Macaco didn’t ride his first wave until he was 13 years old, so he got into competitive surfing late by any measure. But having an older brother who rips, a ton of motivation, and the ability and desire to spend all day in the ocean just down the street from his house also came into play. Ten years and seven Guatemalan national titles later, Macaco is proving that he belongs in the ranks of Latin America’s elite surfers. Surfing almost exclusively the heavy beach breaks of Champerico and Sipicate, Guatemala, Macaco never had it easy. Also, coming out of a country where surf is only now getting the recognition it deserves, he’s has had to work hard to keep up with his role models and fight constantly to be recognized. How many surfers get dropped by a sponsor after winning their fourth straight national title? It happened in Guatemala.

We met Macaco at the right time and were lucky enough to start a good relationship with him. Surf’s on its way up in Guatemala, and Macaco’s right there at the helm leading our sport out of the basement. And with our support and that of the driven athletes in the Guatemalan Surf Association, Macaco’s looking at a bright future where he can take his talent to a bigger stage and represent Guatemala and QI-X in events like Regional Championships and the ALAS Latin Tour. We’re happy to have Macaco not just as a team rider, but also as an ambassador of sorts for us and for surfing in Guatemala.

A la Vos! Keep representing out there in Guatemala.