Luca Padua, the 14-year-old Mavericks surfer

It is not every day you come across a #bigwavesurfer. Much less, a #Mavericks regular who happens to be 14 years old.

Meet Luca Padua, a boy destined for 'big'. Luca grew up in Half Moon Bay and started surfing at 8. A year later, he became an extra on #ChasingMavericks, the #JayMoriarty biotopic which brought #bigwavesurfing to the mainstream. Luca found his own 'Frosty' in Tim West Jr, the mentor who first got him in the lineup. "I was at home watching a surf movie when my phone started ringing. It was Tim. He goes, 'Hey dude, Mavericks is clean and looks really good. I think you should come with me.' 'To do what? watch from the cliff?' Luca ended up in the channel, watching Tim catch perfect 12-18ft waves. He eventually crept into the bowl. 'Everybody backed off and was calling me in. I was contemplating swinging the board around when i heard Tim go, 'Turn and burn motherf****r!'

The rest is history. 'I love everything about it. The feeling in your stomach while going over a ledge so steep you can’t see the bottom. Even getting worked, i get just as much adrenaline getting thrashed and making it back to the surface as dropping in on a 25 footer.' Luca recently got noticed by @TitansofMavericks, and his dream to represent #HalfMoonBay as a Titan is getting closer. This, and going to college of course💪.

If that ain't #gromlife at its best, enjoy @lucapadua! And to the rest of us, keep an eye out for this rising 🌟! 📷: @coreyywhitneyy #titansofmavericks #xxlsurf #followerstory #swellbound #freesurfspirit

Luca on a bomb