Grew up in Las Terrenas, a touristic paradise on the northeast coast of the Dominican Republic. I started competing at the age of 12. I would be happy to show all of you my beatiful town if you are around. 

I love surfing and connecting with the ocean. Super stoked to be part of the surf community :) 

I like to run!

My name is Eva Julia, I was born and learned to surf in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, later moving to Colorado at age 7, and then to California at age 13. I started consistently surfing and competing once I moved to california. I graduated highschool this year and I am taking a year off before college to focus on surfing, competing and traveling. So stoked to be a part of this community. 

Born in Santo Domingo, started surfing at 9 years old.moved to cabarete. Been representing as ambassador of Dominican Republic in the surfing world.

I’m Leoni Perthold, 23 years old, born in the Dominican Republic with German roots, and the ocean has always been part of my life. My first steps into wave riding came through my brother, who inspired me to start bodyboarding when I was 16. I practiced for about two years before moving to Germany, where I went to school and completed an internship in carpentry.

In 2022, I returned to the Dominican Republic with no clear plan, until my dad encouraged me to take an internship with an old friend of his, Marcus Böhm, creator of the Master of the Ocean event. During six months working with him, I gained my first experience as a surf instructor while still mainly bodyboarding, and I had the opportunity to be part of the Master of the Ocean event—meeting athletes from all over the world, which fueled my fascination for water sports even more.

In 2023, I received a job offer at a new surf school and began working with Emanuel Knudsen, who encouraged me to surf more seriously. Thanks to his guidance, I transitioned from bodyboarding to surfing and quickly fell in love with it. That same year, I became an ISA Level 1 Surf Coach and competed in the Central American & Caribbean Olympic Games in bodyboarding. Unfortunately, towards the end of the year I had a motorcycle accident that kept me out of the water for almost four months, leaving me with a fractured proximal phalanx and the partial amputation of my right middle toe. When I was finally able to return, I felt even more motivated to dedicate myself fully to surfing.

In 2024, Emanuel and I co-founded the Soul Surfers DR Foundation, with the mission of empowering kids from vulnerable backgrounds through the transformative power of surfing—training them, mentoring them, and teaching them ocean awareness. As the kids we trained began showing strong results in local competitions, we expanded by creating the Soul Surfers DR Academy, offering a full training program for surfers at all levels. Around the same time, I also became a Lifeguard Instructor after collaborating for two years with the Happy Dolphins DR Foundation, which connects communities with the ocean through lifesaving, swimming, and water sports.

Since the beginning of 2025, I’ve been fully focused on my competitive journey in surfing. My training and commitment earned me a spot on the Dominican Republic National Surf Team, and I’m proud to represent my country on the international stage at the ISA World Surfing Games 2025.

www.soulsurfersdr.com