Taj Burrow, warm-up slob at Lower Trestles, CA

Wasn’t so long ago that few men took to the air without going for a bread-and-butter frontside grab. Now, we’re desensitised to all sorts of looniness, like stales, liens and, of course, slobs. Terry Burrow here, no stranger to the aforementioned rail-grip variations, has always been one for evolution. And, vagrancy. He’s seldom home (in West Oz), and when he is, chances are he’ll up and go at the hint of an approaching swell somewhere. Anywhere.

He recently left New York, before heading to Lower Trestles, on the US’s opposing coast, to warm up for the Hurley Pro. Taj nearly burned into another final in NY (he’s had second places this year at Snapper and in Rio), after clocking up a 9.39 and a 9.03 – usually the kinda scores that’d guarantee you progression to the next round, and certainly enough to have Kelly Slater on the ropes for most of the heat – until Kelly did his usual play and posted a 10-point full-rote to slip past at the last second.

So, Taj came third. But, y’know, regardless of whether he ever wins the world title he’s been chasing for so long, or indeed ever wins another contest, he’s still the kinda guy that’ll always have a shit-ton of fans (including us) and a big smile on his face. And y’better believe he’ll be lighting up the Trestles faces like it’s nobody’s business. How good’s this event gonna be?