Stab Magazine | Watch: A Best-Of Reel From The Dark Prince Of Newport, Mr. Andrew 'Droid' Doheny

Live Now: Chapter 11 Mini-Documentary With Dane Reynolds

413 Views

Watch: A Best-Of Reel From The Dark Prince Of Newport, Mr. Andrew ‘Droid’ Doheny

What’s your signature move?

cinema // Jul 12, 2019
Words by stab
Reading Time: 2 minutes

When I was just a young boy, my family would spend a couple of weeks each January on the Caribbean island of Tortola. It was our annual getaway from the frigid Pennsylvanian winter, and one that sparked my love for surfing. With warm blue water, limited crowds, and a playful reef pass just down the hill from our yearly rental, it’s no wonder I grew fond.   

Tortola being a surfer’s paradise, my Northeast-based family was one of many who wintered in the British Virgin Isles. Among the pack was a couple from New York, whose bodyboarding matriarch’s name I can’t recall but whose male half, Gary, I will never forget. 

Gary was a good surfer. Probably in his mid-forties. He wore a short-john wetsuit every single day, regardless of the conditions. And at the A-frame peak of Apple Bay, Gary only ever went right, because his signature move was the roundhouse cutback. 

“Cutback Gary”, we called him, would drop horizontally down the face, pump once (maybe twice) out to the corner, then in one smooth, flowing motion, he’d turn his head over his left shoulder, rotate his hips toward shore and wrap his board all the way back to the pocket, which he’d then use to propel his energy back down the line for another swing of the pendulum.

It was poetry in motion, a true masterclass of the cutty, but it was also very funny. Day in and day out, Gary would do the same thing every single wave, despite what each individual section appeared to call for. Gary loved the cutback like most people love their children, which made at least partial sense, because Gary didn’t have children. Gary’s dedication to the roundy was more robust than his dedication to his own potential progeny. (Cutback Gary died a few years after I stopped going to Tortola, I believe from a heart attack. May his wrap-around rest in paradise.)

Having watched Andrew Doheny for the past decade-plus, and having been reminded of his ability in the video above, I can’t help but notice a similarity between Gary and Droid. The shaggy-haired dark prince from Newport has a signature maneuver, too. 

Droid’s “cutback”, of course, is this sort of layback/nosepick/reverse combination that very few in the world can achieve. I think Dane Reynolds probably invented it, but Droid’s dedication to the maneuver has been unwavering over the years, making it more or less synonymous with his surfing. 

This is one of the most impressive turns in surfing, so here’s roughly 14-minutes of it. 

At least it’s not an air reverse! 

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Pittar’d And Feathered

Do the WSL judges deserve the internet's wrath? We asked the man of the hour.

Mar 28, 2024

Robbo, Pickles, And Tyler Wright Become The Underdogs Breakfast At Uninspiring Winkipop

The foreboding blade sharpens and inconsistent judging prevails on Day Two in Torquay.

Mar 27, 2024

“I Don’t Always Win Heats, But When I Do, I Try To Beat John John”

Slater shines and the axe begins its descent on Day 01 at Bells.

Mar 26, 2024

Back Against The Wall: The Ramzi Boukhiam Redemption

Morocco's first CT surfer on speaking six languages, having no coach, and snatching Fil Toledo's…

Mar 25, 2024

Will Kirra, Babies or JJF Stop a GOAT Winning at Bells?

Bluesky BOAG advice from a Superman specialist and former Trials winner.

Mar 25, 2024

Bells Preview: The WSL’s Victorian Sword Dancing Equinox Ritual

Will a Brazilian crack the Top 10 at Bells?

Mar 25, 2024

69 Shin Bones Later + the Anticlimactic State of Big Wave Record-Breaking

Lucas Chumbo might have surfed the biggest wave ever this year. But how will we…

Mar 23, 2024

Watch: ‘Fresh and Fried’ Ft the Quik Kids

How taxing is it to tackle the Gold Coast’s Triple Crown in a single day,…

Mar 23, 2024

The Popular Vote: The People’s Stab In The Dark With Kolohe Andino Champion

Which board looked best — to you —under Kolohe's talons?

Mar 22, 2024

João Chianca Opens Up About His Brain Injury, Rehabilitation, And Targeted Return To Competition  

"I don't just want to be the same surfer that I was. I don't even…

Mar 21, 2024

Six Key Learnings From Portugal

Three CT events in, what do we know? 

Mar 21, 2024

‘Zipper’ Is Going On Tour, Here’s Where You Can Watch It  

Dates, times + locations for the Venice, Encinitas, Sydney + Byron premieres.  

Mar 20, 2024

Dane Reynolds On His Future, His Past, And Chapter 11’s Raison D’être

Our 9-minute plunge into the collective psyche of Ventura's pillar(s).

Mar 20, 2024

From ‘Blue Ribbon Cross Country Runner’ to Vogue – How Steph Again Is Back With A Rip Curl Remix

Everything we know about the she-GOATs sponsorship boomerang.

Mar 18, 2024

Stab Interview: Darren Handley Explains Why You Can’t Buy The Winning Stab In The Dark Model

And his decades-long standoff with Slater.

Mar 17, 2024

Griff Embraces Portugal’s Eternal Time Loop To Vanquish Medina + Ewing, Defay Delays The Inevitable

A redeeming closing act at Supertubos.

Mar 16, 2024

The Secret Behind Lungi Slabb’s Inconceivable Greenmount Funnel

Six broken boards, one leaking forehead, and five days of Superbank mysticism.

Mar 16, 2024

Cheat Codes: A Million Miles Worth Of Travel Advice From Coco Ho

Hard-earned wisdom from more than 2,000 hours in the troposphere.

Mar 15, 2024
Advertisement