Clay Marzo

American surfer from Maui known for his innovative, 'double-jointed' style of turns and aerials, who has become a prominent voice for autism awareness in sport.

Born in San Diego, California, on 17 July 1989, Clay Marzo moved to Lahaina, Maui, as a young child and began surfing competitively at around age 10. At 15, he became the first surfer to receive two perfect 10s in National Scholastic Surfing Association history en route to winning the NSSA Open Men's National Championship. Marzo signed with Quiksilver as a young teenager and became a member of the brand's Young Guns crew alongside Kelly Slater, Dane Reynolds and Julian Wilson, celebrated for a fluid, unconventional style of turns and spins that surf media described as physics-bending. In December 2007, he was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism, at age 18. The 2008 documentary Clay Marzo: Just Add Water explored his surfing alongside his experience living with autism, and he later collaborated on a biography of the same name. Marzo has spoken openly about how surfing serves as an outlet that bypasses the communication difficulties he experiences on land, memorably describing being inside a barrel as feeling 'like being in someone's throat... and they have to cough.' Marzo continues to be one of the sport's most respected free-surfers, celebrated for creativity rather than competitive results, and volunteers with Surfers Healing, a nonprofit that runs surf camps for children with autism.

Fluid, innovative turns and spins with unconventional body positioning

One of the most creative free-surfers of his generation and a prominent voice for neurodiversity in sport