Joonas was born in Florida to Finnish parents. He is proud of his Finnish heritage and loves to visit Finlad in the summers. Growing up in Florida, Joonas has spent most of his childhood at the beach and in the water having fun on surfboards, boogie boards, skim boards, and paddle boards. But on his 10th birthday something special happened. He got his uncle’s 90s custom surfboard as a birthday present. That sparked a new level of stoke in his surfing – since then, Joonas has been in the water whether it’s 10-foot (3m) and hollow or a knee-high wind chop.

Joonas loves to surf the unique South Florida refraction swell that transforms local surf spots into long lefts, generating even occasional barrels. He is always looking for the biggest wave to ride or a barrel to sneak into. Though Joonas has surfed in various types of waves throughout Florida, his favorites are Popoyo (Nicaragua) and the famous WSL site Super Tubos in Portugal. Joonas is also dreaming of taking a surf trip to one of the epic surf spots around the world (Fiji, Indo, Hawaii) – and getting more experience in world class waves.

Joonas started competing in the fall of 2020. He entered the Gnarly Charley beginning series and almost immediately made finals and started winning events. One of the highlights was first place at Gnarly Charley Jr. Pro division in 2021 – which earned him $200 cash price.

Joonas has also competed in the NSSA (National Scholastic Surfing Association) events. He won a local event in 2022 and placed in the Top 10 in the NSSA East Coast Open Boys Championship in 2021-2022.

Joonas’s biggest accomplishment so far is qualifying for the USA Prime Series in the Fall 2022 and placing 5th in NSSA East Coast regionals (2023). 


One of the Joonas’ dreams have been to surf in ISA World Junior Championship contest - a dream come true! His long-term dream and goal is to represent Finland in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Through Joonas’ excitement and passion for surfing, he has motivated many friends to pick up the sport. Many kids who used to spend their time playing video games are now messaging Joonas about going surfing. Their parents have been grateful for this positive influence. He has even influenced his little brother Jesaja and his dad Esa to also start competing in surfing.


When the waves are not pumping, Joonas spends his time skateboarding, boatrestoration, and fishing with friends. Joonas’ love for surfing is contagious and he is ready to take his surfing career to the next level. You can follow him on instagram @Joonas_Autero where he regularly posts photos and videos of his surfing taken by local surf photographers. Some of his surfing videos are also found in the family YouTube channel Flyfinn Adventures.