VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — “Before I could swim, I rode on the front of my dad and brother’s boards,” recalled Birdneck Lake resident and surfing phenom Cose Stoyanoff, 13 years old. Cose began surfing at a very young age and began competing when he was 10 years old. In three short years, he earned a spot to compete at the USA Surfing Championship.

Like so many kids over the past year, Cose, a rising eighth grader, worked on school lessons at home. However, this is the norm for Cose. “I’m homeschooled because I travel a lot and miss a lot of instruction,” he said. “My family has a house in Buxton, NC, so we also go there a lot to train because OBX has better waves.”

While much of his time is spent training, his parents and his dedication keep him grounded. As he learned to surf, he also played soccer and practiced jiu-jitsu. Now, he enjoys hanging out with his friends, bass fishing and riding his moped. “I describe myself as funny and always moving. I’m pretty sure I have ADHD,” Cose said laughing.

He may be always moving, but his momentum has paid off. Cose is on the East Coast Surfing Association All Star Team and is sponsored by both national and local brands: O’Neill, Lost Surfboards, Real Watersports, Milliani Eyeware, The Spot, Surflogic USA, Neso Tents and Aloha Snacks. He takes his success and his influence over younger surfers seriously. “It has taught me that I need to be responsible for my actions,” Cose said. “I need to make good choices and have a positive attitude towards the competitors and keep having fun.”

No matter the conditions, Cose tries to learn from each wave he surfs. “I used to max out on my wave count during competitions, but I am learning how to be more patient and wait for waves that I can score higher on,” he said. Because competition waves are always different and often teasingly small, Cose practices on smaller waves  while training. Even so, he relishes great waves when he finds them. His motto is “Charge it/Full send,” and he can truly hold his own among fearless and talented older surfers.

In June, Cose traveled to California to compete in the Toyota USA Surfing Championship at Lower Trestles in the Boys U14 Division. Earning a much coveted spot in the competition is prestigious. The USA Surfing Championship is universally regarded as the highest level of competition for junior surfers in the country and is associated with the United States Olympics Committee in selecting the U.S. Olympic surfing team.

Cose is grateful for his talent and those who have helped him achieve so much so young. His coach, Parker Sawyer, has taught him humility and patience. “He once said you will lose more than you will win,” said Cose. “He reminds me that it is the quality of the waves more than the quantity that matters.” Before each competition, Cose re-waxes his surfboard and checks that he has all he needs: leash, wax, wetsuit. He stretches well, then prays and visualizes the ride right before his heat.

Visualizing his future is a regular practice for Cose as well. He has plans for college and a spot on a school surf team, preferably at either Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL or The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in Honolulu. His ultimate plan is to make it to the top and become a professional surfer on the World Surf League. “I plan to go to school, unless I make the WSL and college will have to wait,” said Cose. At the rate he is growing as a surfer, his ultimate education may very well be traveling the world riding Perfect 10 waves.

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