Slade Prestwich, an impressive young international surfer

I recently got an opportunity to meet Slade Prestwich, a young international surfer during the annual surfer press conference.

Scottburgh, a surf paradise village

Slade is a professional surfer born on 24 February 1995 in Durban, South Africa. He comes from a small, humble family with two siblings and his mother. He grew up in a small surfing village known as Scottburgh, 65 km south of Durban. The village is famous among the surfing community for allowing the practice of the right break.

Successful teenager

Since childhood, Slade has excelled in several sports, including athletics, swimming, soccer, rugby, cricket, and surfing. He also set several inter-school records in swimming, sprint, and distance running. At the age of 10, Slade decided to pursue his career in professional surfing. He participated in several local surf club contests in and around South Africa as a practice. He received his first sponsorship with Quiksilver at the age of 12 that motivated him to work harder and win several local events. At 14, Slade participated in the World Surfing Game of the International Surfing Association (ISA) and represented South Africa in the under-16 division.

Internationally renowned

His first international visit to Ecuador gave him the necessary experience and exposure to surfing sports and inspired him to practice for the upcoming events diligently. As a result, he won the under-16 Billabong Championship and the Quiksilver King of the Groms series. The Groms series was held in France that gave Slade another global opportunity to compete with the best surfers across eight countries. His dedication to the sports paid off well as he won Bronze in the series and attracted several international brand sponsorships for surfing tips and photo shoots.

At the age of 18, Slade won the Volcom VQS event in South Africa that provided him the golden opportunity to represent his country in the World Finals in Fiji. Unsurprisingly, he was the winner of the under-18 World Championship. Since then, Prestwich has participated in various professional global surfing events, including the Corona Open and Jefferey’s Bay World Championship. As a result of global recognition, he sponsored global sports drink brands like Red Bull.

Becoming a team rider: his greatest desire

  Slade is quite open about his missions and objectives. Becoming a Team Rider is his primary mission. According to Slade, a team rider is an athlete who contributes his achievement in his team’s name and relies on performance to add value to the team.

He is willing to leverage his athletic strength and performance to aid the team in leading the sports while equally fostering the team’s brand value. He believes in the philosophy of creating the best version of oneself such that the most honest effort of every individual in the team can bring out the best game and leave a unique mark of success.

Slade’s current goal in surfing is to permanently join the ranks of the World Championship Tour and compete in the upcoming Olympics games. He truly believes that work is the ultimate purpose. It is the sole driving force for waking up every day and pushing the boundaries for a newer challenge.

“A trophy carries dust. Memories last forever”

Slade also spoke about his interests and his possible offerings. This includes social media advertisements, international surfing event coverage, and ethical promotion of the company’s values, photoshoots, videography, and brand ambassador duties.

He has traveled to over 40 countries regarding these offerings and currently resides between South Africa and Switzerland. He is also spending a substantial time in Japan due to sponsorship commitments. This aligns with Slade’s project objectives that mention being always engaged in work. It helps him gain new concepts and ideas. He is consistently working on upgrading his strengths to be well-prepared for future challenges.

His life motto “A trophy carries dust. Memories last forever” speaks a lot about his values. It signifies that Slade’s consistency is not all about winning the games but gaining experiences. His experience builds cherishing memories and helps him achieve a better version of himself every day!

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