Stop us if you've heard this story before. It's about the kid from the ghetto with big-time game who negotiates an obstacle course of temptations on the way to the promised land of huge crowds and huge paydays.

But wait, this story has a twist: The ghetto in this story isn't a concrete jungle-it's more like a jungle jungle. And the kid isn't a hard rock who runs the point; he's a sun-bleached beach boy with an uncanny ability to ride a surfboard. Meet Gabriel Villarán, professional surfer from Peru.

Born in Lima in 1984, at least Villarán had genetics working in his favor. "My father, mother, and brother were all surfers, so I was stoked," he says in English accented by both a Spanish-speaking upbringing and a constant exposure to surf slang. "My father belonged to a surf club called Waikiki, which was the original surf club in Latin America."

Villarán's pedigree certainly helped, but it was his natural competitiveness that elevated him to the big leagues. "My brother, he just surfs for the fun of it, but I always wanted to compete," Villarán remembers. "When I was 10 or 11, I used to go watch the big international surfing championships and dream about beating those guys for Peru."

At age 11, Villarán entered a small contest and placed third. Since then, victories have rolled in like a shore break: He's twice been the Latin-American champion, and in January won the 2006 Pan American Surfing Games title on home soil in Punta Rocas, Peru. This year, Villarán is focused on accumulating points in World Qualifying Series (WQS) competitions to raise his global rep.

But success isn't always defined by trophies. "I'm mostly proud to be living my dream," says Villarán. "It's harder for athletes from Peru or other third-world countries. We don't get seen by the same people. We don't get the exposure. I hope to show other young people who don't have any money that it's possible to achieve your dreams no matter what the sport." You've heard the story before, just never quite like this.