This note is sponsored by the Tenerife Underground Surf Shop

The current Spanish surfing champion in the under 16 category, Paolo Giorgi, is in Huntington Beach, California, making his debut with the red jersey at the ISA Junior World Championships.

This youngster is a great talent; at 16 years old he surfs like a grown-up, attacks the lip and from a bottom to an explosive attack, he comes out to repeat with another, even more explosive stick. His vertical attack is powerful, he doesn't stop so much to nail the edges or do many aerials, but he recognizes that it is one of the points he has set out to improve.

Watching the videos on his social media, it's clear how he's evolved meteorically over the past year. What will happen to him in a couple of years, or just in a couple of months?

Paolo spoke to DUKE from California, and this is what he had to say.

How excited are you to be part of the Spanish team for the first time at an ISA World Championships? I am very happy to belong to and represent the Spanish surf team, as I have been training very hard all year to be able to come to this world championship and I am very grateful.

How did you find out? What did you do?
I knew I was among those selected but I needed to get some results to be able to go and avoid being on the substitutes' list, and thanks to my recent results like the Sopela Junior Pro where I came fifth, or the Spanish Championship, where I came first, I was able to be officially selected.

How is life in the team? What can you say about how the rest of the team behaves? Who is the joker, the sleepyhead, the absent-minded, etc.?
The truth is that we are a fairly respectful team, although we always find the funny points of the day that make us laugh.

How did California welcome you? Being used to surfing at home, it must not be easy to adapt to the waves at Huntington. How do you feel about it?
I mean, California is truly unique, because of its culture, its food, its surfing atmosphere... It's incredible.

And how do the waves compare to those at home?
There is a big difference, the sandy beaches here in California, Compared to the ones there, they are much more fun, with more ramps and I even saw a seal pass by me and that doesn't happen every day..

When you are at home, which beach do you go to every day?
I usually surf Las Palmeras a lot since it is a super fun wave with very good sections to fly and do more radical maneuvers.

What would you say is your specialty when it comes to surfing?
My strengths in surfing are verticality and quick links between maneuvers.

What do you think you should improve?
I would have to train a little more on aerials and rail play.

What is your goal for this championship?
Win it.

And then, what plans?
Come back home and start and organize the next season to be strong next year.