Karina Rozunko in “Title TK”

“Spontaneity is a guiding principle of Karina Rozunko’s surfing,” author Kyle DeNuccio writes in our current issue. “At Malibu she improvises waves with maximalist energy. By contrast, most of her surfing contemporaries seem focused on paring their style down to minimalism, bordering on conservatism, with no movement wasted. Rozunko seems to approach waves without letting the traditional surf-style rubric weigh too heavily in her mind.”

“I like being out of control, and I really don’t even want to think about what I’m doing,” Rozunko says. “A lot of surfers just try to keep their arms by their side. But one thing I learned from doing gymnastics as a kid is you have to use your upper body. That’s what lets you balance and move. I always love trying new things, and I don’t want to be in this box where I’m just hanging 10. That’s so boring to me.”

Watch Rozunko’s applied approach in the short film above. For the print profile, read TSJ 33.2’s “Throw Your Hands Up.” Get your copy at www.surfersjournal.com

Film directed by Cole Walton. Additional footage by Jimmy Jazz and Elise Lainé. Music by Sepe.