Ian Crane On Why 30 Doesn’t Suck, How To Heal Your Bones, And How (Not) To Learn Spanish

Watching Ian Crane and his fiancée (as of one day ago) Yasmine Ashley interact at Stab High Japan was enough to make even Rustin Cohle from True Detective believe in love again.

What’s that old Grateful Dead lyric? “Got it from the Top, it’s nothing you can stop. Lord, you know they made a fine connection.” Yeah, something like that. The evening after the Finals, as the Stab crew was cleaning up the party and the sun was going down, Ian and Yasmine could be seen sharing a few Japanese 7% cocktails and laughing with fellow competitors poolside — like something out of a Kona commercial.

All this to say, the two-time Stab High champion has chiseled quite the little life out of his allotted 30 years. And with a freshly healed foot, a new edit in the airwaves (that you can watch above), and a still-steady salary dripping into his bank account for wave-riding alone, we wanted to do a quick check-in with him:

Run me through your foot injury one more time, it was in Morocco right?

Yep, I was in Morocco and just folded my foot pulling into a small little backside barrel. There aren’t really real hospitals near where we were staying but the Moroccan surfers I was with just rallied and got me to a clinic where they could throw a cast on it while I waited for a flight home two days later to get MRI’d. When I got home they told me I had torn all the ligaments in my foot and broken that big toe joint bone —the foot was totally fucked. I eventually had to get it plated together, it just would’ve never healed right if not.

How long was your recovery process?

I did PT three-to-four days a week with “b Project” which is this really cool, intense physical therapy program [you can watch Ian’s recovery process throughout this interview]. After three months I was able to surf again and I actually started to surf pretty well until I had to go back in and get the plate removed and then it was another three months out of the water before I started surfing again.

Even when my foot was healed though it took a while for me to mentally believe it was ok. I had gotten used to the plate, you know, the assistance to my body. When it was time for my body to support itself it took some time for me to trust it. Eventually you have to trust it. You have to stomp on it. You have to decide you’re done healing. It’s like I had to wake up one day and be like, ‘I’m doin a reverse today, no matter what’ sort of thing.

Did you pick up any new interests or watch any good movies or books while you were healing?

One thing I learned was just to appreciate going down the line and being happy with just doing a cutback. It’s easy to get jaded or used to surfing, but when surfing is actually not a daily activity, it’s the craziest fucking thing.

But the main thing I learned was actually just fitness, I’d never dove that deep into fitness. Working with the b Project people, I just learned how to have a morning routine and a fitness/diet plan for the first time in life [laughs] and I literally surf for a living. But I was so worried about getting better and was willing to do anything so I was pretty strict with myself, I was eating so well and didn’t even drink except for the most special occassions.

But working out is funny because once you get into it and see how good it feels… you’re like ‘How was I even living before?’ — and now when I get off the program I feel like shit instantly. Like someone who’s out of shape might not even know their back hurts until they’re back in shape, you know? it’s almost if you haven’t been taking of yourself you shouldn’t even start [laughs].

I really did want to learn a new skill, like Spanish or something but I just couldn’t get myself to focus. I was just so laser-set on getting my body back in shape and surfing. I’m still just a surf tweaker.

Speaking of health, you just turned 30. Any tips for those us who have 30 looming somewhere out there on the horizon?

Shit’s a fucking hoax. Go do some toe touches and go have fun. And don’t stop being a fucking kid. You don’t have to be serious because you’re an adult. I mean, be an adult, be responsible but you don’t gotta be fucking stiff.

One more for you… what accomplishment are you most proud of so far in your career?

I don’t know, but I’m just proud that I’m still a pro surfer, you know what I mean? It’s still my life and I’m just as excited now about doing trips with my friends or doing film projects or doing a few contests for some cash. I’m excited to have all of this to look back on when I’m an old man and see all these good times. But, for now I’m focused on surfing and presenting my surfing creatively.