Watch: The Finest Display Of Aerial Surfing On The Internet This Week

Are spins into the wind deceiving? They’re brazen and gifted by loft courtesy (in this case) of the Maui breeze. Matt, one of the few gents to land a 540, and the only other than Kelly Slater to land one spinning off his heels, recently dropped this edit “Numb”. It includes, unsurprisingly, another 540. One landed cleaner than his patented Spindle flip of 2015–that lost out in the SURFER Poll as Air of the Year, to much dismay, and clamour via online channels. The decision came down to a pairing of deciding factors: He didn’t completely ride it out, and, understandably, claimed it the shit out of it.

The 540, although the most notable manoeuvre of this clip, was not our initial swoon. First, Matt’s devotion is praiseworthy. It also explains why he’s been almost out of the surf matrix over the past two years: injury (see how often he orbits into the flats). Which are as unsurprising as Russ Bierke nearly drowning a week back. Next, the flips. Matt’s been doing these since the old Isle series with Albee (and precursors to them in his winning Innersection part of 2011). Today, he does them with ease. Moreover, the Marzo-esque laybacks, and rail surfing often overlooked of the hard-charging aerialist. What his turns lack in power (hardly lacking) are made up in the unorthodox flicks of his tail that compliment his all-in fashion. But, the question remains, without the grace of Maui’s wind (which Matt implements into his surfing with aplomb!), would he still complete such airborne antics?