Shelter by Aritz Aranburu
“My fortune has been to find my passion.”
Aritz Aranburu
The only national surfer to have reached the WCT circuit.
Aritz Aranburu is the only Spanish surfer to have made it to the World Surf League’s top 32. Since stepping onto a board, he has dedicated himself to achieving unimaginable goals. Today, he shares his passion through his project Shelter, which aims to make surfing accessible to everyone and create a positive impact on society.
Aritz Aranburu: Key Achievements
WCT (World Championship Tour) Top 32 Surfer.
European Champion.
Paris 2024 Olympic Coach
6 International Wins on the WSL (World Surf League) Circuit.
The story of Aritz
Como auténtico nativo de Zarautz, pasaba los veranos en la playa jugando con las olas. I knew exactly what I wanted for my third birthday — my “paipo” to surf, and there was no way around it.
An international competition was held at the end of summer on our beach. For me, it was the most important event of the year. Surfers from all over the world competed for a week on our beach. I admired them greatly and dreamed of becoming one of them.
I spent my savings on surf magazines and videos. I learned that surfing Pipeline earned you the respect of everyone, Tom Curren was the best surfer, and Kelly Slater was going to be the next one. But the most important thing was knowing that Zarautz was right between the barrels of Mundaka and Hossegor.
Little by little, I started participating in competitions with great help from my parents, who acted as my taxi drivers. In less time than expected, my dream became a reality. After a good barrel that helped me win the legendary Capbreton Promises Championship, at the age of fourteen, Quiksilver integrated me into their team, and I began traveling around the world. Most of my days in Zarautz were spent with Aitor Francesena “Gallo.” We didn’t have much information, but through trial and error, we started working our way towards the WCT, the circuit for the top 44 surfers in the world.
It’s hard to sum up what surfing means to me. I imagine many different things. Going out to find waves and getting into the water. Scoring a good barrel, my friend catching another one, and then getting wiped out by the next wave. The sandwich after the session, the salt on my eyebrows, the rashes, or the feeling of having no energy to do anything else… There are so many little things that somehow are part of surfing for me. They make me feel alive.
You could say it’s an obsession, and in truth, it could be. But personally, I don’t see it as something bad. Surfing became my best friend, and the sea, my teacher. They helped me become a happy kid, and later, a happy man.