For his 25th surf film, titled Proximity, Taylor Steele took four surfers who defined style, performance, and bravado for the past few decades and paired them with four surfers who carry those same torches today. Each pairing was based on a common thread, whether it was a free-flowing style, a penchant for futuristic maneuvers, or an insatiable appetite for deadly caverns, and they headed to locations that would perfectly suit their shared approach. Goofyfooted style masters Rob Machado and Craig Anderson drew gorgeous lines through frigid Chilean points. Australian freethinkers Dave Rastovich and Stephanie Gilmore shared an offbeat journey through a Central Baja dreamscape. Heavy-water heroes Shane Dorian and Albee Layer sought out the most hair-raising slabs they could find along Scotland’s craggy coast. And fellow world champions Kelly Slater and John Florence went on a surgical strike mission to one of the world’s most high-performance righthanders.
But Proximity isn’t just about getting talented surfers into great waves; it’s about getting into the headspace of the surfers who define our concept of great surfing. So along the road, on the boat ride out, during layovers, or while buzzing after a particularly electric session, the mics came out and the surfers got right into it. What follows are four freewheeling conversations offering glimpses into the minds of eight of modern surfing’s most iconic characters.—Ashton Goggans image: http://cdn.surfer.com/uploads/2017/06/Proximity_Glaser_Machado_Ando_9.jpgRob Machado and Craig Anderson, mind-surfing some lefthand runners. Photo: GlaserRM: There’s something about the snow that’s very soothing. Maybe it’s the color. We’re pulling up at these beaches just covered in fresh snow, and it’s totally empty. Not a person in sight. It’s rare these days to be looking at nature that is pure and untouched. We’re always surrounded by humans. There’s always so much going on. To be able to remove yourself now and again…I guess that’s why we do this.
CA: I’ve never seen this much snow before. It’s, like, glowing white out. A couple days ago I was in Australia and it was 40 degrees [Celsius]. And before that, I was wearing boardshorts in Fiji. I like the idea of seasons, but the way I travel, they never really seem to make much sense. But yeah, the snow is soothing.
RM: It’s soothing in the car with the heater on. But as soon as you hit the outside world, those elements start beating you down.
CA: I was kind of freaking out that the water was going to be unbearable, but it actually wasn’t that bad. You almost burn more energy just putting all the rubber on inside the van. But surfing with just a peephole for your eyes and mouth definitely doesn’t help. You’ve gotta slow everything down. But that’s the best thing about surfing, though, too. It’s never delivered to you on a platter. You always gotta work for it. image: http://cdn.surfer.com/uploads/2017/06/Proximity_Glaser_Machado_Ando_7.jpgScrewfoot heaven, if your idea of heaven includes bone-chilling Chilean water temps. Photo: GlaserRM: Did you ever compete?
CA: I competed up until I was probably 20.
RM: What happened?
CA: I just wasn’t built for it. I had guys paddling over me and I’d be like, “Oh, you go ahead. You obviously need it or want it more than I do.” I was really fortunate that this other avenue in surfing existed.
RM: We’re pretty fortunate to be able to do what we do.
CA: That’s for sure. So how do you keep doing it for so long?
RM: Stay psyched. I think I appreciate it even more now. Back when I was on Tour, it was contests and then trips, and there were years when I was just gone. I counted once and I remember I was gone 10 months out of the year.
CA: I probably did 10 months last year.
RM: I was doing that year in, year out. And you never have a chance to settle into home life. You basically just came home to do laundry, get new boards, different wetsuits, and repack. Now I’ve slowed down my traveling. It’s so much nicer. image: http://cdn.surfer.com/uploads/2017/06/Proximity_Glaser_Machado_Ando_6.jpgAnderson’s style is distinct enough that sometimes all you need is a glimpse of a tilted hand to know who its owner is. Photo: GlaserCA: Yeah, I did four or five months at home before this trip. It’s nice to get into a bit of a routine.
RM: Yeah. I knew I lived in a pretty cool spot [San Diego], but I never really got to connect with it before. When you’re on the go and you’re in and out, you don’t even stop to take it in. I think that’s the one thing that I’ve noticed in myself, just building relationships around town, is that I just appreciate people in general. I’ve been doing projects around town with my foundation [the Rob Machado Foundation, which focuses on teaching children about health and sustainability] and being more present.
CA: That’s amazing. I’d like to relate to that, but the last five or 10 years, I’ve been frantically traveling around. It’s hard to take it all in. But I feel like that’s also half the fun. As much as I enjoy riding a wave, I like also just sitting in the car park, hanging at the beach in your wettie all day, eating peanut-butter sandwiches. It’s so fun.
RM: We did 12 hours of driving on this trip, but we ended up finding things that we would have probably never found otherwise.
CA: I think what makes a good surf trip is just the people you hang out with. It’s nice to get good waves, but it doesn’t always happen.
RM: I think that was the best part for me when I stopped doing the Tour. Back then, I was basically hanging out with the Top 44. They were at every place you went, and they were not necessarily your closest friends. All of them were really amped, wanting to practice, train, do whatever. To step out of that arena and approach trips with people you actually want to hang out with was amazing. If you’re going to sit in a car and drive for 12 hours, you’re not ripping each other’s heads off. You’re laughing about it and making the best of it. Shit’s going to go wrong no matter what. That’s what makes it good.
CA: You have to be able to laugh about it. image: http://cdn.surfer.com/uploads/2017/06/Proximity_Glaser_Machado_Ando_5.jpgWhat is style? Machado can answer that question without saying a single word. Photo: GlaserRM: It’s all about how well you can roll with the punches and come out the other end. Next thing you know, you’re surfing fun waves, having a good time.
CA: How do you define style, Rob? [Laughs.] The most hated question…
RM: There it is. It’s a tough question, huh: “What is style?” Watching you ride waves, it’s fun to see your speed, your board placement, and the flow from turn to turn. The connection. There are so many elements that go into it.
CA: When you link a wave from start to finish, it’s the best feeling ever.
RM: There are times in your life when you probably want to push yourself to go bigger and harder, and then there’s times when you just appreciate different things. I like taking out my 11-foot Skip Frye and just getting the craziest glide on little glassy 2-foot peelers. Those are the kinds of waves I remember. What’s your most memorable wave?
CA: The most fun I’ve had is always on days that are just super novelty, or when you feel a feeling that you haven’t felt before on a certain board, or you’re around good friends. It’s just about the headspace you’re in. Every session, there’s always a couple waves that feel real good and memorable.
RM: Let’s go catch the best wave of our life today. image: http://cdn.surfer.com/uploads/2017/06/Proximity_Glaser_Machado_Ando_8.jpgMachado and Anderson, trying to figure out if they want to surf this perfect left, or one of the many scattered up and down the coast. Photo: GlaserTHE PROXIMITY TAPES:
On frigid Chilean shores with Rob Machado and Craig Anderson during the filming of Taylor Steele"s Proximity
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