Francisco Porcella

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Birth Name: Francisco Benedetto Porcella

Age: 37, born 1 July 1986

Country of origin: United States

Height: 6' 0"

Relationship Status: Single

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Description: "I was born in New-York city, from an American mother and an Italian father. I grew up in Sardegna, which is pretty much the Hawaii of Italy, till I was 14, then moved to Maui with my all family, mom dad, my brother Niccolo' and my two sisters Giulia & Gaia. When I was 13 the Hawaiian Quiksilver team came to Sardegna, at that time I was playing soccer on the Cagliari junior division, the first step of a future soccer player career on the serie A league. But after seeing these crazy videos of the big waves in Hawaii and Jaws, with guys like Titus Kinimaka, Dave Kalama and Laird among others, I was so inspired, all of a "I was born in New-York city, from an American mother and an Italian father. I grew up in Sardegna, which is pretty much the Hawaii of Italy, till I was 14, then moved to Maui with my all family, mom dad, my brother Niccolo' and my two sisters Giulia & Gaia.
When I was 13 the Hawaiian Quiksilver team came to Sardegna, at that time I was playing soccer on the Cagliari junior division, the first step of a future soccer player career on the serie A league. But after seeing these crazy videos of the big waves in Hawaii and Jaws, with guys like Titus Kinimaka, Dave Kalama and Laird among others, I was so inspired, all of a sudden there was a new world I wanted to experience. At that moment my brother and I told our parents ''if you guys want us to become professional water sports athletes, we have to move to Maui". Lucky enough, four months later we moved to Haiku on the north shore of Maui, started going to King Kekaulike High School and step by step fell in love with big waves. Board sports from skateboarding to snowboarding to kiteboarding have always been a cross training throughout my life.
I started off as a professional windsurfing wave rider training at Hookipa, the logical choice with a father being a windsurfing journalist for over 20 years. Right away I was sponsored and getting payed to do trips around the world and was in the top 10 of the windsurf wave tour, but always had that love, that desire for the barrel, pure surfing and riding big waves.
So surfing naturally took over on my windsurf trips. Then came the towing at the outer reefs and ultimately riding Pe'ahi (Jaws). In 2010, the epic El Nino year, gave me my first XXL BIGGEST WAVE AWARD Nomination with a Jaws bomb, confirming my career switch.
2011 was the start of the paddle-in movement at Jaws and being in the forefront really fulfilled my dream of doing what I love in the Ocean. From then on, I never looked back!
I will never forget my first paddle-in session that same year, following the Brazilian crew.
I was out there with my 9'8 gun, caught my first left at Jaws with my own two arms, something nobody thought possible before.
The next session was twice as big and Shane Dorian made history with the biggest wave anybody had ever paddled into. It was another unforgettable day. Also meeting in the lineup a smiling legend, the late Sion Milosky, right there I realised what living life to the fullest really meant.
I love paddling into big waves, pulling into big barrels, chasing the biggest swells around the world, being part of the WSL Big Wave Tour, with the ultimate goal of winning it and possibly getting that "Ride of the year" at the WSL BIG WAVE AWARDS !
Representing Sardegna (Italy) is important to me, it's part of my roots; and even though I'm a Maui boy as well, this is what separates me from all of my boyz! With Leonardo Fioravanti in the WCT and myself in the Big Wave Tour I think it's a great exposure and pride for the whole country. This is getting another nation into the World Tours.
2017 was the year of my greatest achievement yet: winning the WSL BIGGEST WAVE AWARD and finalist in 3 of the most prestigious nominations: "Performance of the year", "Ride of the year" & "Biggest wave of the year". The first for an Italian athlete.
Read more about the year preceding these nominations in this World Surf League article:
"A year to remember with Francisco Porcella"
I am now focusing on my next goals, which are winning the Big Wave Tour and winning that "Ride of the Year". But most importantly continuing to be an ambassador of Mother Nature by respecting and fighting to protect the Oceans and the beautiful surroundings.
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