As I approach the end of filming my latest surf film I have come to the realization of the DE-evolution of the standard shortboard thruster. Trying to lock down some footage with young surfers chasing the dream of making the tour i can see how their surfing has become somewhat stale and all in all, just not interesting. These younger guys think that surfing is air reverses and standard thruster surfing, and surfing is everything but that.

Case in point, this past week I was filming with Australian underground surfer from Margaret River Creed McTaggart here in Bali. The first 2 days we shot a bunch and i was quite impressed with his prowess in the water until i noticed a 5’5 191/4 board he had in his quiver which he had’nt surfed with yet. I asked him, “Why not give it a wiggle?” He agreed and said he loved the board. So that day it was like another person was surfing. He absolutely tore the bag out of the spot we surfed, he was twice the surfer and happened to put on some of the most innovating and progressive surfing i have witnessed in quite some time. After the session i asked him why he didnt ride the board earlier?!! His reply was he felt like it was weird to ride with all the other wanna-be tour guys on their shortboards. Wohhhhhhhhhh, i thought. Who gives a fuck!

Out of frustration and an overall lack of interest in a young surfer i had been attempting to shoot with all week, (as he blew me off to shoot with lame hangers on)  i got upset with the brainwashing that goes on in the surfing industry and mainstream tour competition. Why dont more young guys experiment and just have fucking fun with it. You dont have to ride a shortboard to fucking have a surf career. Their surfing has totally become predictable and frankly, boring. After hanging with Creed he agreed with me, and understood that shortboards are’nt the solution to a surf career or surfing in general. Guys like Ozzie, Knost, Rasta are THE raddest guys in surfing and you dont see them dabbling with a useless thruster like all the QS point chasing fags.

From now on i vow to show surfing for what it is. A whole lotta fun with life experiences in and out of the water. Not a performance based bag of bullshit chasing points and rankings on a board that limits your fun and ability. To me, the thruster is pretty much dead. Its time for me as a filmmaker to step up and show that alternative board riding is the future of the activity that we love so much, and shortboards are trying to make our lives a sport.LEts make a surf “film”.