In 2017 while attending US Champs down at Lower Trestles, I was fortunate enough to catch a heat featuring the young and then lesser known of the very deep talent that is now San Clemente’s “2% Crew”. A curly haired, wiry goofy foot riding a Hayden Shapes surfboard with a Vissla sticker on the nose immediately caught my attention. His style and timing reminded me of a goofy foot Joel Parkinson. With seemingly effortless turns, that displaced all kinds of water the head high lip lines at Lowers had on offer. I asked around and was informed that his name was Cole Houshmand, and he was an all-around good kid. Also, that he had been quietly making a name for himself in and around the Prime events and the NSSA.
I then made a point of it to watch his heats closely throughout the event. Although he fell short of winning a title that day, I knew that there was something special there. I reached out to a mutual friend after the event, to gauge his interest in becoming part of the Pro-Lite team, and after a couple of weeks talking to him and his family, he became part of our Pro-Lite family.
After a solid run on the WQS and the loads of potential we saw in Cole’s surfing, we decided to double down and make him a signature surf traction pad called “The Hammer” By Cole Houshmand along with being his sole provider of surfboard travel bags, surf leashes, and surf accessories.
A runner up finish at the Barbados Surf Pro WQS 3000 at Cabarate in 2022 was a confidence builder as well as a best result to date for the now 6’2” 200 lb Houshmand, until his maiden WQS win at Cabarate in March of 2023 saw him qualify for the Challenger Series, where he has so far won 2 of the 3 events that have taken place this year, and has now punched his ticket to the WCT tour in 2024. Currently ranked #1 on the Challenger Series, the world is finally taking notice. Hear more about Cole's Journey in an interview with STAB and see how the heavy footed Houshmand turned it all around and is quickly becoming a household name within the surf community and how “The Hammer” has worked through self-doubt and turned himself into one of the rising stars of the Challenger Series.
You can view "The Hammer" signature surfboard traction pad by Cole Houshmand below or HERE
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