The freedom and exhilaration of being one with the ocean is an experience many can relate to, but for 14-year-old Vela Mattive, that connection has become a calling to compete and push herself to the next level.
Her surfing journey is just beginning, but Mattive reached a major milestone when she captured the National Scholastic Surfing Association U14 National Championship at a November competition in Huntington Beach.
“All you think about is what’s happening in the moment,” said Mattive of being out in the water. “When I caught my first wave, I felt a connection.”
