Cover photo: Nick Gruen

The first wave Jonathan Gubbins surfed in 2019 was this one pictured above, on January 3, one of the best days at Pipe so far this Hawaiian season. If that's not a sign of a good year, what is?

The Peruvian, who was voted the best free surfer in the region at the Hispano-American Surf Awards, both by the best on the continent and by the people, is coming to spend a few epic days in Cabo Blanco and to close a year in which, in addition to going around the world once again and filling his suitcases with tubes, he finished his new film, Frontera Azul, which will be released soon and is promising.

He went to Hawaii with his wife, Sandra, a partner in many adventures, on a short honeymoon, remembering the old days when they traveled alone around the world and left their two children in Lima.

Always positive, always open to answer questions, and above all, always well positioned in the tubes, he shared about what this start of the year was like in Pipe:

How did this trip to Hawaii come about? Was it planned ahead of time or did you see the waves coming and just go?
I planned it. January is usually a great month, I had come late season last year and it was short so I decided to change.

How did it feel to surf solid Pipe again after a while?
Incredible! Pipe is one of my favourite waves and I was really looking forward to riding it. I don't get that lucky very often because there are always championships or the swells are not good. It's a luxury, an incredible experience.

How would you say the session went in general terms? How is the crowd factor these days at Pipe?
Honestly, the crowd that day was one of the heaviest I've ever seen. All the Hawaiian pros were there, hungry and not wanting to leave a single one. There's no crowd heavier than this one, especially now that it's the beginning of the season.

How did you end up grabbing that bomb (the one in the photo)?
I was calm, waiting for a gap on the first reef, well inside, and there was a second of doubt among the crowd and I went for it. It was my first wave of the year and right in Pipe. It was a good way to break the ice.

How was the transition from Cabo Blanco to Pipe?
In fact, racing in Cabo is an excellent school, the crowd, the drop is super demanding and using small boards (5'7s) makes me work hard. Cabo has helped me for Pipe.

What board did you use and why did you choose that one?
I used a 7 foot Tokoro. It's a size I really like here and the board is amazing. It's a big change from 5'7 to 7 feet., but this wave asks for it.

How is this mini-honeymoon away from the little ones going?
Great. It's been a while since Sandra and I travelled together and Hawaii is a paradise. We miss them but it was our turn.

How is the season going for you?
I hope this year is a good one. I'm looking forward to continuing to race Pipe, which is quite a challenge, and I'm also going to put a lot of effort into Teahupoo and Skeleton. I want to thank Billabong, Kia and Rusty for their support.

Overall, a good start to the year?
Yes, with more desire than ever. I enjoy what I do more and more. I am happy because the film Frontera Azul is finally coming out and the best of all is my family. They are my world, if they are well, everything walks.