Surfer Spotlight: ELIAS CALLEJO

When and why did you initially get into surfing?

I started bodyboarding in middle school and quickly became infatuated with catching waves. My first time standing up on a surfboard was in 9th grade. It was way too hard for me to get used to not having any fins of my feet like bodyboarding and getting vana in my feet (which is super common in kona) became too much of a chore, so I constantly put surfing on the back burner to bodyboarding until I got my first barrel standing up. Then it was surfing full time.

Did you have a time period you laid off from surfing? If so, when and why did you start back up?

I moved to Los Angeles for a couple of years in my early 20’s. Didn’t surf during that time.

There have been spots in my life where I hadn’t touched a surfboard for a couple or even a few months at a time.

However, Over the last couple years I’ve been steadily surfing 4-5 days a week. Given there’s waves of course.

What is your favorite thing about surfing?

Because I have a pretty fast paced career that forces me to think about multiple things at the same time, I love the fact that surfing makes me think about virtually nothing else but being on that wave and focusing 100% of my thoughts and efforts to one thing…not eating it and throwing a few nice turns on a wave.

Where is your favorite place to eat after surfing?

Here in Kona, I’d say matsuyamas.

What other hobbies do you have besides surfing?

Besides my career in marketing and my life long addiction to surfing, I love shooting & editing video.

What type of work do you do?

I’ve been in Marketing over 20 years.

Tell us about the board you recently purchased from us. What model and size is it, and how do you like its performance?

I’ve purchased a number of boards from Hawaiian south shore, but the most recent purchase was the Taylor Jensen GEM. I only recently started getting into longboarding but that board is super awesome. I love the thunderbolt construction and the shape of that board. The Dan Mann / Taylor Jenson collaboration is hard to beat. I got the 9’5” so I’m not ripping crazy turns like I would on my shortboards but for days when it’s less than ideal, it’s the board I’m throwing in the truck down to the beach.

Do you have any additional comments? I love the service and the aloha from the staff at Hawaii South Shore which keeps me coming back board after board.