The Baron Of The Backside Indy Grab Is Back

“I’d be frothing to go to a pool and try a single grab flip.” said Chippa Wilson when Stab asked where he sees the future of airs going.

In Finn McGill’s newest edit he skips the chlorine foreplay and heads straight to the salt, almost completing the coveted “single grab flip” — backside, at 2:54.

Finn’s Backside Indy has reared its head before. If this were 2010, Finn might’ve opted to give it a humble name like the “Finner” or the “McTweak”. Thanks for not doing that, Mr. McGill. Here’s one of my favorites:

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A post shared by Finnegan Thunders McGill (@finn_mcgill)

Your astute eyes have probably discerned by the YouTube video title that this edit is somewhat Vloggy. Love them or hate them, it appears Vlogs are here to stay. Yes, there are laughing youths doing activities shirtless and smiling a lot. But there is also a heaping portion of great surfing.

It’s also important to trace Finn’s journey to putting out this video. Last winter, he suffered a brain injury at Pipeline that led to a long and difficult recovery process. Finn is 22 years old, an age when many young surfers must decide whether they must continue trying to “make it” or seek a living wage elsewhere. Injuries tend to facilitate and expedite choosing the latter.

But Finn is choosing door number one. And I’m relieved he is. His surfing is both good and unique enough. Two separately important things in today’s influencer-heavy professional surfing market.

He is also in cahoots with up-and-comers Eithan Osborne and professional skateboarder Alex Midler, who both make cameos in the edit (Finn is an excellent skateboarder whose childhood home featured a skate park known as “McGill-ville”). If we really are the product of the few people we spend most of our time with, I’d say Finn’s future is something to take note of.

P.S. Stab featured Finn’s Indo highlight reel a few months ago. You can find it here.