Jai Glindeman Samples Parko’s ‘Golden Child’ Board, Unlocks New Facets Of Already-Stellar Surfing

Heir apparent to the freesurfing throne, Jai Glindeman, has upped his levels again with ‘Glitch’, this time adding waves of consequence to his virtuosity on the open face.

A few years ago during the filming of Jai’s first major Stab project Microdose, Jai told Stab that his exposure to big, thick tubes up until this point had been on his maiden trip to Fiji at 15, and apart from that it’d been all almond pointbreak pits and submarine beachbreak tubes. Before adding that he was keen to “give it a crack.” Well it seems that ‘Glitch’ is “the crack” — and Jai’s nuggety frame looks like it works just as well muscling him into lurching, remote waves as it does torquing with his backfoot over the fins.

Some notables: Starting a clip with a spine-twisting wipeout is a great way to set out your mission statement. The gouge at 1:41 with a few more years of refinement is going rival John’s money turn. Jai riding Parko’s board shows the importance of getting customs (thing looks mad boaty and unnatural when he first tries it) but also that exceptionally talented surfers can always find a moment, as demonstrated by the remarkable wave Jai puts together around 3:40. And, finally, the very last watershot of the film is nothing short of surf cinema, droplet perfection.

Jai Glindeman: world-class on the face? Check. Comfortable in big scary pits? Check. What’s next?