At 17, Lucas Santiago Wehle is set to represent Malaysia in surfing at the 2026 Asian Games, a breakthrough for both athlete and sport.
The confirmation came in a letter dated Jan 28, but the sense of arrival had been building for months.
Lucas Santiago Wehle will represent the country in men’s shortboard at Aichi–Nagoya 2026, marking a breakthrough not just for a young athlete, but for a sport that has long existed at the margins.
Surfing will make its Asian Games debut in Japan, with Malaysia fielding a two-person team. Alongside Lucas is Cherating-based female rider Qadeja Munirah Musaddiq, whose journey reflects the sport’s grassroots strength.
“I’m not afraid to dream big,” Lucas says. “But I know the competition will be extremely strong. I’m going to give it everything, in training and competition, to make Malaysia proud.”
Lucas earned his place the hard way, without a structured pathway or a centralised programme to guide him.
At the 2025 Asian Surfing Championships in Mahabalipuram, India, he pushed through a stacked field to reach the quarterfinals in both the junior and men’s divisions.
The result secured Malaysia’s slot in men’s shortboard, the country’s best finish at the meet and a ticket to Asia’s biggest multi-sport event.
He built that progress step by step, competition by competition, often without the support systems available in more established sports.
His father, Mario Wehle, has seen both the promise and the strain of that journey.
“Travel, coaching and equipment add up fast,” Mario says. “Securing funding is one of the biggest challenges for surfing athletes worldwide.
“It’s not like traditional sports where there’s a fixed system. You have to build your own campaign.”
There are signs of movement. The national sports council has begun engaging with the family on preparation plans, a step that signals growing recognition.
Mario says director-general Jefri Ngadirin and Muhammad Firdaus Ismail, who oversees multi-sport Games preparation, are in constructive discussions with them.
“That level of interest matters. It shows the system is watching and is willing to act.”
The official selection letter from Persatuan Luncur Ombak Malaysia (PLOM) sets out the demands of national representation, including training commitments and performance standards.
It also allows athletes to secure sponsorship, a crucial provision in a sport where costs are high and support remains limited.
For surfing, funding is not an advantage. It is essential.
Raised by the ocean
Lucas moves with the calm of someone shaped by the water.
At his age, he already looks seasoned, reading the swell early, sitting deep and committing without hesitation. When the wave surges, he holds his line; when it breaks, he adapts.
That composure has been years in the making.
Born in Kuala Lumpur to a Malaysian mother, Petrina, and a German father, he moved with his family to Ericeira, Portugal, at the age of five.
The Atlantic there is powerful, cold and precise, a demanding environment that refined both his technique and his temperament.
Since 2020, he has trained under professional coaches and competed across Europe and Asia.
Portugal, France, Spain, the Azores, Indonesia, Australia and India have all featured in his development, along with stints in wave pools in Germany and Switzerland.
Today, he splits his time between Portugal, Bali and Malaysia, following the rhythm of the ocean as much as the calendar.
His education runs alongside that life through an international online programme, while his schedule is shaped by swell forecasts rather than semesters.
His Asian Games campaign will take him from India and Thailand to Bali, Japan, Portugal and Australia, with training blocks built around each competition.
“Sometimes you wait hours for the right wave,” Lucas says. “When it comes, you have to be ready.”
Two riders, one breakthrough
Qadeja represents another side of the sport, rooted in local culture and community.
Based in Cherating, she runs a small café, balances training with motherhood and remains closely tied to the beaches where Malaysian surfing has long taken shape.
Her presence underscores how the sport has evolved. It is no longer defined by a single path, but by a mix of journeys that range from international competition to community life.
Together, Lucas and Qadeja represent both ends of that spectrum, one shaped by global exposure, the other grounded in local experience, both stepping into the same arena.
From fringe to focus
For decades, surfing in Malaysia grew quietly along the east coast, driven by the northeast monsoon from October to March.
Cherating became the centre of activity, with Tioman, Desaru and Kemasik drawing smaller but steady followings.
The sport survived on passion rather than structure, with few formal pathways and limited support.
That landscape is beginning to change.
Since its formation in 2019, PLOM has taken steps to organise the sport, overseeing surfing, bodyboarding and stand-up paddling while introducing development programmes, coaching clinics and competitions.
Events in Kelantan and Cherating have begun attracting international surfers, raising standards and visibility while giving local riders exposure to higher levels of competition.
The Asian Games marks the most significant shift yet, bringing both recognition and expectation.
It places Malaysian surfing in a new context, one that demands performance as much as participation.
Riding the global wave
Surfing carries economic weight beyond competition.
Globally, surf tourism was estimated at about US$70 billion in 2025, driven by travellers seeking waves, lifestyle and experience.
Destinations such as Bali and Portugal have built strong industries around that demand. Malaysia has the ingredients to compete.
“The east coast offers seasonal waves that complement, rather than compete with, peak seasons elsewhere in Asia,” Mario says.
“It is accessible, affordable and tourism-ready. Warm water, uncrowded breaks, and the chance to combine surfing with eco and cultural experiences make Malaysia very attractive.”
That positioning matters because surfing operates as a lifestyle economy, blending sport, travel, media and branding.
For athletes like Lucas, it creates opportunities that extend beyond results.
He understands how the sport functions off the board, from competition structures to sponsorship narratives, an awareness that could shape his future as much as his performances.
Still, potential needs backing.
Without sustained investment and exposure, progress can stall.
The Asian Games may open the door, but what follows will determine how far Malaysian surfing can go.
The challenge ahead
The standard in Asia continues to rise.
Japan and Indonesia lead the field with strong systems and deep talent pools, while China, South Korea, India and Thailand are investing to close the gap through structured development.
Malaysia enters as an outsider, but not without belief.
“I want to test myself against the best in Asia,” Lucas says. “That’s the only way I’ll know where I stand.”
His approach is measured, focused on improvement rather than outcome, a mindset that will be tested under pressure.
Conditions will shift, heats will tighten and margins will narrow.
There will be no easy waves.
More than a moment
Those who know Lucas best point to his quiet focus.
His grandfather, Andrew Roach Reddy, sees it in the way he approaches both training and competition.
“He was never the loud one,” Andrew says. “But he watches, he learns, and when his moment comes, he doesn’t hesitate. That’s what sets him apart.”
It is a quality that suits the sport.
“Surfing rewards patience and timing as much as skill, demanding composure in conditions that can change within seconds,” adds Andrew.
Lucas understands that balance.
“I’m going to the Asian Games to compete,” he says. “Not just to be there.”
It is a simple line, but it defines his intent. He is not chasing participation. He is chasing performance.
For Malaysian surfing, this is a beginning rather than a culmination.
For Lucas, it is another step in a journey shaped by discipline, travel and the constant pull of the ocean.
He stands at the edge of something larger than himself.
The next wave is already forming. - FMT
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