ABOUT

Kauli Vaast grew up in Vairao, Tahiti, and learned to surf at Teahupo'o, one of the heaviest and most dangerous waves on the planet. Quiksilver picked him up as a sponsored rider at 13, and he spent his teenage years building a career around that same wave in his backyard, claiming three WSL European Junior Championships along the way. He qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics through the ISA World Surfing Games, setting up a shot at competing on home turf in front of his own community.

He made the most of it, beating Australia's Jack Robinson in the final to win Olympic gold at Teahupo'o, becoming just the second men's surfing gold medalist in history and the first from France. He called it the proudest moment of his life, both for himself and for Tahiti. He backed it up in 2025, winning the Challenger Series to qualify for his first full Championship Tour season in 2026, becoming the first CT rookie ever to enter with an Olympic medal already in hand.

PHOTO GALLERY

WORLD TOUR SETUP

Gabriella Bryan's trusted setup for World Tour Competition