Griffin Colapinto Channels Inner Anime Hero in Olympics Warmup (Video)

Griffin Colapinto has a new alter ego, a new look, a new persona he’s been channeling in hopes of imbuing his surfing with a little bit of anime-inspired sorcery. It’s Avatar: The Last Airbender . And Griff’s got the blue arrow down his dome, and on his surfboards, marking his motivation from the fictional character and lust for a little waterbending .

Hey, whatever floats your boat. Athlete superstitions and pregame rituals are a real thing. For example, supposedly, Serena Williams refuses to change her socks while she’s on a winning streak; Michael Jordan was alleged to wear his alma mater, University of North Carolina, shorts underneath his Bulls shorts in the NBA. Rumors, sure; but still.

Related: Olympic Pregame Session Scores Pumping Surf At Teahupo’o (Photos)

But whatever Griff’s doing, it seems to be working. In the last few years on the Championship Tour, he’s been on a career heater – placing third after the WSL Finals last year, and currently sitting in the second place slot in this year’s rankings.

Oh yeah, then there’s the Olympics.

Griff will be representing the red, white, and blue come July 27th-August 5th when the Olympic waiting period goes down at Teahupo’o, Tahiti, alongside countryman John John Florence. And like a lot of surfers who got the call-up of a lifetime to compete in surfing’s second-ever Olympic appearance, Griff’s been putting in the time at Chopes beforehand.

Related: Tahitian Locals Shine As Teahupo'o Flexes For Olympic Warmups

He went on a strike mission to Teahupo’o for the recent swell that lit up the reef, snagged some bombs, and made it out unscathed. Following, he wrote:

“Super grateful to come away from this swell safe and sound…was a little nerve racking surfing these waves before the Olympics. Thanks again to the locals for sharing…will be back soon.”

Related: Olympic Surfing Countdown: Daily Dispatches from Teahupo’o

And he’s already back – sans Avatar haircut, however – as seen in our most recent Olympic warmup gallery . Will it come back for the big day(s) to come? Just a phase? Whatever’s on his dome during the Games, keep an eye out for him. Griff’s locked in.

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