It ain’t easy on a kid moving over to the North Shore of Maui from the Mainland — let alone another country. Sardinia’s Francisco Porcella, however, is cut from a different cloth. And even though he learned to surf off of a large island in the Mediterranean Sea, the dashing Italian stepped up to the plate very quickly as a teenager on Maui — and joined the league of gentlemen and women at Jaws that led the paddle-in new era. Eventually, after about a decade of working at the big-wave game, Francisco was making his mark, surfing the Jaws events, winning the XXL “Biggest Wave Award,” and turning heads wherever he arrived. Never a one-trick Italian stallion, he also gets his kicks skydiving, and, well, being an Italian celebrity (See: Dancing With the Stars). In the newest episode of The Late Drop, Jamie Mitchell gets the goods from this international man of mystery.

HIGHLIGHTS

0:00 Growing up in Sardinia, Italy, Playing soccer seriously, Bombing hills in Sardinia, Quitting soccer to move to Hawaii and surf big waves, Windsurfing seriously then getting into big wave surfing, Having a life in Sardinia playing outside

7:46 Watersports and surf scene in Sardinia, Surfing Jaws at the time when it went from Tow to Paddle, His inspirational session with Sion and Nate

14:31 Moving to Maui at 14 years old, Proving himself on Maui, Getting a JetSki, Beginning to tow at 18 years old, Chasing the big-wave dream in his early years, Parents moved back to Sardinia and Francisco and brother stayed on Maui, Trying for 10 years before a break

23:16 Inspired by Shane Dorian, Enjoying the power of Nature, Skydiving with wind suits, Training yourself mentally in extreme sports to translate into big waves, The friendships you build in big-waves

34:17: The struggles in big-wave competitions, Maintaining the dream at Jaws, Winning biggest wave of year, Going back to Italy and being on some TV shows, Getting sponsors through the TV gigs while basing in Sardinia, Sharing that stoke with the younger watermen and women of Sardinia

48:04 Big wave goals for the future, The richness of experiences

50:15 Advice to the younger generation following in his footsteps

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