Watch: Dane Reynolds // Not Today
Making no attempt to get with the times, Dane's latest clip is eight-minutes long, all of it surfing, no talking or lifestyle filler to justify another mid-stream ad break, nor appeals to subscribe.
For those who care about such things, here's Dane's accompanying blurb:
Sometimes I feel ridiculous driving around checking waves. Checking swell forecast. Checking wind. Checking tide. Rubbing elbows with groms trying to catch a wave to do a trick with someone standing on the beach with a camera to record it.
Some day I’ll have to hang it up. Stop forcing my fossilized body to pump and thrash and relax into a more soulful manner of riding waves. Maybe buy an old van and burn some sage. Get resin tints and grow a pony tail and wrap it in a bun. Switch to craft beer. Hang up the thruster and glide in from out the back on a 7’6 single fin. I’ll put my arms in the air when I reach the crest of every gently peeling wave.
But not today. The waves are shit and onshore. After I write this I’m going to clean the wax off my 5’9 square tail epoxy and call Matt to see what he’s doing. He probably won’t pick up. He’ll probably call me back in about 5 minutes and I’ll ask him if he’s seen the ocean and he’ll say no he had a few things he had to take care of but he was thinking about going look at the wood. I’ll say I was thinking the same. I’ve got a sore knee so I’ll roll on a foam thing for like 2 minutes before I get distracted. I’ll hop in my car and head south with a Howard Stern re-run playing from my radio at maximum volume. If it’s a stupid episode I’ll listen to Royal Dog Shit for the 1000th time.
When I pull up Matt will be on his phone. When he gets off his phone he’ll say he’s seen a few. I’ll say yeah looks fun enough for a surf and after all, If it’s shitty we’ll come in. Then we’ll suit up, I’ll ask him how his bitcoin trading is going. He’ll say ‘awwww man not so hot’ and I’ll laugh at his misfortune. The waves will be average but I’ll be able to hit the lip a few times and maybe do an air reverse. Matt will pearl going straight at least once and i will yell “I can’t believe you are still riding that board!” I’ll be happy I surfed. The waves could be good soon and I’ve got a new 6’0 with glass ons that I’m excited to ride.
And for the record. If you ever see me on a set at Rincon throwing my arms in the air on a 7’6 single fin feel free to burn me…
Comments
Watching Dane Reynolds surf is a joy.
H20
Dude's back knee is made of rubber I swear (~42s).
He who hesitates is lost
That soundtrack had 7'6" written all over it.
heavy carcass looking weightless
Ripping
A Beer n Pie man just like our Billy
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKtN9bPBGn-/
That first song- erk. Fingernails on a blackboard.
He should patent that back hand bottom turn, awesome to watch
I love Dane's riping but just wanted to punch that King's minstrel in the face after a minute of that first song
I was wondering what he was riding especially at the start. Sounds like it was a neckbeard spinetek epoxy or a variation...nice backhand...fast and slick.
I had one of those. Worst glass job I have ever experienced. Looked like a golf ball after a couple of surfs.
Stan France
CI great shapers shit glassers.
Lot of their shortboards even have a decal that says 'Ultralight Glassing' so people can't say they were unaware.
Bought a ci board years ago and it had the ultra light glassing sticker on it,after one surf the whole deck looked like it had been in a hail storm and was 3months old...could have pushed my finger thru it....avoid ultra light glassing unless your a light weight.
simba
I’ve gotten CIs from Bali which have refused to snap despite many opportunities to do so. In fact their glassing in general is pretty good . They hold up alright. Not sure about stock boards as these were custom with specified heavier glass.
The drive he gets off his backhand bottom turn - Fukkkkkk
I see Dane and I have a similar style in that he doesn't have his back foot on the rear tail pad during most of his turns.
Thats where the similarity ends!
Yeah, I'm exactly like him except I can't do airs, hacks, blow out my fins, nose picks, reverses etc etc. Haha!
Dane makes wild surfing and airs look so much more fun than some highly rated pros.
Frogg
The bloke's a maniac!
Would love to see more clips of him in pumping reef surf.
soundtrack is brutal
Loved the little excerpt at the top. He’s interesting isn’t he? He must love home, his local beachies and I’d imagine lack of crowds and room to move.
As for the clip, pretty frantic stuff.
is his clothing company Former still going?
Yep, still going, not former.
No idea about success or otherwise. Post-launch, amid all the indy start up fireworks, I saw a few of their shirts and duds around here. These days, nada.
Keen eyes will notice the Former logo on one of Dane's boards and a wetty too.
I don’t buy the apathy - he surfs way too good still that he must care a lot.
Does anyone else think he cares so much that he cares about looking like he doesn’t care?
How good are glass ins!
I don't think its apathy, I think it's a deep ambivalence.
and I believe it's genuine.
Thanks FR that’s probably a better description. Geezus he rips
Nico soundtrack.....Digging deep.I liked it.
Best fun surfer to watch ever.
gary weed
Who needs the tour! Awesome write up too.
Dane 6' and 79 kgs - he aint chubby except for those cheeks.
Frogg
Will never, ever, get tired of seeing that breakneck speed layback disembowelment. Ever.
good music and waves
Funny this came out so close to curren’s free scrubber - as I find them both very enigmatic characters in parallel but different ways if you can overlook my contradiction in terms. Both are dancing to different drums than most ‘pro’ surfers
- I love that Dane eschews the hipster/alternative craft movement and flys the flag for powerful and aggressive modern surfing - he does it so well - plenty of time later for Dane to high line on mid length single fins / the fun and performance factors are there in spades in this 8 mins of downtime - thks dane
I echo the sentiments of above and would like to add it's great to see a clip at full speed.
1173
Probs still my favourite surfer to watch. Was that him kooking a couple of waves at the beginning? Made me feel much better about myself. Have been surfing a lot of bad banks with backwash zones (much of the east coast) and had thought at times I had just forgotten how to surf.
His bottom turns and top rips are off the charts.
I love watching Dane surf, I have always hated how zoomed in it is.
Yea, I get barrel
Me too. It's distracting. You either can't see the top or the bottom. Just zoom out!
brutal; so sic
By far the most likeable person involved in the surf industry. The clips are interesting and lack the pretentiousness of most others (compare to the new Curren video for instance). I feel if I met him, I'd probably like him. Fine surfing. Great feel. Mute the music.
onetimeonly
I hear what you're saying, although I didn't find the Curren clip particularly pretentious; more of a reflection of his unique personality.
Liked both Curren and Dane equally for different reasons.
Dane looked totally relaxed in the water and TC, well, he still has that style!
I know he said he was pretty disparaging of mid-lengths in his insta post - but would still love to see him ride one.
have a look at him on the stab electric acid board test. He rides a variety of shapes including mid-lengthys and 'struggles' (in Dane Reynolds terms) until he gets on a neckbeard
Copying my signature dismount at 1:03. Thanks for showing the fails as well as the awesome bits. Keeping it real gives us all faith to keep frothing.
Speed, power, style and flow in one package. No wonder he still the best free surfer in the world. Always enjoy watching his surfing. I am a kneeboarder.