All hail the rail

Professional surfing, that most vainglorious dream of perfection and prestige has an underbelly – the free surfers. Free surfers, let’s be honest, are mainly guys and girls who like to punt and tear up the ocean on boards that are the the ugly sisters of the flyweight pro-boards.

But free surfing also has its underbelly, too. Folks like Zack Flores, Ryan Burch and Torren Martyn who has just dropped a beautiful new movie TESORO ENTERRADO, have a different way of doing things, a sublime and style driven way.




Martyn likes to surf most non-traditional craft and his Simon Jones: Morning of the Earth surfboards are no exception. Heading south of the border to Mexico and Central America the soul surfer shows what can be done if we follow our own line.

In the reeling rights of Oaxaca Martyn carves and coils his way through perfect barrel after perfect barrel with a style and grace that, along with Asher Pacey, is gaining ground and blowing minds.

No stickers, no logos, no traction pads, no energy drink funding

The lanky Aussie embodies the soul of the pre-professional days of the seventies where surfing was something you never dreamt of getting paid to do. No stickers, no logos, no traction pads, no energy drink funding Martyn needs none of this to fuel his art.

Surfing 7’2 and a 6’10 twin fin is an unusual choice in the modern age, both of which he snapped, evidencing that these waves are of consequence. The video is a salute to the mid-length board (not ‘high performance’ shortboard nor longboard) and to surfing’s stylish roots.

We all aspire to the highest of the WSL but in reality if we rode one wave, just one with the serene and zen harmony of Torren Martyn you’d hold that memory until the day you died. All hail the rail.


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