Special note sponsored by Volcom 

Vera Jarisz has just released her first video, AREV, the first of many projects that will bear that name.

The goofy-footed Argentine surfer, who already has several awards to her name and is no longer just a promising talent but a heavy-footed surfer who knows how to deliver powerful waves, traveled and passed her test in one of the world's surfing meccas.

In AREV she starts off timidly in the heavy waves but gradually loosens up until she ends up getting good barrels and good power surfing maneuvers.

What you don't see is what she reveals in this interview: how the trip became a reset and a life-changing experience. A reappraisal of what she loves most and a turning point in how she faces life.

Below, everything about Vera Jarisz's new film and its behind-the-scenes aspects.

Why is the movie called AREV?
The video is called AREV because it's Vera spelled backwards, and it's been my signature since I was very little. My idea is to one day do something bigger, like a project or a brand, and this video is the beginning of that… To start using that name, to give it more visibility; it's my artistic signature. I really like to draw and create things, and when I create something and need to sign it, I use AREV.

I felt that this video, which isn't just about surfing because it features music by a friend of mine and was edited by another friend, is like signing it with AREV; it follows the same idea as always. And we added hashtag #1 because there will be more, and this is the first of many.

And maybe on another trip I'll go somewhere else and then AREV 2 will come out.

How would you present it? What can be seen in it?
It's a women's power surfing video. A short surfing film; I hesitate to call it a feature film because it's only 10 minutes long… It's also edited by Chiara Ferrari, one of my best friends, and the music was composed by another of my best friends, Camilo Anguitta. It's like the team came together, it all came together… It's incredible how it all unfolded.

"I love surfing, I talk about it with my friends, I tell them that surfing is my love, it's my only love"

It reflects how I felt on that trip, and that trip was incredible. It was my first time leaving America, and it's a place where the waves are perfect, it's like Disney. And well, I love to surf, I talk about it with my friends, I tell them that surfing is my love, it's my only love, and well, when you do what you love and what you want, and also without pressure… I was very relaxed, I felt very fulfilled there; and I think that's what the video reflects, it's my trip, and you can see it in my face, my smile. That's what it expresses: the fun, the fulfillment, and the freedom of doing what you love.

You seem shy at first, and then much more assertive. How did you experience the evolution of your first time in Indonesia?
Yes, obviously there was an evolution during and after the trip. I appear more timid at the beginning because it's filmed chronologically; the first shots are from the first part of the trip, and the last ones are from the very end. So, obviously, there was an evolution during the video because it mirrored the trip itself. It lasted 40 days.

"I'd never been barreled before, I'd never surfed waves that perfect, and obviously it was really hard... But... I mean, it wasn't that hard either. It's just a matter of getting used to that timing, to those waves, I honestly didn't suffer at all."

I first arrived in Mentawai, I'd never been barreled, I'd never surfed waves that perfect, and obviously it was really tough... But... I mean, it wasn't that hard either. It's about getting used to the timing, to those waves. I honestly didn't suffer at all, I enjoyed myself a lot the whole time and it just fell into place.

You spend 40 days in one place and you progress and improve.

First I was in Mentawai, then I went to Bali and then from there to Lakey Peak and Desert Point.

And that's what you see in the video; that's why you see a journey from a more timid beginning to being more assertive because that's literally what the trip was like.

You're a great competitor, and this video is all about free surfing. What do you think of each? Do you prefer free surfing or competition, or do they complement each other?
I love to compete and I feel like a natural competitor. I've always been very competitive and I enjoy competing; even when I'm free surfing, there's always a rival. You see a good wave and you want to catch an even better one. In a healthy way, right? Without going overboard. I always consider myself a competitor.

A few years ago I was too involved in the QSs, in 2024 I did very well, I almost made it into the challengers, I came in fourth, and the next year I didn't do so well… We all know that sport and competition are complicated.

It takes years, it's part of it, and when you put pressure on things, they change. That's what happens with competitive surfing. You go from something as beautiful as surfing to suddenly having to do a job... Brands, money, pressure, which are all part of the career, but sometimes they're exhausting. And I think last year I was a little overwhelmed by that whole life. Not that it was that bad, really. It was kind of killing me, and it was taking away my desire to do what I love most. I was overwhelmed by all of it.

And this trip was incredible for reconnecting with myself and with surfing; it was a radical change in my way of thinking because I'm never going to stop competing, but maybe it's about finding the right way. Because it's something I enjoy so much, I'm never going to stop competing, and I never want to ever again reach the point of saying I don't want to go in the water; it's what I love most.

"This trip was incredible for that reason; it was pure free surfing, but it was also about reconnecting with what I love most, with incredible waves, and also understanding that my surfing needs good waves. From this trip onwards, I realize that I want to look for good and increasingly bigger waves, learn to get better barrels, and do more radical maneuvers."

This trip was incredible for that reason; it was pure free surfing, but it was also about reconnecting with what I love most: incredible waves. It also helped me understand that my surfing needs good waves. From this trip onward, I realize I want to seek out good and increasingly bigger waves, learn to ride better barrels, and perform more radical maneuvers.

What's next for you this year?
I'm going to compete in the QSs 2026, so I'll be super motivated there. I hope there are good waves and, like I said, I'll be looking for good waves.

I'm currently in Ecuador, taking advantage of the opportunity to surf every day. Instead of staying in Argentina, I came to Ecuador for the entire month of February, and I hope to continue doing what I'm doing now throughout the year: connecting tournaments with spots that have good waves. Maybe I'll go to Brazil and stay for a while in Saquarema, Florianópolis, or Peru—that's my plan.