After a hectic Winter Olympics campaign this year, Australian snowboard ace Valentino Guseli could be forgiven for putting his feet up for a long stint in the sun.
Instead, the 21-year-old signed up for 12 hours of continuous surfing in the winter waves to support Sydney mental health advocate Blakey Johnston.
Taking part in the "Swellbeing Surfathon", the pair are riding from 7am to 7pm at the wave pool at Urbn Surf.
While he's one of the world's best snowboarders, the uber-talented NSW south coast product's next career choice would be as a professional surfer.
"One hundred per cent, that would have been my next choice," Guseli told AAP.
Guseli narrowly missed the podium in the men's halfpipe at the Milan-Cortina Games and made the final of the big air final after a late call-up.
He said he was planning on trying to pull off some more aerial manoeuvres during the marathon surf session - at least in the early hours while he has the energy.
"I think towards the end it'll start getting tricky, but there's definitely worse ways to spend your whole day - I'm just having fun," Guseli said.
"I guess it's about getting moving and staying happy and yeah, keeping your mental health."
The two-time Olympian is half Johnston's age but the Cronulla surfer might have Guseli covered.
Johnston owns the world record for the longest continuous surf.
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In 2023 he surfed for 40 hours and raised $500,000 for mental health charities.
Guseli claimed his own world mark in 2024 for the highest air on a snowboard, launching himself some 11.5 metres off a hip.
He intends getting back on the snow full-time this month and then will travel overseas in September as he builds towards the next Olympics in the French Alps in 2030.
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