Lucas Fink is following the John John Florence path and taking a break from contests to chase waves. Photos courtesy of Lucas Fink.
Lucas Fink has racked up four skimboarding world titles in a row. And now, following the path of world champions who have stepped away at the top of their game a la Kelly Slater or John John Florence, Fink, 27, has announced he’s taking a year off from the United Skim Tour in 2026. Instead of competing, he’s going to focus on chasing swells and growing the sport in Brazil.
The five-time skim world champ has already ridden Jaws, Maverick’s, and Nazaré on his small, finless boards. Now he has new frontiers on his mind, namely the square pits of Teahupo’o.
“I had this feeling going on for a while already, and just want to try new things,” Fink told The Inertia.
Fink says travel for competitions, which generally take place in the Northern Hemisphere summer, has kept him away from chasing waves in the Southern Hemisphere swell season. With his schedule now freed up, he wants to travel to new waves in Asia, Australia, Mexico, and Tahiti.
“I’m pretty confident about being able to get one (at Teahupo’o),” said Fink. “Of course, it’s going to be something different than everything I faced, but we have a couple of slabs in Brazil that I already tried going left. I’m keen to experiment and see how it goes.”
And Fink wouldn’t be the first skimboarder to ride Teahupo’o. Fellow big-wave skimmer Brad Domke successfully rode the wave in 2015.
Lucas Fink has ridden many of the world’s premier big wave spots on a skimboard. Pictured here at Jaws.
No contests during the Southern Hemisphere season also means Fink can be more active at home: surfing his local slabs in Rio de Janeiro and working on a new skimboarding e-commerce platform.
Fink stresses that he didn’t burn out on competing. Battling for world titles against skimmers like Blair Conklin was always fun for him. He took two years off during the COVID-19 pandemic, returning in 2022 and winning every season since.
“I’m proud of being able to remain on the top throughout all those years against some very talented riders,” said Fink. “Every year felt like they were pushing harder, but I also worked harder every year. I dedicated a lot to that.”
Fink riding one of the famous wedges of Brazil.
Competitive skimboarding is dwarfed by surfing. But Fink says he’s seen the sport grow before his eyes around the world. It’s a sport that has proven to be made for short Instagram and TikTok reels, shown by numerous viral videos filmed by him and his peers.
“I look back from where I started, where skimboarding was, and where it is right now, I’m just one more proof that there’s a lot to be done with this board,” said Fink. “That’s why I am taking a year off to experiment with different things to see how I can collaborate with the sport and also keep my purpose alive. That’s where my sense is taking me.”
Fink isn’t ready to say when he’ll come back to competition, but if he takes the John John Florence route, skimming perfect waves around the world, he might not be in any rush to return.
