Mini Cho – The wave warrior

The sea can be intimidating for many, but it is not for those who, like “Mini”, feel like an artist with a blank canvas in front of them. And it is with this thought guidind him that he is the first Mozambican professional surfer. We speak of Sung Min Cho or “Mini”, as he is locally known.

Born in the city of Inhambane, 23 years ago, this Mozambican, who has South Korean roots in his ancestry, has the honour of hoisting the national flag on international surfing circuits.

Coming from a humble family, “Mini” recalls the time when he spent his afternoons on the beach admiring the tourists who surfed the waves, without any assumption that he would ever do so. With no way to pay for lessons or acquire the necessary equipment, surfing was just a dream.

Working from an early age to help support his family, it was around the age of 15 that his surfing adventure began. “In 2014, I got my first surfboard, a gift from a tourist, and that’s how my journey in the ocean began. It was the best decision I could have made.”

And the desires became a reality full of travels, competitions and happy encounters with those that “Mini” only admired from afar. “It was amazing meeting the two of them in the water. I met Kelly Slater in South Africa in 2018, in Jeffreys Bay. My biggest idol and inspiration is Jordy Smith, and I have been very lucky to share the waves with him at Tofo on many occasions. We are good friends now!”

And with good friends like that, doing your best is imperative. Especially in an intense sport like surfing, which for him was also an escape from the harsh reality. “Surfing is a unique, demanding and high-intensity sport, but at the same time it can be calming and therapeutic. For me personally, it was an escape from reality. Whenever I entered the ocean I felt at peace, I felt that worries and problems never followed me… I felt free.”

But despite the poetry of the waves, being successful in this sport requires some characteristics, such as motivation and courage, mental strength and, of course, sponsorships. “Surfing is expensive, and we need support to travel and compete.”

Passionate about Tofo and eager to inspire other young people, “Mini” is in charge of the Tofo Surf Club project. Established in 2018, the club merges surf training with mentoring, care and life lessons. “It was designed to inspire, develop and divert children from the social problems they face.”

This project is also the hope of making surfing a more popular sport in local communities and creating a new generation of surfers who will compete across the world.

In fact, your ambition is very clear! “My plans for the future are to continue representing Mozambique and flying the flag high, as we prepare the next generation of children, with hopes of creating a Surfing Federation to have a Mozambican team at the Olympics, as surfing was introduced as an Olympic sport from 2020.”

And we around here can only hope that this ambition finds favourable waves!

▶ Presence at “World Qualifying Series” tournaments

• 2 participations at the Ballito Pro, it is the biggest and longest surfing competition in Africa.
• The Vans Lambert Pro in Cape Town and the Volkswagen Pro in Nelson Mandela Bay.

▶ Other competitions

• Participation in the first international competition in England, on Croyde beach. He became the first Mozambican to win a local competition in the UK.

Issue 76 Nov/Dec| Download.