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Background and family
Part of the Faulkner surfing family, Angelo Faulkner is the natural-footed younger brother to goofy-footed Joshe Faulkner. Growing up in JBay, the two brothers have ben exposed to the best waves in the world, as well as the best surfers in the world coming either for the JBay Open Of Surfing, or chasing down swells for film productions and magazine features. On top of that, the area is one of the most consistent surf locations in the world, with lefts and rights, points and reefs and beachbreaks, crowds and empty lineups. There are always plenty of waves to go around, if you’re looking for them.
Performance
Angelo has developed a powerful style, most likely from surfing Supers all the time, and is a natural competitor. He thrives on contest structures, and knows how to win heats and to win events. He has been a standout for a long time now and he’s only in the U15 division. He has a busy approach, and tries to get in as many moves as possible in as short a time as possible. The judges love this and reward him well for his style. Angelo’s only weakness at this early stage of his career might be his backhand surfing, but with such a talented goofy-footed brother showing him the way this will probably iron out and improve over time.
Looking ahead
Angelo just needs to stay on the path. There are many distractions for young people in South Africa, and to be a successful athlete of any sort, one needs dedication and discipline. Right now, he has the focus and the eye of the tiger in him and he just needs to hold steady. Angelo has the potential to be a very successful professional surfer and take his act on the world tour; he just needs to keep the vision. Always punching above his weight in surf contests, he has everything in his makeup to be a successful surfer. His performance on day 3 of the Billabong SA Junior Champs at Lower Point in JBay was testament to this, winning his heat and scoring the first 10-point ride along the way.
“Going into the heat, I felt like I was going to win it,” said Angelo after that heat. “When I got that ten point ride I didn’t even hear the score but I heard everyone clapping so I felt confident. I paddled back out got a back-up score and then sat in the inside and got another wave on which I scored my eight point five. Then I was stoked.”
Photo by Ian Thurtell
