Meet Cole Houshmand, the 6'3", 220 lbs Dennis Rodman of Pro Surfing (Video)

New year, new faces on surfing’s Championship Tour.

Every season, the rookie class comes onto the World Surf League’s premier surfing circuit wild-eyed, hungry, and often quite green in terms of experience.

They’re exciting, though, filled with promise and expectation. And one new face on the 2024 CT roster has some big shoes to fill. Literally.

Meet Cole Houshmand, San Clemente, California native, certified power surfer, lover of whacky hairdos, nicknamed “Rodman” accordingly so, and one big dude.

His stats? 6’3”, 220 lbs.

By comparison, reigning men’s CT world champion, Brazil's Filipe Toledo, clocks in at 5’9” and 154 lbs.

That’s quite the difference. And likely, Houshmand will shine at some of the more heavy water stops (Pipe, Sunset, Margs, and if he makes it past the Mid-Season Cut, Chopes, and Cloudbreak) while potentially struggling at the smaller wave events (Brazil, El Salvador, etc.).

But who knows? Maybe surfing is evolving.

When asked what the ideal body type for a surfer was, John John Florence told SURFER:

“I think it’s somewhere in the middle. It depends on the person. Some people are just naturally ripped; I don’t get it. It depends on the type of surfing you’re trying to do, too.”

Anyway, here’s a little background from Houshmand as seen in a new WSL profile video:

“None of my family surfs. My dad was the first one to start pushing me into waves at Doheny. I’m a power surfer; that’s where my edge is.

“Everyone calls me ‘Rodman.’ Approaching the Tour this year, I get to surf against people that were my idols. Like Kelly Slater, Gabriel Medina. Now I get to do it with my best friends, which is just a bonus on top of everything.

“My biggest goal this year: World Title, Final Five.”

Keep an eye on Houshmand; with those stats, he’ll be hard to miss.

***

Don't miss another headline from SURFER! Subscribe to our newsletter, follow us on Instagram, and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of surfing. We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging surf-related videos to feature on our channels.

Whether you're a professional surfer or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on SURFER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos.