Prepare to have your mind blown, because Zoltan “the magician” Torkos is throwing down tricks that few have tried and no one has accomplished. Growing up as an ocean surfer and skateboarder, Zoltan has already combined those talents to bring the first surfboard kickflip to the ocean. When he showed up at the West Coast Wakesurf Open, his goal was to land the first kickflip in a contest, even though he’s only surfed behind a boat a handful of times. This wasn’t blind ambition. He’s already accomplished a kickflip behind the boat. When he wasn’t quite able to ride away from one in the contest, he decided to try a few other new tricks in practice and landed the first ever “magic” superman and then went on to land the first ever darkslide on film. When I caught up with him, I asked him what motivated him to bring such revolutionary tricks to surfing and wakesurfing.
Zoltan: I was coaching a good friend when he turned to me one day and out of the blue told me that it was going to be my destiny to land the kickflip on a surfboard. Before I really had time to think about his prediction, Carl Reimer was shot to death, later that day, in the street. Since it was the last thing he ever said to me, I vowed not to stop until I made it happen. Fin cuts, bruises, and a battered face didn’t deter me, and now I have made that prediction a reality.
Greg: You recently gave back to the community. Tell us about that.
Zoltan: Some friends and I saved our money, bought 30 skateboards, and went to the inner city. We found kids “hanging out” on the block, gave them a skateboard, and told them to “pull tricks, not triggers.” We are excited to hear that many of those kids have found a new direction through skating, and completely changed their lives. It just makes us want to do more.
Greg: Tell us about the tricks you’ve landed in your new video.
Zoltan: When I heard that no one had landed a superman back on their feet, I got behind a Tige’ Z3 drove a little ways away from the contest, and went for it. Elijah captured it on video. Then, since I have landed darkslides in the ocean before, I knew I could ride a wakesurf upside down. So I tried that too, with positive results. I am hugely excited to have the opportunity to wakesurf and innovate new tricks behind the boat. This is only the beginning.
Greg: We look forward to seeing what “the Magician” will pull out of the hat next. Any props for sponsors?
Zoltan: I have to thank Evercarve boards, Agenda, SMA skateboards, my wife Jamie, my daughters Lexi and Abra, Arun, Elijah Crowel, and my older brother Rigo who taught me to surf.
By Greg Lawrence