Matthew Brander

Matthew Brander

Born: April 3, 1988

Born Where: Newport Beach, CA

Current Residence: Newport Beach, CA

Height: 6' 0''

Weight: 148 lbs

Stance: Goofy

Sponsors: Quiksilver, Von Zipper, Red Bull, DC shoes and Oakley.

Accomplishments: 1st at Mormaii 03, 2nd at Quiksilver 03, 2 Haleiwa 1st places, 3 participation on Pipeline Masters - Oahu, 1st at Billabong 04/05/06, NSSA 03/05/07, Australia biggest wave junior, in South Africa 5th place, USSF Championship 1st boys 2003 and 2006, in Newport Beach 2nd-04, 3rd-05, 1st and 4th-06/07, 2nd in the ISA World Juniors and 2nd in Laguna Beach.

Matt Brander is an aquatic human who packs in more water time than most ocean mammals. He surfs like no one else and his style is spontaneous, creative and unpredictable. Don’t try to figure out what he’s going to do next because he has no idea. What is for certain is that this 19 year old is a rare talent who will be blowing minds for years to come. His parts in Young Guns 3 and Tomorrow Today are the stuff of legend and he was up for Manuever of the Year at the 2007 Surfer Poll Awards. He regularly scores covers and massive interviews and profiles in the major mags. 2008 is setting up to be his biggest year ever with the release of his signature video, Just Add Water. Brander came to prominence in 2005 with the release of Young Guns II where Kelly Slater said Matt was surfing so insanely well that it intimidated him. He then scored a 2nd in the ISA World Juniors and made history by going all-Slaterish, throwing down two perfect 10's in the finals of the NSSA Nationals at Trestles. Look for HUGE things in the future from this kid because he's definitely got world title potential.

It’s good to be Matt Brander. He’s young, talented and talked about. He gets his picture in magazines. He spends his winters on the North Shore charging Pipeline with his best friends and the rest of the year jet-setting with his girlfriend.Courtey is a young surfer girl sponsered by 'Billabong'...that crowd. It’s a tough life.

Few people have been able to channel a passion for surfing into such an enviable lifestyle, but Brander has more than passion in his favor. Coming from an idyllic surfing childhood in California, he scored himself a Quiksilver sponsorship at the age of 10 after an impressive performance at the NSSA national championships. Though he may not have been the most naturally talented surfer among his friends—Mark Healey, Reef McIntosh and Bruce and Andy Irons, to name a few—Matt’s sheer determination made up for a lot. By 15, he had an invite to the Pipe Masters, an event he’s competed in every year since.

This year Matt got himself one step closer to his ultimate goal: he made the alternates list for the Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational in memory of Eddie Aikau. The hope is that next year he’ll score an invite. In the meantime, he’s keeping himself and his sponsors happy.

Q & A - Matthew Brander

Q: Fantasy Waves:

A: Teahupoo

Q: Local Spots:

A: Pipe

Q: Nicknames:
A: Matt and Mlk

Q: Pets:

A: None

Q: Tunes:

A: Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, Jason Mraz, John Mayer and Usher.

Q: Trips:

A: Indo

Q: Books:

A: "The Prophet"

Q: Movies:

A: "Blue Crush," "Closer," "50 first dates," and "The secret"

Q: Surf Vids:

A: "Surf TV"

Q: Cheesy Reality TV Shows:

A: "Pimp my ride U.S and UK," "Boarders house"

Q: Video Games:

A: Winning Eleven 11, Kelly Slater Pro 4 and Lord of the Rings

Q: Complaints:

A: fake people, liars

Q: Grinds:

A: mixgreens and steak

Q: Bros:

A: Brian(R.I.P), Nick, Jason, John, Anna, Marcella, Samy and Pippo.

Q: Honeys:

A: Courtney, 'Jess', Mom and Anna.

Q: Rides:

A: Healy’s 82 Mazda

Q: Toys:

A: Playstation 2, PSP, iphone

Q: Boards:
A: The M4, MBM, MBB

Q: Hobbies:

A: Play guitar and travel

Q: Bad Habits or Guilty Pleasures:

A: Twix, Mochi ice cream, Big Mac, Pizza.

Q: Surfers/Influences/Ispirations:

A: Andy Irons,Kelly, Brian, Dad.

Q: Words to Live By:

A: "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans"

PHOTOS: