Name: Braeden Dune Kopec
DOB: 6/26/06
Home break: Matanzas Inlet, Mary St Ramp, and Flagler Beach
Boards: 5’0″ custom BPC “Dune Model”
Travel: Tamarindo, Playa Grande, Avellanas – Costa Rica , Jax Beach , St. Augustine , Flagler Beach , New Smyrna Beach , Sebastian, Cocoa .
Sponsors: Surf Station
Influences: Parents and local surfers who I look up to that are polite.
Music: Anything with a good beat – Bob Marley
Occupation: Kindergarten
Years Surfing: Since before I was 3 (I’m 5 now)
Types of Boards: BPC
Favorite Wave: Tamarindo , Costa Rica
When I’m Not Surfing: Doing anything in the water and skating
Pets: Roxy my cat
Food: Chicken Nuggets
Drinks: Orange soda and Sprite
Movies: Spy Kids and Endless Summer
Books: Hardy Boys
TV: Fuel TV and cartoons
Vices: Anything orange and things to eat that crunch
Frontside: Turns
Backside: Glide
Tube or Air: Air
Hang out with: Robert August in Costa Rica where I helped him shape a board from start to finish. It was awesome! I also got to surf with Machado and Slater.
About Braeden:
Braden Dune Kopec started surfing at age two and a half when he took a ride to the outside on his father’s 9’6″. He held on tight during the paddle out. He and his dad sat on the
outside and waited. Everyone in the line up stared at Braeden because of his size. Eventually a nice clean wave arrived. Half way to shore, with a little encouragement, he stood up,
hands free, on the nose. First ride. The rest is history.
After a few months riding on the nose of his dad’s longboard he received his first board, a 5’0″ Liquid Shredder (from Surf Station) for his 3rd birthday in June of 2009. Just a few months later, he entered his first contest at the age of 3 – the Tommy Tant Memorial at Flagler Beach Pier. Since then he has competed in numerous ESA contests, Christian Surfer contests, various independent contests and the ten contest Gnarly Charley Surf Series in New Smyrna Beach, where at age 4 he was making a run on the top five kids who were all at least 2 or 3 years older than he was. In 2011 (at age 4 and then 5) Braeden was awarded “Most Improved Surfer of the Year for 2011” out of nearly 150 groms in the New Smyrna Beach series. He placed 5th overall for the year out of over 40 kids in his division and took second in the Championship. Any lack of strength from being so young, or tolerating cold water for those November contests, doesn’t deter Braeden from trying harder each time and competing his best against kids much older than he is. In the ESA he surfs against kids nearly twice his age and still places in the top four! He’s racked up quite a shelf of trophies in a very short time. Here’s a micro grom who is climbing up the ranks along Florida’s east coast next batch of littler rippers. He was always the youngest to enter at his contests or grab a trophy.
Braeden believes in being a good sport, patting your competitor on the back and throwing a high five on the way out of the water. Simple gestures can go a long way and having fun surfing is what it is really all about!
