Taylor Clark, Off The Wall, Hawaii

Hawaii. In a matter of four days, it went from lake-esque flatness, to 15 foot perfection, then dropped back to waist-high and windy, which y’can see in this shot of Taylor Clark at Off The Wall yesterday. How’s that wind? “It was blowing over 40kph all day and the groms were loving it,” says photog Ryan Miller, who shot this. “I’m pretty sure the average age out in the lineup from Pipe to Off The Wall was 16 and under. Jack Robinson and 16-year-old Taylor Clark here were the standouts.” Ryan first saw Taylor during the Red Bull Minor Threat Boat trip in the Mentawais (from which y’mighta seen Stab‘s lil’ Bruce Irons flare shoot). Taylor was on a boat with Tom Curren, surfing during every second of daylight that he possibly could. “Next time I saw him was on the webcast in San Fran,” continues Ryan. “Are you kidding me? Surfing with Tom Curren and then a few months later getting a wildcard into a WT event. This kid is 16 and getting pointers from Curren on how to beat Slater.”