Note sponsored by Quiksilver Argentina 

The eternal free surfer, fan of alternative boards, artist of long and clean lines, Franco Rivas, better known on Instagram as @pepes_world was announced today as the newest ambassador of Quiksilver Argentina.

In the following paragraphs, in an interview with Sebastián Chacón, Quiksilver Argentina press, the surfer himself talks about his new role in the brand, his life in the pandemic, his new role as shaper of his own boards and everything that surrounds his life.

What are the main functions of an ambassador for a brand like Quiksilver?
In my case, doing what I like to do, surfing, using alternative boards and representing a lifestyle related to the sea and its culture.

The quarantine was long in Mar del Pata, and it also coincided with the best autumn wave season in the last 10 years. How were those days?
The first week I slept until like 11 AM every day and stayed up late watching movies with my girlfriend Lila, the uncertainty and the good waves I saw from the window of the AFT Ranch drove me crazy at first.

Working from the computer for our production company and hostel chain AFT,  Over time I started to study a little about how to make boards, I got up early again, had breakfast as if I was going to surf all day, some guitar, some reading, a fire in the patio and constant hours looking at the sea through the window.

Eventually after about 60 days  I put on my suit, crossed the street and went surfing.

What other sports did you practice before dedicating yourself fully to surfing?
I grew up in the Peralta Ramos forest… Lots of cycling, skateboarding on ramps made with any wood I could find, the occasional game of fuchi with the kids from the neighborhood.

Which trip left the greatest impression on you and why?

When I was 19/20 years old, I left with 2 pesos, a backpack and a board, along with my friend Lucio. We crossed Latin America by land to Nicaragua, without phones or credit cards… It left its mark on me because I realized for the first time how easy it is to live at home with our parents at that age… a stove, breakfast, a roof, all those things that seemed so simple gained a lot of value and respect.

When I arrived in Nicaragua, the wind was onshore almost all year round, the waves were non-stop and the needs became very basic and at the same time very enriching. I stayed there for a long time, running very neat and perfect beach breaks and working for a Canadian surf travel company.

What would be your brief summary as a student?
I was always bad at school, a good kid, no problems, but bad with grades... I skipped school to go surfing until one day they buttonholed me.

What things did surfing with twin fins give you?

To downshift, reduce the amount of body movements when performing a maneuver, to combine a keel with a rail to look for longer lines, to be more precise and even to catch waves and just ride them by positioning myself in different sections of the wave without doing a single maneuver, just riding.

Do you think that in recent years, especially in Argentina, people are turning more to surfing for its history and culture than for the simple act of sliding on the waves?

Both… there are people who really enjoy riding waves who are second or third generation surfing families and carry their genetics and history with them.

As there are also some people who  They have no idea nor are they interested in knowing about the history but riding a wave makes them very happy.

Anyway, who doesn't like a good surf story told by a surfing pioneer?

What things do you not find in competitive surfing?
Time and freedom. I competed throughout my teenage years and enjoyed it a lot. I learned how to position myself in the sea, how to choose waves, how to perform maneuvers with a certain technique. I think that thanks to those years of competing I was able to develop a certain behavior in the water.

But when I was 17/18 I realized that competing was not enriching me and that I couldn't surf for 20/30 minutes against other people trying to make sure I got maneuvers and that the judges liked how I hit the wave without stopping.

What things did you learn from the Pandemic?
Shaping, making bolognese sauce, more about economics, politics and that not surfing is really bad (laughs).

What should be the new normal?
Let people work. Do more things you like, try to live off what you love, respect and be respected, and take better care of the environment.

2021 according to Franco Rivas?
I'm thinking a lot about now.

The book you would like to have written?
The first part of the book, Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard.

What are you listening to?
Bill Callahan, Neil Young, Steve Gunn, Gregory Isaacs and The Babe Rainbow.

What is your biggest influence in the water?
My dad, Gonza. When I was a kid, he used to give me long, floating boards to do neat lines… That marked me forever.

How can you be a more responsible consumer in a world where people are constantly trying to sell you something?
Enjoy the simple things, buy little and good quality.

Your impressions of the shape room?
I always thought I would be a disaster because of my sloppiness at school. Facu (Di Catarina) helps me to be neat and gives me tips during the process. I like it so much that I dedicate all my patience and time to it when I do it. Being able to make the board that goes between your feet and the sea helps me understand in much more detail the shapes of the boards and the reasons for their shapes. There is still a lot to learn.