English Biography

Professional Swiss Surfer: Rivan Rosskopf

Rivan Rosskopf is a competitive Surfer for Switzerland. He has already won multiple Swiss Championships and has earned first place in the Junior division of the Edelweiss surf tour. Growing up competing in Hawaii with some of the worlds best juniors gave him a competitive edge in the surfing world. He competes in International Competitions on a regular basis and is working towards a good result in the upcoming ISA World Junior Championships.

2006 to 2013

Rivan Rock Rosskopf (2 April 2006) is a competitive surfer from Rheinfelden, Switzerland. Born in a landlocked country he had a delayed start to surfing. At the age of 7, his parents decided to move to the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii where his dad (Jacob Rosskopf) was born and raised.

2014 to 2018

Rivan and his brothers (Gian Dean & Kilian Rosskopf) went to Sunset Beach Elementary School. Although they grew up talking Swiss German to each other, this quickly changed. Rivan was influenced from young surfers like Paumalu Malone and Isaiah Briley. He then started to make the transition from sand sliding on his boogie board to catching waves and standing up on it. On his 8th birthday he received his first Surfboard and went surfing daily after school. Being surrounded from the best surfers in the world, competition quickly came to mind.

In 2016 he competed in his first contest ever (T&C Grom Contest). 2 years later he won it. Rivan also became runner up in the Rell Sun Makaha Menehune Championships and 5th in the Menehune Surf Contest Haleiwa. Due to his good performances, he earned his first sponsorship “Luma Delikatessen” in 2018.

2019 to 2021

In the summer of 2019, what was meant to be vacation turned into being recognized as an upcoming Swiss surfer. Rivan and his brothers were surfing a river wave in Bremgarten during vacation and the crowd was surprised how well they surfed. Local surfer Martin Suter told Rivan there was an upcoming contest in Zurich. So Rivan signed up for the City Wave Pro World Tour in Zurich without ever surfing a wave pool. With every round he surfed he got better and managed to stick 2 backside air reverses in the final. 13 year old Rivan placed 2nd in the U16 division.

With a little name in Switzerland, Rivan was motivated to keep it going. A couple months later he won the HSA Maili Contest and then placed 3rd in the Haleiwa International open two weeks later.

Once Covid hit, competition took a complete halt and tourism did too, which meant empty lineups to practice in. Rivan and his friends took full advantage and started surfing bigger and more dangerous waves like Pipeline. With less people in the water it was easier and safer to learn how to get barreled.

2/6/2023

2021 to 2022

In the summer of 2021, instead of just visiting Switzerland, Rivan’s parents decided to move there because of work. Rivan wasn’t looking forward to being so far away from the ocean and his parents couldn’t tell him when he could go back to Hawaii. In his favor though, the Swiss Surfing Association started planning contest. In 2021 Rivan won the Junior Swiss Wave Pool Championships in Zurich and the Junior division of the River Surf Jam in Thun.

Apart from that Rivan spent months without standing on a surfboard and he was buckled down in school (Bezirkschule Rheinfelden, Engerfeld). During school breaks he had time to go to the Atlantic Ocean for a week or two, but over the winter he had a 6 months period without even seeing the ocean. It was a rough year for Rivan. He hadn’t come much further in surfing but at least he sharpened up his Swiss German.

2022 to 2023

In the summer of 2022 Swiss Surfing Association announced the Edelweiss Surf Tour. Covering 5 of Switzerland’s best waves (Oana, Bremgarten, Urbansurf, Thun and Alaia Bay). Rivan took the overall junior tour win with a major lead and placed second in the overall men. After a dominating performance “Dakine Europe” offered him a sponsorship deal. Shortly afterwards Rivan and his little brother Kilian got a five minute segment of them surfing in the national sports television (SRF 2 Sport Panorama). Things were rolling smooth for Rivan.

In November 2022, the long awaited return ticket turned into reality. After a year and 4 months away from the North Shore, Rivan and his dad finally got to head back. He was now attending an online High School program which helped him be flexible and study from wherever he was.

Rivan was now back with his longtime friends Luke Tema and Nalu Deodato who had been dominating the rankings in Hawaii. Even though Rivan was a bit rusty after so much time off it quickly came back to him. Rivan worked out a sponsorship deal with Schaper Hawaii (Surfboard Shaper). And at the end of his 4 months stay he was able to win the HSA 16-17 Sandy’s Contest with a perfect 10 in the final.

The best way to figure out what else Rivan is up to is via his Social Media Channels Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube

I am born in Cape Town with a Swiss mother and a South African father and about to go into the last year of school at the German International School in Cape Town. Prior to choosing competitive surfing, I was the Lifesaving National Champ of South Africa twice (U10 + U14) and is still a very active member for his club in Cape Town.

I live in France, in Capbreton (close to Hossegor) and I surf everyday in Capbreton, Hossegor or Seignosse, depending on the sand banks. I am following a online high school curricula. It allows me to train and study everyday.   It's the third time I participate with the Swiss Team at the ISA WJSG. The first time, it was in Huntington Beach with my brother, Fantin. I spend my spare time with friends, skateboarding, playing basket or ping pong, and I play guitar. 

Born in Switzerland but moved young to Sunset Beach North Shore to where my dad lived his childhood. Last summer moved to landlocked Switzerland. Thankful there are wavepools and river waves in Switzerland and that France is not that far away. The swiss surfing assosiation does a great job supporting us. 

My name is Liam, I'm 14 years old. I'm from Switzerland and I live in Morocco. I love this country because I can do all my hobbies, surfing, spearfishing, fishing and hunting with my father. My dream is to surf Teahupoo.

14 years old surfer from St Barth, French Caribbean. Living in Biarritz. Champion of Guadeloupe. Team Jordy Smith 2023 #rookierippers.