Ethan Ewing at the Junior World Championships, then capped off that achievement with a 3rd at the Volcom Pipe Pro.

And the hits just kept on coming. On the North Shore this winter, Colapinto exploded like a supernova. Buoyed by a 5th in Portugal just weeks before arriving in Hawaii, he went on the competitive roll of his career. Second at the Hawaiian Pro, followed by 4th at the Vans World Cup (he failed to qualify for the right to surf in the third jewel, the Billabong Pipe Masters), he earned enough points to win the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing -- pro surfing's second-most coveted title next to a World Championship.

His air game is on par with many of the world's best.WSL / Damien Poullenot

In a blink ofan eye, Colapinto's the first Californian in history to win the Triple Crown and stand alone atop the 2017 QS rankings.

Yet there was a method behind the apparent meteoric rise from regional phenom to bonafide star. The thing is, it was always in the plan. "We committed to this path when I was 15," said Colapinto, "and the goal by the time I turned 19 was to be qualified [for the CT]. I nailed my goals at Haleiwa. I'm so proud of that, it's a lot to process."

"We" is his family -- Mom, Dad, little brother Crosby and his primary sponsor, Billabong. His father is a beloved middle school teacher who runs a surf camp in San Clemente during the summer months at a beach called Poche (the