Franco Radziunas on a trip: “My goal was always to surf as much as I could and try to evolve my surfing”

On his first trip out of Argentina after the pandemic, the Mar del Plata native went to Costa Rica and California with the focus on improving his surfing and made it clear that he achieved what he set out to do; here he shares it in an interview


October 11, 2021
|EN Recent
|POR Pablo Zanocchi

Presented by: Quiksilver Argentina - Cover photo: @elramasurfphoto

Two of the best training grounds you can choose to evolve your surfing are Costa Rica and California. There's a reason why young Argentinian Franco Radziunas, an expert in the art of advancing his surfing, went there as his first post-pandemic trip a couple of months ago.

He evolved. In the videos he has been posting on social media, he is combining the best of sharp curves with an innovative aerial game.

In the Central American country, waves abound, it is warm and you can still find places with few people in the water. You can repeat routines in the waves to hone your moves, surf all day, one wave after another.

In California, the population situation in the water is very different, but for a competitive surfer, the lineup full of good level is worth it. The eye gets used to what is humanly possible on a wave and one tries to imitate the maneuvers of the best in the world as if they were everyday things.

Franco himself acknowledges in this interview that even though Lowers is packed with people, the level of competition in the water helps to improve, more so than being in the water all day long in Costa Rica alone.

Below he shares his experiences in both destinations and everything he gained in recent months.

He will soon return to Argentina with a great thirst for competition.

How did you decide to go on a trip, first to Costa Rica and then to California?
Winters in Argentina are not ideal for surfing, mainly because the climate is so cold that it makes surfing more difficult. That is why it is normal to see how people decide to travel to other places with better weather during this time, to avoid winter at home. That was my case too, the trip came about to take advantage of surfing more during these months.

What was your goal in leaving?
My goal was always to surf as much as I could and try to evolve my surfing on the technical side.

"After a year and a half in Argentina due to the pandemic, I was able to travel to surf again. The truth is that it felt really good, I already missed being able to travel in search of good waves and better weather than the Argentine winter."

Was this your first post-pandemic trip? How did it feel?
Yes, after a year and a half in Argentina due to the pandemic, I was able to travel to surf again. The truth is that it felt really good, I already missed being able to travel in search of good waves and better weather than the Argentine winter.

Obviously it wasn't the same as before, mostly because of the precautions that had to be taken due to Covid, and the most difficult thing was traveling from Argentina with cancelled flights and difficulties, but beyond that, everything was fine.

You appear to be performing at a high level on social media. How much did it affect Costa Rica and California to continue raising the level?
Both places had a big influence on my surfing level, both in Costa Rica and now in California. However, I would say that in California, Trestles specifically, which is where I am going to surf every day, made me improve a lot. Not only because of the fact of surfing a peak with perfect rights and lefts but also the level of surfers in the water, they motivate you to stay at a high level all the time.

Mention some differences between training in Costa Rica and training in California.
The main differences I found were that in Costa Rica I was surfing strong break breaks, hot and with few people in the water. In California, however, the wave is more perfect but there are also more people in the water.

Californian curve with Franco Radziunas. For him, Lowers is the perfect training ground. Photo: @whothephotoisjohnking

What is your daily life like in California?
Nothing too out of the ordinary, just getting up, having breakfast and going surfing. Depending on the sea, if it's really nice I'll stay on the beach until late, if not I'll go back, I'll rest a bit and maybe come back on the weekend. Also, the first month I was going to the gym here, on the days when the waves were smaller.

How does the journey continue?
The trip is almost over, I had a return ticket in a few days, but it was cancelled, and I'm going to stay here a few more weeks until I return to Argentina.

"I would like to be able to demonstrate my progress in championships, do the pro junior events, which are now under 20 and I can compete, and also start competing in the QS"

What goals do you have for the rest of the year?
I would like to be able to demonstrate my progress in championships, do the pro junior events, which are now under 20 and I can compete, and also start competing in the QS.

Describe your best wave in Costa Rica and your best wave in California.
If I remember correctly, I would say that my best wave in Costa Rica was at Playa Negra, in the north. A swell came in and at that beach they told us it was going to be epic, and we arrived and found a right-hander over rocks with clear water, epic.

In California I mostly surfed at Trestles, and a few days before the WSL finals I had an amazing session with perfect conditions, no wind, rights and lefts, and few people in the water.

 

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