USD junior Hunter Pflueger trains for a third world championship

Hawai’i native hopes to return to compete with the USA surfing team

Jennifer Mossuto / Copy Editor / The USD Vista

USD junior Hunter Pflueger is living a double life. From Nui Valley, Honolulu, Hawai’i, this real estate and finance major also holds the title of world champion. After competing for Team USA in the International Surfing Competition (ISA) World Championships in 2019, Pflueger is a world champion in prone distance paddling at only 21 years old. 

Prone paddle boarding is a sport that requires competitors to use only the strength of their arms and the energy of the waves they can catch to propel them forward. It is a grueling sport that the now world champion originally wanted nothing to do with. 

“I originally started paddling when I was 11,” Pflueger said. “My dad became the coach of the local canoe club and it was only natural for me then to go into paddling. Funny enough, I didn’t want a thing to do with it until my first season. I started out with a really fun core group of guys and we were able to kind of rise through the ranks and from there we chose to not only compete in local events, but also national and international world championship events.” 

After taking first place in the prone paddle board distance race at the 2018 ISA World Championships, Pflueger went on to win again in 2019 in El Salvador.

“That was an awesome experience,” Pflueger said. “Not just El Salvador and the people there and the culture, which I never thought I’d visit before or experience, but also the fellow athletes from the international field. The relationships you’re given the opportunity to build there is awesome.”

Although surrounded by the best athletes in the world, Pflueger took the time to put aside the pressure and recognize he deserved to be right there alongside professionals. 

“Being able to line up and compete with the best from each country in the world really gives you that feeling like ‘hey, I deserve to be here and it’s time to really show what I’m worth,’” Pflueger said.

And he did just that by winning the race in El Salvador, beating every other competitor by over five minutes, and earning his world champion title. 

Pflueger then took the opportunity to spend his Spring 2020 semester as a USD student studying abroad in Australia. Then the coronavirus hit and sent him packing back home to Honolulu, Hawai’i, where he feels lucky that the ocean is still open to the public and to people who need to keep training on the water. His training for the qualifier has not stopped and has only helped him deal with the stress of the quarantine.  

“During quarantine, it’s something that helps me unwind and get away from everything,” Pflueger said. “It’s a great workout but also social because I see a lot of my friends six feet apart out on the water. I’ve definitely still been getting out there and training. I have the mindset that although people around the world are locked in, right now I have the opportunity to get a little head start on them so when competitions do start again, I’ll have a leg-up on day one.”

Although the future looks bright for Pflueger’s paddling career, he does not plan to stop his schooling and effort to end up in the workforce after his time at USD. Balancing his academics at USD and his training for paddling has proven to be no problem. 

“I feel that while I’m in school at USD, it’s a good balance for me to have something to come back to so that I’m really focused when I get to my workouts,” Pflueger said. “Like ‘hey, I need to make this count because I need to go and take care of other things throughout the day.’ So I think once I graduate and get into the workforce, that’s something I’ll continue to have.”

As of now, most international events for paddling are canceled. According to Pflueger,  the Hawai’i Racing Organization will hold a meeting June 1 to determine if competitions could start up again as soon as July. However, the cancellation does not stop Pflueger from following his dreams. 

“This year is a little up in the air because of coronavirus, but in future years, yes, I absolutely hope to return (to the ISA world championships),” Pflueger said. “I’m not too sure when the qualifier will be held, but I plan on returning and hopefully competing for Team USA.”

He credits his family members and friends for giving him a foundation that allows him to compete at such a high level.  “The sport means a lot to me,” Pflueger said. “It’s something that has allowed me to really compete at a high level, locally, nationally, and internationally. And build great relationships around the world, have some of the coolest traveling experiences, and really do what I love to do, which is compete, in anything I can.”