FRANK SOLOMON
Country: South Africa
BWWT Ranking:
Nick Name: Knuckles or Frog
Date of birth: 1983
Height: 6’2”
Stance: Goofy
Sponsors: Reef wetsuit, Vida e Cafe
Best Big Wave: Dungeons
Favorite Big Wave Board: 9’6 Bilt
Worst Wipe-Out: Two wave hold down at Dungeons, “thought I was a goner”
Hobbies: freediving, spearfishing, nightlife
Personal website: www.franksolomon.co.za
Records and Contests:
Quiksilver Ceremonial Punta de Lobos (Pichilemu, Chile) 2011 – 7th place
Billabong Copa Burn: Pico Alto (Punta Hermosa, Peru) 2011 – 7th place
Redbull Big Wave Africa 2008
Redbull Big Wave Africa 2008
2008 South African Student Team
Bio:
Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Frank grew up in Hout Bay, and took to the water immediately. At the tender age of 5, Frank started making the trek over the hill to Llandudno to start doing the junior lifesaving thing, and would later surf competitively with the provincial team. But surfing at Llandudno, with all of his friends on boogies, Frank was forced to surf close out barrels, and that’s evident in his surfing ability. For a tall guy, Frank is quick to his feet and capable of not just surfing, but styling on ledging, barreling waves.
This skill set, and an extremely competitive nature, kept Frank pushing his limits. In 2001, after surfing a big day at the Crayfish Factory, a reality was setting in. He was going to surf really big waves, and with Dungeons right out the mouth of Hout Bay, it was just a matter of time before that would happen. But the first session didn’t come easy. Having been denied a boat ride out, Frank was so determined, he hiked over Sentinel and paddled out the deep water channel next to the seal colony . . . solo. He claims to have learned a lot that day, and with that expedition, he’d already begun to make a name for himself at Dungeons. In 2007, the Red Bull Big Wave event honored him with an alternate selection. In 2008, he was an invitee! That same year, following the likes of Twiggy, Bertish, and Marr, Frank relocated to San Francisco, to start surfing Mavericks. In doing so, he got to surf some secret NorCal spots with Greg Long and Twiggy, and he’s been coming back ever since, splitting time between Cape Town, San Francisco, and the North Shore. Frank has already been nominated for two Billabong XXL awards, and five O’neill Raw Courage awards in South Africa. And now, he’s one of the young guns to look out for on the Big Wave World Tour.
Humble, happy, and chasing the big wave dream, Frank is sort of a quiet and unassuming guy, but don’t let that fool you. There’s some devil in this child. Always up for a good time, Frank lives up to the Llandudno crew reputation, best summarized by Twiggy: “hardy partying, hard drinking, and hard surfing.”
