Watch: The O'Riginals // Max Weston

Stu Nettle picture
Stu Nettle (stunet)
Swellnet Dispatch

Third episode, season two, and we travel deeper into the O'Riginal philosophy.

Max Weston quite happily runs against the grain. The son of parents who ditched the city to live in the South Australian desert, Max grew up surfing all sorts of crafts.

Moving to Sydney, he gravitated towards longboarding after falling in with a crew including Matt Chojnacki and Johnny Gill. “I really looked up to those guys, because their perspective on surfing was and is, quite unique...they were riding really beautiful single fin longboards throughout the early 2000’s, in a period when it was probably the least cool thing you could do,” he says.

Max moved to Sydney to study chemical and biomechanical engineering, and he remains there, living in the inner west and surfing the city beaches, as he roams the frontiers of science, leading a team of researchers to, among other things, reduce consumption.

Comments

surfstarved's picture
surfstarved's picture
surfstarved Tuesday, 15 Oct 2019 at 9:50am

A great surfer doing some genuinely good work. Food waste is a massive issue for all of us, so good on you Max for trying to do something about it.

I'm curious though... Is Max sponsored by O'Neill? If so, how did it come about? As I said, he's an above-average surfer and he's doing some good in the world, but what's in it for O'Neill? Where's the value for the company in sponsoring someone like Max?

I'm not suggesting he shouldn't be sponsored - better him than one more vacant-eyed, thruster-riding automaton - I'm just intrigued by how this scenario came about.

Maybe I just have a bit too much time on my hands...

Island Bay's picture
Island Bay's picture
Island Bay Tuesday, 15 Oct 2019 at 10:34am

Such a good series. Well done O'Neill and Max.

radiationrules's picture
radiationrules's picture
radiationrules Tuesday, 15 Oct 2019 at 11:41am

i'd be keen to know how that sponsorship works too? As in its way more than "hipster influencer' > next thing you know max is designing surfboards & wet suits that are less harmful to the environment?

savanova's picture
savanova's picture
savanova Tuesday, 15 Oct 2019 at 1:59pm

Dogs and chickens are an answer to food waste, one gives you unconditional love the other gives you more food.

velocityjohnno's picture
velocityjohnno's picture
velocityjohnno Tuesday, 15 Oct 2019 at 4:25pm

We used to have 3 hens back in the West and they were so loving and caring, each morning they would come up on the windowsill outside the kitchen and cluck for attention. They loved the kids stroking their feathers.

Not sure what you are saying about dogs

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Tuesday, 15 Oct 2019 at 2:17pm

chickens are awesome nutrient recyclers.

P'tai's picture
P'tai's picture
P'tai Tuesday, 15 Oct 2019 at 6:00pm

Still needs a legrope. Mad scientist or not.

surfstarved's picture
surfstarved's picture
surfstarved Tuesday, 15 Oct 2019 at 6:32pm

Didn't notice that - good point, well made. Buckle up Max!

Solitude's picture
Solitude's picture
Solitude Tuesday, 15 Oct 2019 at 8:36pm

Why not sponsor a bloke like that? Rips, makes surfing looking so fun and seems like a pretty good role model.

Love the clip, different boards, just getting out there is what surfings about for me.

Refreshing compared with the usual high-fi pro clips saturating our screens.

seen's picture
seen's picture
seen Wednesday, 16 Oct 2019 at 9:37am

Good style, almost all completely functional and no broken arm, broken hip lean. Seems a cool guy. I like this series. I guess what’s in it for O’Neill - everyone who buys their suits is a work’a’day surfer - makes sense to highlight a few of those. Sponno wise might be as simple as a few suits and a one off payment, and nil ongoing.

DBEARINDARE's picture
DBEARINDARE's picture
DBEARINDARE Wednesday, 16 Oct 2019 at 9:55pm

Normality and surfing blending together right there.
Good heads up about waste. Never really given a thought to the dead cow when munching a burger. I just think of how good the moo chew is.
Will think about it differently now.
Not that I waste much. I try to minimise waste the best I can, as much as the next guy I guess. Good vid. I thought.

tango's picture
tango's picture
tango Thursday, 17 Oct 2019 at 11:48pm

Goodness me, he surfs beautifully and on such average waves. Imagine how good he'd be on a point.
But yeah, buckle up, buttercup.