Maya Gabeira

Age: 20

Born: Rio de Janeiro

Hometown: North Shore Oahu

Local break: I don't have one

Stance: Goofy

Surfing heros: so many

Favourite break: Waimea, Teahupoo and Sunset

Favourite board right now: Tokoro 10'4

Sponsors: Billabong and Redbull

Describe your personality? focused, calm, passinate

Describe your average day? yoga, early morning surf, lunch, resting then surfing again in the afternoon!

How did you learn to surf? at a surf school in Arpoador Beach, Rio de Janeiro.

How old were you when you started surfing? I was 14!

Who do you look up to? too many people... I believe everyone has something I can look up to!

Describe your happiest memory? there are so many happy memories! But I feel extremely happy when Waimea breaks good!

Where do you see yourself in five years? Surfing huge waves, happy and living a healthy life!

Achievements
2008
Winner XXL Award for best overall female performance

2007
Winner XXL Award for best overall female performance

The size of 6ft waves can be daunting for some surfers, but imagine surfing 18ft giants. This is what Maya spends her days training for. Learning to surf at a surfing school in Rio de Janeiro at the age of 14 (only because her boyfriend at the time was a surfer), this 21 year old has come a long way since then. She has taken home the Billabong XXL Women’s Overall Performance award two years running (2006/2007), and hopes to continue surfing for at least the next 10 years.

Happiest when Waimea or Teahupoo is breaking, this focused, calm girl strives to become a better person. Although she can’t say no to a holiday surfing trip, when she isn’t surfing, Maya enjoys doing yoga and describes it as one of her passions. There isn’t just one person in her life that Maya admires, as she believes that everyone possesses something she can look up to. Maya’s future in surfing is looking bright, and with the continuous support of her family, she is determined to keep doing her best.