BRAEDEN KOPEC: MAKING WAVES OUT WEST
12 year old Surf Station team rider Braeden Kopec has been on a roll with impressive finishes at major events picking up two more east coast titles this past spring (putting his total at 7) and just last week he surfed solid at the USA Surfing Championships held at Lowers. USA Surfing is the United States Olympic Committee and ISA-recognized National Governing Body for Surfing in the United States. USA Surfing took notice of Braeden’s overall performance and results over the past year and named Braeden to the USA Junior Developmental Surf Team, the only male east coaster to make the team. The roster consists of surfers under age 15 at the date of the 2020 ISA World Junior Championship event. Selection is based on regional and national results, the athlete’s commitment to improvement and the USA Team coaches’ eye for budding talent. The Development Team is designed to be a proving ground for the surfers to train and improve and eventually move up to the Junior National Team, which is a significant jump in performance levels.
Braeden has been out in California competing on the national championships circuit for USA Surfing Championships where he qualified for both u14 and u16 based on his east cast performances and finishes at the USA Prime East Series. Starting today he begins competing at NSSA Nationals (one of his wins this spring was at NSSA East Coast Championships).
Braeden rides for Channel Islands and his large quiver is a mix of CI models in in epoxy Spinetek and poly in varying sizes and configurations for swells from perfect head high Costa Rica to large, super fun Lowers and of course groveling in Florida. Which one is his favorite CI board? “All of them!” he says! “There’s not one I haven’t liked. Britt has personally shaped a few of my recent boards and they are incredible! Lowers has been pumping the past few weeks and the boards have felt super!”.
Braeden is sponsored by O’Neill, FCS, Nixon, SunBum, Channel Islands, Native Eyewear.
Follow Braeden on Instagram @braedenkopec
