Meet the Team
Khata Kraiwan
Founder of ALORA
Romão Janela
Lead Coach - Portugal Director - Romão Janela is a Portugal-based surf coach with over 10 years of experience, helping surfers progress from their first waves to competition level. With a background in bodyboarding and surfing, he brings a personalized coaching style built around the belief that every surfer sees and feels the wave differently.
Shayno Sutherland
Lead Coach - Australia Director - Shayno Sutherland is the owner of Surf Camp Down Under in Yamba, NSW — awarded Best Surf School in Australia in 2025. With nearly 20 years of coaching experience and a Surfing Australia High Performance certification spanning over a decade, Shayno has worked with everyone from first-time beginners to professional competitors and ex-Olympic athletes.
Sarah Michaels
Lead Coach - Brazil Director - Sarah is a Brazil-based surf coach with experience coaching and surfing throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, California, and Hawaii. She works with surfers of all ages and abilities, helping students build confidence, trust their instincts, and discover a surf style that is unique to them. She believes surfing is a beneficial way to connect more deeply with the ocean, nature, and yourself.
Odin Gross
Core Coach - With 17 years in the water and four years coaching at two five-star surf schools, he's worked with everyone from complete beginners to advanced surfers looking to refine their style. He rides everything from twin fins to longboards, and that range shapes his coaching — building on each surfer's natural strengths rather than pushing a one-size-fits-all technique. Whether you're catching your first wave or chasing new lines, he'll help you become the best surfer you can be.
Shannon Glennon
Core Coach - Shannon Glennon is a US-based surf coach with a deep passion for surfing, wave reading, and understanding ocean conditions, with experience surfing across California, the Texas Gulf Coast, the U.S. East Coast, and even lakes. She helps surfers progress by connecting technique with a stronger understanding of the ocean, so they can make better decisions in the water.
Jessie Carnes
Lead Coach - A lifelong surfer and coach with over 25 years in the sport, having started surfing at age 11. She competed at a high level from 14 to 22, training with the ESA All-Stars and USA Surfing Team along the way. At 22, Jessie transitioned into coaching and began her career with Surf Simply, where she has spent the past 15 years developing surfers and sharing her passion for the sport. She went on to become Head Coach of Surf Simply, combining her competitive background, technical knowledge, and extensive coaching experience to help surfers of all levels progress.
Martyna Gierszewska
Marketing Project Manager - Proof that it’s never too late to catch the wave. Martyna discovered her passion for surfing after 30. With more than 10 years of marketing experience, she brings deep industry expertise to ALORA. She balances a rigorous, logistics-driven mindset with a simple philosophy: "The best surfer is the one having the most fun."
Our Philosophy
ALORA is built on the belief that performance is not about the water, but about the precision of the feedback you receive. We bridge the gap between raw instinct and technical mastery by replacing guesswork with real-time, personalized video analysis.
Clarity Over Content
We move beyond generic tutorials. Our method focuses on the specific mechanics of your takeoffs, turns, and positioning, ensuring every piece of advice is directly applicable to your surfing style.
Performance-First
ALORA is designed for surfers who are past the basics and want to break through the intermediate plateau. We provide the tools to identify and eliminate the habits that limit your potential.
Real Feedback, Real Results
Unlike traditional schools, we don't teach you how to surf. We teach you how to surf better by analyzing your actual footage. Your progress is measured by the precision of the feedback you receive.