ocean in which he rides.
“I wish people would not litter and keep the ocean and Earth clean, so we can keep surfing,” Bodhi said.