Griffin Colapinto has been on a meteoric rise to fame over the course of the last few years. He is, as you likely know, from one of the world’s surfiest towns: San Clemente. It’s a place where surfing is life. Banners with faces like Kolohe Andino’s fly from street lights. Surf-related stickers are plastered everywhere. The place smells of wax, sea breeze, and neoprene. E-bikes zig hither and yon, heading either up or down the Trestles trail. It’s a good place, especially if you’re a surfer. And Griffin, as a local boy, is certainly the definition of a hometown hero.
As the 2023 WSL World Title approached, the pressure was on for Griff. It might’ve been a strange thing for him to have the entire town putting their hopes on his shoulders, but he bore that burden well. Red Bull recently put together a short film that’s an intimate look behind the scenes of an entire town that put all its weight into cheering on Griff as he tried to win his first world title. He didn’t, as we know now, but there’s probably one on the horizon. If he ever is on top of the podium at the end, you can bet the town of San Clemente is going to turn into one hell of a party.
