The Ultimate Surfer begins on ABC on Monday, with 14 athletic contestants competing to impress surfing legend Kelly Slater.
The reality show will follow the lives of seven male and seven female professional athletes as they cohabit and compete to win $100,000, the chance to compete on the WSL Championship Tour and the title of "The Ultimate Surfer."
The contestants will all live at the World Surf League's state-of-the-art Surf Ranch in Lemoore, California. Former NFL quarterback Jesse Palmer hosts the competition with Erin Coscarelli and Joe Turpel serving as commentators.
There will be individual and team challenges as well as weekly eliminations until there are two men and two women left as finalists.
The series premiere of The Ultimate Surfer airs tonight at 10 p.m. ET. Episodes air on Mondays and Tuesdays on ABC and will be available on demand and on Hulu the next day.
Let's meet the 14 contestants vying for the title and the top cash prize in ABC's The Ultimate Surfer.
Anastasia Ashley – 33, Miami Beach, Florida
Ashley was raised between California and Hawaii, giving her the perfect conditions to forge a career in surfing. Ashley has won multiple surfing titles, she's a YouTube vlogger and also has over one million followers on Instagram.
In 2019 she announced her engagement to boyfriend Abraham Kaslow.
Kai Barger – 30, Haiku, Hawaii
Barger won the World Junior surfing title in 2008 aged 19. Away from the waves he's worked in construction and he's in a relationship with fellow surfer Leyla Anderson.
Mason Barnes – 26, Venice, California
Originally from North Carolina, Barnes says he got into surfing because his dad was a pro-skater. Now living in Venice Beach, Barnes is as comfortable in a Gucci suit as he is riding the waves.
Tia Blanco – 23, Oceanside, California
Like everyone on the show Blanco is a professional surfer but she also classes herself as a yogi, an artist and an entrepreneur. Blanco has her own skin care line called Dear Self Skin Care.
Austin Clouse – 26, Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Florida native Clouse says he's been hooked on surfing since his brother taught him how to surf as a kid. He recently won the Jack's Board Riders Club Cup in April.
Brianna Cope – 25, Koloa, Hawaii
Hawaiian athlete Cope has been surfing since the age of four with her dad and sister. She was born with a small left hand but says she is now proud to embrace the condition.
Luke Davis – 27, Los Angeles, California
Professional surfer Davis is making two onscreen appearances this year. After he's been on The Ultimate Surfer, he'll star in the documentary film Reckless Isolation which follows five childhood friends heading out on the surfing trip of a lifetime.
Kayla Durden – 27, Jacksonville Beach, Florida
Away from the waves Durden is a varsity head coach at Episcopal Eagles Athletics in Jacksonville. Durden is also a surfing champion, winning the Corona Pro in 2019.
Juli Hernandez – 22, Costa Mesa, California
A skater and surfer from California, Hernandez created Camp Grommette when she was 17, a camp designed to help improve the abilities of girls in both boardsports. Hernandez also works as a first responder and in the summer time she is a lifeguard.
Zeke Lau – 26, Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu native Ezekiel "Zeke" Lau has won many surfing competitions ahead of his debut on The Ultimate Surfer. He's also a popular vlogger with his YouTube videos amassing almost one million views.
Alejandro Moreda – 34, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Moreda is the The Ultimate Surfer's oldest competitor but one of the most accomplished athletes. When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017, he took a job as a generator mechanic and helped restore electricity to schools, hospitals and water pumps all over the island. He's in a relationship with model Mia Blakeman Gomez.
Koa Smith – 25, Kilauea, Kauai
Another surfer with a popular YouTube channel, Smith hails from the small Hawaiian island of Kauai. The part-time model previously appeared in the reality TV show The Runner with his brother Travis. As a surfer Smith posted GoPro footage of an incredible 30-second long tube ride at Skeleton Bay in Namibia in 2014, which won the Best Barrel prize at Surfer Poll that year.
Malia Ward – 22, San Clemente, California
Referring to herself as a professional barrel wrangler, Ward is one of The Ultimate Surfer's youngest contestants. Her father is pro surfer Chris Ward and her mother is fitness model Jacqueline Miller. After graduating from USC, she has also worked as an actor and she DJs on the side.
Bruna Zaun – 30, Hermosa Beach, California
Brazilian Zaun grew up in a small town called Matinhos but has since made Hermosa Beach her home. She became the youngest Brazilian to win a professional surfing event aged 15 and went on to qualify for the CT at the age of 18 in 2010. In 2011 she featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She is married to fellow pro-surfer Dane Zaun.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jamie Burton is a Newsweek Senior TV and Film Reporter (Interviews) based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
