The Baja Koala is back at it again.
Last time we checked in on Kevin Meza – aka the Baja Koala – he was stomping backside 360 shuv-its, fingerflips, and more. And now, the skate-inspired surfer has reached into his bag of tricks for a new one: a frontside shuv-it. And he wondered just how many he could stick in one session.
“I woke up that morning wanting to challenge myself,” Meza told Surfer. “[I wanted to] see my make ratio on the trick, and I had a filmer lined up, so I was amped to see how many makes I could pull off in a single sesh.
“If I count correctly, I think I had around 22 trys and properly made five in a sesh of an hour and a half. I feel like there’s still a lot more room for a better personal make ratio!”
Five frontside shuv-its is five more than most surfers are stomping in one session. So, we’d have to say that Meza’s make ratio is well-above the average.
And while backside shuv-its are more commonplace in surfing – although still pretty rare – it’s even more atypical to see someone stomp one frontside on a surfboard. Of course, like most surf tricks where the board leaves the surfer’s feet, the frontside shuv-it comes from skateboarding.
About what drew him to the trick, Meza told us:
“I’ve always liked the way this trick looked in surfing. I considered it a dream trick to unlock, and have on lock, so I started trying them. I thought it was more skate-y without using your hand to spin the board.”
Once again, the skate and surf worlds collide; and the Baja Koala is (currently) leading the charge.
For more about Meza, check out the video his sponsor, Salty Crew, dropped with the following description:
“Kevin lives in Ensenada and is known for his skate inspired surf tricks. From fingerflips to shuv its, this koala has a pouch full of special tricks and watching him spill them out all over the playful faces of San Miguel is some of the funnest surf viewing possible.”
***
Don’t miss another headline from SURFER! Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of surfing. We’re always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging surf-related videos to feature on our channels.
Whether you’re a professional surfer or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SURFER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos.