From Abreojos To Todos, Mexico's Axel Sandoval Is Chasing Big Wave Dreams

Originally posted on SURFER | By Jake Howard | Last updated Feb 17, 2024 11:36 AM ET

Six hundred miles south of San Diego, about halfway down the Baja Mexico peninsula, sits the small fishing village of Punta Abreojos. Quiet and off the beaten path, it’s dotted with a few hundred small houses scattered about, a couple of churches and tiendas, a landing strip, a fish packing plant, and waves.

Born and raised here, the son of a fisherman, Axel Sandoval sees his future on a big-wave gun, not a fishing panga. One of the hardest chargers in Baja, this weekend he’ll be flying the Mexican flag at the Thriller At Killers big-wave contest at Todos Santos. Having dedicated himself to the pursuit of riding giants, he’ll turn his vision into reality when he shares the lineup with the likes of world-class hellmen such as Greg Long, Jojo Roper and Jamie Mitchell.

“For generations Axel’s family has had a deep connection to the ocean. He’s very comfortable in big swell conditions at Todos Santos,” explains Jesús García, who photographs and documents Mexican surf culture.

“Axel is part of a new generation of Mexican big-wave surfers, his surfing in this modality has focused specifically on this wave as he pursues the goal of becoming a professional big-wave surfer and ride large waves around the world,” continues Jesús. “He believes that there are other ways to make it in life, other than fishing or playing baseball, which is very common down in the mid peninsula fishing villages.”

When Gary Linden was developing the concept for the Thriller At Killers one of his primary inspirations was to create a platform for a new generation of big-wave surfer to be seen and discovered.

“It’s not just about winning a contest, but what that means and how that helps elevate a surfer’s profile,” explained Linden, who previously was the mastermind of the now defunct Big Wave World Tour. “The prize money is important, of course, but the ability to attract sponsors so they can make a living chasing big waves around the world, that’s the broader vision.”

And that’s where Axel comes in. Growing up a surfer in Punta Abreojos, the challenge is rising up and actually being seen. While the waves there can fire, there’s not much around the sleepy fishing village. It’s a ten hour drive south to Cabo San Lucas, and another ten hours north to San Diego. But by dedicating himself to the wave at Todos Santos, with the new Thriller At Killers event comes opportunity.

With surf forecast to be somewhere in the 30-foot range, it’s anybody’s guess what’s going to happen when the contest runs tomorrow. But you can bet that Axel will be out there, shoulder to shoulder with some of the best big-wave surfers in the world, leaning into the moment—his moment.