There are many big names in the sport of surfing. The first one that comes to mind is that of the King of Surfing, the great Kelly Slater. However, there are many underrated gems in the sport that might not get as much recognition, even though they are pioneers in their own right. Recently, one such name came up when Kelly Slater penned praise for a surfer that many of us might not know. This mystery surfer is the 56-year-old barrel chaser, Jon Roseman.

A heart-shaped 29-acre island lies in the archipelago that is Fiji. The island, known as Tavarua, has captured the hearts of many surfers from around the world. The La Jolla surfing community has been incredibly impressed by the weather and the locals… especially this particular one. Jon Roseman is the man behind the all-inclusive surfing resort located in Taravua. He is a legend on the island, and he definitely has got an unconditional appreciation of Kelly Slater. But why?

Kelly Slater sings praises of a fellow barrel lover

No doubt, the 11-time world champion has ridden all kinds of waves throughout his life. With his unique penchant for waves, it is also no surprise that Kelly Slater has conquered them all. He particularly shines at barrels. The 51-year-old has exhibited some insane barrel-riding throughout his career. However, Slater himself credits Jon Roseman to be the man who has probably ridden the most barrels on this planet. In his Instagram stories, Slater recently posted a reel that revealed the 56-year-old Roseman riding a tube with unimpeachable skills.

Along with the video, Slater shared a message in the story, saying, “Great to see my boy @jonroseman retaining his throne as the most barreled man on planet earth still after 30+ years on @tavaruaislandresort”. Indeed, Roseman has held his own during all these years. Tavarua Island is one of the most popular sites where surfers go searching for Cloubreaks, a famous left reef break. The waves out there can range from 2 feet to 20 feet. This is the place Jon Roseman has been in love with since he joined the resort as a partner in 1992.

Read more: Days After Partnering With $4,500,000,000 Worth Giant Alongside Stephanie Gilmore, Surfing Icon Kelly Slater Proudly Flaunts His $5000 Possession

As he once told Stab magazine, “I try and spend as much time on the island as humanly possible.” Roseman has tried to find other hidden gems like Tavarua, but sadly, he has not been able to find barrels like these. According to him, “I wish there were more similar islands, we’ve looked over the years, but unfortunately I think they broke the mold after Tavarua was made.” Nonetheless, Jon Roseman has made quite a name for himself in this surfing heaven.

The 56-year-old surfing great of Fiji

Jon Roseman hails from La Jolla and has been chasing barrels since he was 10 years old. As he told La Jolla Light, “I’m from La Jolla and I started surfing pretty adamantly at age 10.” After a sad breakup, Jon decided to go on a surfing trip. He was initially going to visit some friends in Australia but finally decided to go to the mysterious wave he heard about in Fiji, the Tavarua Cloudbreak. And that was the beginning of Roseman’s love story with the island, and its waves.

He said, “They just had a cyclone, and the waves were terrible. It was pretty intense, but I still fell in love with it, the Fijians and everything, I didn’t want to leave.” The infinite number of tubes that Roseman got to surf while on the island was the highlight for him. He stayed for what he came for, surfing at its best. While riding the massive barrels of Fiji, Roseman got the title of the most barreled man on planet Earth by the G.O.A.T. of surfing Kelly Slater himself.

Watch This Story: Defying All Odds and Despite Multiple Challenges 45-People Storm to Texas Beach and Redefine Surfing