Did You Know Dillon Perillo Is One Of Dane Reynolds’ Favorite Surfers?

I’ll be honest, the last time I saw Dillon Perillo do a noteworthy blowtail was in The Dill and Beeg Project in 2016. 

It’s not just because of my selective attention span. The Malibu man dropped out of professional surfing completely, and even Dane Reynolds — who claims that Dillion is one of his all-time favorite surfers (!) — barely saw him for several years. 

But let’s rewind. Dillon was a regular cover boy in the mid-2000s when print mags were still shredding trees. He had the good looks, the technical chops and the personality that made the camera point his way. Over his career, he’s gone rail-for-rail with many of your favorite surfers (Just watch Lost Atlas). In Dear Suburbia’s Japan section, he witnessed firsthand Dane’s peak performance and the rapid accession of John Florence — not to mention holding his own against JJF when the waves went XXM.

But times change. Rip Curl and Monster eventually cut Dillon, who was left wondering what to do (he even asked Dane if Former could help him out at the time). But Dillion is apparently a math wiz and went back to school to get an Economics degree from UCLA. When the suits shook their heads at Dillion’s neck tan, he found a side gig closer to home: Yelling (and helping) at local groms to get better at surfing.

Searching for Dillion Perillo is Dane’s take on giving some semblance of acknowledgment to his old friend, and a nod to another famously reclusive surfer. It’s a mix of highlights from the past few years and a trip to Mexico this year that Dane gashed his head on. 

Hit play and watch a stickerless and very stylish Dillon dissect several right points and maybe even give you a dose of nostalgia.