Teenage surfer sets sights on being world champion

For most 16-year-olds the idea of being paid to travel the world doing their favourite sport would be nothing more than a dream, but for Lukas Skinner it has become a reality. 2024 has been a breakthrough year for Perranporth surfer, establishing himself as England's brightest surfing prospect.

The year started with a surf trip to Pipeline in Hawaii, perhaps the best known and most feared wave in the world.

"It was amazing to start off my year with such an incredible trip," he recalled from his training base in Bali, Indonesia last month.

"Pipeline is intense," he said.

"It's the most dangerous wave in the world, and it was my first time there.

"The scenes were crazy with so many professionals around."

Navigating the crowds in Hawaii was a challenge in itself.

"You have to really dig in and make friends with everyone, be on the nice side of everyone," he said.

"It was unreal. I made some really cool friends and spent a lot of time out there.

"I maybe got one or two good waves in the whole two weeks, but it was amazing."

Following Hawaii came the International Surfing Association's world junior event in El Salvador where he came second to Spanish rival Dylan Donegan and then a European juniors event in Portugal, where he aimed to defend his title.

He achieved a perfect 10 score on one wave, one of his first ever in competition for, but again finished second to Donegan.

"That final was tough. I snapped my board before the final heat and wasn't myself," he said.

"Dylan is really smart in heats and I learned so much. You learn more when you lose and you have to take it all in and work even harder."

After training and competing all around the planet, it was much closer to home where the biggest win of the season, and his career so far, happened.

At the Boardmasters event in Newquay in August Lukas won both the junior and open categories.

"It was the best day of my life," he said.

A fifth place in Lacanau, France, followed and for a time he was leading the World Surf League's Qualifying Series (QS), like all waves, the ride was not to last forever.

He called his next outing, a first-round defeat in Anglet, France, "the hardest loss this year".

The European based QS tour consists of six events, with the highest ranked competitors making it onto the Challenger Series, which in turn feeds the top level Championship Tour.

It was Lukas' first time in the QS and he called the experience a "rollercoaster".

"I knew it was going to be tough but not so draining mentally and physically and I will come back a lot stronger next year."

After a reset in the Kelly Slater wave pool in the US where he was able to surf with some of the best in the world, he came second Donegan again in the Rip Curl Grom Search European final in France, against the best of Europe's young surfers.

But with a wild card into the Grom Search world final in Bali, which he won last year, he "surfed a lot smarter" and won again, pipping Donegan to second.

"There was one minute left, I just turned and went for broke, got an air and stuck it and I was screaming, I was so happy," he said.

This year, Lukas made the bold decision to leave school to focus entirely on his surfing career.

He is now part of the GB Surfing Progression Squad for future Olympians.

"My parents supported me, and they knew I wanted to be the best surfer in the world," he said.

"I needed to travel a lot and gain experience."

His school, Newquay Tretherras, was "amazing" and "supported me fully", he said.

Being away from his family has been one of the toughest challenges for him.

"It's super hard at the start, and it's still hard now. You miss them so much," he admitted.

"When I go back home, I really make the most of it, spending time with family and friends."

His father Ben is also a pro-surfer who makes Lukas's surfboards and coaches him.

"In the future, I'd like to have my dad travel with me and coach me at events," Lukas said.

His mother, whose cooking he misses dearly, and his siblings who are also talented surfers, provide a strong support network.

Despite the temptations and challenges that come with being a young athlete, Lukas remains focused on his goals.

"There have been stories about surfers going off the rails, but I have so many good people and sponsors around me."

His desire to become a world champion keeps him grounded.

"I want it so much that it overtakes any desire to go off track.

"After events, you have fun with friends, but you have to stay focused and work hard," he said.

He was speaking from a training camp in Bali, a place he describes as "like paradise".

He admitted his jet-setting lifestyle "doesn't feel real sometimes".

"I have so many good people, and so many good sponsors around me that I think I'm just in such a good place, and all I want to do is get better and better.

"I want to be world champ and it overtakes all the wanting to go out with your friends all the time because I really want it so much.

"I've learned a lot, and next year I'll go into the season again a lot stronger."

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