Leon Glatzer was born in Kīhei (Hawaiʻi) in 1997 to German parents. Even as a toddler, he was drawn to the ocean: he feels “at home” there. His connection to water began at birth, as he was delivered into water. Despite his German roots, Leon did not grow up in Germany, but in Pavones, Costa Rica.
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Profile
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Date of birth
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February 28, 1997
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Place of birth
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Kīhei (Maui), Hawaii
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Hometown
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Pavones (Puntarenas), Costa Rica
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Nickname
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for Pavonian “Chicho”
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Homebreak
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Pavones
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Achievements
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1st place WQS Newquay 2018, 1st place WQS Pismo 2019, 5th place ISA World Surfing Games 2021 (El Salvador), 17th place Tokyo Olympics 2021, 1st place German Surfing Championships 2024
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Stance
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Goofy
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Surfing style
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Surfs smooth & powerful lines, aerial expert
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Size / weight
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5 feet 11 inches / 176 pounds
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Childhood and roots
When he was around 4 years old, his mother Katja Glatzer pushed him onto his first waves on a boogie board. Boogie boards are actually meant to be surfed lying down, but Leon found that too boring – he immediately tried to stand up on the wave. When he surfed 100 meters on a wave while standing on his boogie board, his mother was convinced and got him a surfboard. After that, he regularly asked surfers on the beach if he could go out on the water with them – the whole village taught him how to surf. This is how he got his nickname “Chicho” (Spa. chichoso). Former professional surfer Jean Carlos Mendoza also took Leon surfing in the water during the rainy season when he was 6 years old. The waves were particularly powerful due to the river flowing into the sea.
In Pavones, Leon also met German surfer Thomas Lang, who stopped off at Leon’s hometown on his boat trip to surf the second-longest left-hand wave in the world. With his boat and stickers on his board, Thomas was like a “rock star” to Leon. Leon enjoyed watching him surf and tried to learn a few tricks. Leon seized the opportunity and asked Thomas if he could show him how to do the tricks. Before leaving, Thomas gave him some boards and a clip from his surfing trip so far. Leon studied the videos so he could do the same awesome tricks. Later, Thomas also helped Leon get his first custom board from Fantum.
Teenager in Pavones und San José
After his mother Katja got married, the family moved to San José. Leon went to school there and lived with wanderlust away from the sea. Leon wanted to return to the sea, but that wasn’t possible. So he looked for an activity that was most similar to surfing: skateboarding. Due to the lack of waves, Leon spent a lot of time on the mini ramp. His brother Sean was born in the capital of Costa Rica. The two brothers were inseparable. When their parents argued, they would hide together.
When he was 13, the family moved back to Pavones. Leon’s first activity after returning was, of course, surfing, which he missed the most. Back in the local surfing community, he was initially inferior to other kids he had surfed with years ago. They called him a “city kid” and said he would never be a good surfer—he was too “skinny” and needed more strength. Leon was devastated! His mother explained to him that this was completely normal, as he had had less practice time – this helped him not to get discouraged. Leon took the criticism as motivation to surf better, and from then on he surfed in all weather conditions, reports local surfing legend Henry Martinez (Henrito). One of Costa Rica’s best surfers at the time showed Leon how to improve his turns and make a sharp turning movement in the wave (snap).
A shock for the family: Leon was playing with his brother at home when his stepfather arrived in a rage, took the phone in the house, and took his brother Sean with him. Leon didn’t understand what was happening—his brother was being separated from him and his own mother. The case ended up in court. Only after an agreement between his mother and stepfather did his brother Sean return to Pavones. He saw his mother smile for the first time in six years.
The path to becoming a professional
His skateboarding background combined with surfing meant that Leon wasn’t looking for classic turns, but aerials – he searched for the spot on the wave like a skate ramp. Sometimes he would ride the entire wave, which can stretch up to a kilometer, just to find the perfect ramp.
Thomas Lange also had a skateboarding background, which inspired Leon with surf clips from his boat trip. Other local surfers and coaches criticized his surfing style, saying he was wasting the waves because he didn’t do turns, only aerials. He didn’t care – “that’s awesome, that’s what I want to do,” he replied to his critics. At that time, the state of the art in surfing was rail surfing, i.e., doing turns. Even in contests, there were no points for jumps in the air.
A defining moment: Leon’s mother sent Thomas a video of Leon performing a difficult trick (Kerrupt Flip). A very challenging trick, especially for a 14-year-old boy. Thomas used his network and put Leon in touch with his agent Quirin Rohleder – Billabong, O’Neill, Nike 6.0, and Volcolm, among others, made sponsorship offers. At the age of 14, he signed his first sponsorship contract.
Watch the Kerrupt Flip that earned Leon his first sponsorship contract here:
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More InformationHis first international trip took him to France with the Volcom team – where he experienced culture shock: Pavones had consistently warm water (~82,4 °F), but in France it was different; cold water and surfing in a wetsuit. In addition, naked people on the beach were new and unfamiliar to him (his mother laughed when he told her about his shock).
The culture and water temperature weren’t the only challenges for the young talent from Pavones – although he was an aerial expert,
It was a difficult time—despite having a sponsor, Leon often lived on the edge financially: sometimes he didn’t have enough money for food, and he frequently slept in his board bag at friends’ houses. With a heavy heart, his mother called him from Costa Rica and told him that she would not be able to continue supporting him financially for the time being. The legal dispute with his stepfather incurred high legal fees before an agreement was reached. Leon took responsibility and supported his mother financially with prize money from contests. When he lost once, he called his mother: ” Mom, I failed you. I didn’t make the prize money… “.
With surf clips such as The Vast Waters, Mütze Glatze, and EL Schnitzel, Leon increasingly made a name for himself in the surfing world and extended his contract with Volcolm.
Nevertheless, his ongoing financial difficulties often caused him to have doubts. His income was still far from sufficient. Quirin also had his reservations at times. He believed in Leon. He saw the talent, he knew Leon had the will, but the surf brands didn’t see it.
The road to the Olympic dream – Tokyo 2021
The turning point: surfing became an Olympic sport. After some doubts, Leon now had to make a decision: commit full-time to Europe and prepare for qualification for the Olympic Games in Tokyo and learn German, or go back to Pavones and live his life. Leon went all in! For the first time, there was a proper structure thanks to the Olympic program with fixed routines, professional coaches and sports psychologists, and a fixed salary.
Qualifying for the ISA World Surfing Games in El Salvador was extremely tough – only five places were available for over 140 male surfers. He froze in the first heat of his qualifying round and, after about five minutes of the 20-minute heat, he still hadn’t surfed a single wave: panic, racing heart, barely able to breathe. “Act now or the Tokyo dream is over.” He narrowly beat local hero Samuel Arenivar and made it to the next round. He didn’t understand what was going on because he was so well prepared. Sports psychologist Martin Walz calmed him down, saying, “You are so ready and you have no idea!” Slowly, Leon became the favorite thanks to his high scores in the heats. But when it came down to it and the top 10 were decided, he had that paralyzing feeling from the first heat again. Martin took Leon aside, meditated, and did breathing exercises with him. When he had to go into the water for his heat, Martin tapped Leon on the shoulder: “Leon, you know how to surf, that’s all you have to do…”
He made it to fifth place, received the “golden ticket” from Chris Cote of the ISA (International Surfing Association), and made history as the first German surfer to compete in the Olympic Games. At the Tokyo Games, he finished in 17th place, but the determined surfer was not satisfied with that.
The depression after the Olympics and how he found happiness
After the Olympic experience, he experienced the so-called “Olympic effect.” After several months of being on a high, Leon fell into a hole. He no longer enjoyed surfing and went through an identity crisis – he withdrew, rode motocross, snowboarded, and took a break from social media and emails. This break did him good. He wanted to treat himself to a little vacation in Ibiza and happened to meet his childhood crush Bianca from his school days in San José.
Personality
Leon is considered a “power guy,” especially for his impressive aerials—which earned him an invitation to Red Bull Airborne. His open, always smiling, positive demeanor makes him very approachable. He is down-to-earth, has a healthy, positive outlook on life, and radiates energy and joie de vivre. Leon speaks several languages (German, English, and Spanish) and feels at home all over the world. From the age of 14 to 26, he lived in various places, traveling and studying all over the world. It was only after 12 years in Munich that he settled down again.
Between Chicho and Leon Glatzer
Leon Glatzer is not only a surfer with impressive tricks and an exciting biography — he is also a bridge between cultures: born in Hawaii, raised in Costa Rica, representing Germany. His journey shows that passion, persistence, and enjoyment of the sport can move mountains — even if you start out as a “city kid” and have to prove yourself against the local surfers. His style, attitude to life, and authenticity make him an inspiring personality — for surfers who don’t just want to ride waves, but want to stay true to their own surfing style, achieve success, and make history. He is a magical symbol and inspiration, especially in Pavones, where he will always be “little Chicho.”
Leon Glatzer is living proof that you can have a surfing career without great success in the WSL.
