Puerto Rican Hector Santamaria close to WSL aerial events

WSL Commissioner Josh Kerr contacted him and told him that if he wasn't invited this year, he would definitely be there next year.

August 10 2018

Puerto Rican Héctor Santamaría is being considered by Josh Kerr, the WSL commissioner for the recently announced aerial events, as a possible member of the elite of 18 who will compete in them.

According to the Australian based in California, who was appointed by the WSL to take charge of this rebirth of the aerial movement, if Santamaría is not present at this year's championship in France, he will certainly be present at those held next year.

The official list has not been revealed so Hector remains hopeful. “I am waiting for confirmation. If not this year, it will be next year.” “It would be a tremendous move for my career as a professional aerial surfer,” he told DUKE.

Hector is a natural at making small waves. If he is invited to the event in France, he is a serious threat to beat all the big names. All photos: **Nate Baker**

A Californian backflip with Hector's trademark. The Puerto Rican deserves to be in those WSL aerial events.

A recent trip to California, where he took the opportunity to marry Geanna, his girlfriend of several years, and take a short honeymoon, was key to being seen rubbing shoulders with several of the best aerialists in the world and participating in the same event where the format of the championship was announced.

Kerr himself contacted him when he found out that Hector was in California and told him to go to the meeting. With the humility that characterizes him, he took photos with Nathan Fletcher, Eric Geiselman and Kerr himself. He posted them on Instagram and in Kerr's Instagram he paid him a compliment: “Your alley oops are so cool.”

In another message, Kerr told her: “You are in the running for a chance to compete in the event, if not this year's event, then another year.”

Imagining himself in these new aerial events, Hector imagines: “I would like to compete with John John Florence, he is my challenge and I love his surfing.” Asked who he considers the best in the air, he said: “It is John John, he is the most stylish of all, he is like a magic elf.”

We'll have to see what happens, Héctor Santamaría is one of the best aerialists in the world, without a doubt he is the one who does the backflips (or frontflips?) in the smallest waves in the world, among another giant arsenal of maneuvers and specialties.

How many are there like him? Albee Layer, Chippa Wilson, Filipe, John John, Italo, the list goes on, but there aren't many more. And, in that list, the WSL or Josh Kerr, should add Hector Santamaria. Let's put some Chi in the WSL.