A little while ago, Ross Williams was asked a question for the World Surf League’s Getting Heated series. It wasn’t an easy one to answer, but Williams didn’t hesitate. His answer? Rio Waida. The question was who he thought was the best surfer not currently on the championship tour. “This kid is unbelievable,” Williams said. “He’s super powerful, he’s really fast, he’s young, he’s fit. He surfs better than half the guys on tour right now, in my opinion… If he gets on tour, he is just going to demolish guys.” Watch that statement here, starting at the seven-minute mark.
Waida, a surfer of half-Japanese, half-Indonesian heritage living in Bali, is making every effort to back up Williams’ claim. He spends some of his time chasing points on the QS, but with the pandemic effectively shuttering any and all forms of QS events over the last year, Waida has been making the most of his time in the Indonesian Archipelago. Watching the clip above, courtesy of Surfers of Bali, it’s clear that he really is a complete package: airs, turns, barrels, lefts or rights, he’s the standout surfer in just about any condition.
See more from Surfers of Bali on YouTube.
