Not Every Surfer Knows This Feeling

It’s interesting that legacy brands insist on pouring entire budgets down the path of nostalgia when very few from the glorified era were approaching consequential surf the way today’s rising generation does.

Considering how early we started being impressed by his act on a wave, you’d be forgiven for thinking Jackson Dorian was in his early 30s by now. If he follows in his dad’s footsteps, he might still be ripping by the time he’s 120 and we’re watching hologrammed edits in our climate-controlled living pods.

Starring in this new Dan Scott edit for Bong are three surfers doing things the Y2k generation would never dream of: Kepa Mendia, 19, Jackson Dorian, 20, and Kian Martin, 24.

Never ask them where they were on 9/11.

Indo trips in preceding decades were mostly photo op affairs with abnormally high tube counts. There’s plenty of that here, with the addition of a refreshing way of viewing and approaching heavy, long period lines pitching over shallow reef. Their controlled disregard for body and equipment, and ability to come back home in one piece, never ceases to amaze.

In line with Billabong’s legacy campaign, deep philosophical ramblings on the feeling of surfing are the crux of this edit.

It’s kind of true that only a surfer knows, but the three of them still struggle to come to terms with what that feeling actually is, yet somehow manage to profess their love of surfing in other words.

But mostly, by doing it very well.