ABOUT

Rio Waida grew up in Bali, born to an Indonesian father and Japanese mother, and found his way onto the water despite being scared of the ocean as a kid. That fear didn't last. By 16, he'd become the first Indonesian to win the Quiksilver Young Guns Surf in California, and he kept building from there, picking up wins across Indonesia before graduating to the Challenger Series. He represented Indonesia at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics, and took silver at the SEA Games along the way.

He earned his first full Championship Tour campaign in 2023, surviving the mid-season cut and finishing ahead of names like Kanoa Igarashi and Kelly Slater. His fast, powerful style has made him one of the most watched surfers to come out of Southeast Asia, and he's carried that same form into 2026, opening the season with a dominant win. Rio's carrying Indonesia's flag on the world's biggest stage, and he's not done yet.

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