Please Do Not Like Or Comment Below

The solicitation of likes and subscribers is the most annoying thing a vlogger can do.

Maybe I feel that way because I have get to watch all of the week’s uploads, but every time it’s said it feels like the video creator is grabbing a digitized, incredibly sour piece of low-hanging fruit.

Sure, I’m aware that throwing this in there acts as a reminder to like the video, but how have there not been more creative ways to boost viewer engagement? If I had a vlog the size of Nate Florence/Koa Smith, I’d tap one of my sponsors and put up a swag bag for one viewer who likes/comments on every video I post. Not only are you boosting video engagement, but you’re potentially developing brand loyalists for the companies that are (one way or another) paying you to make these videos.

But hey, that’s just me. Click (or miss) below.

Click- For The “Best Clinic We’ve Ever Seen At Backdoor”
Channel Subs: 116k
Video Views:  181,864 (30,310 views/day)
Like/Dislike Ratio: 4,409/86 or 51.3 likes per 1 dislike

This is everything we want a vlog to be. With a roughly 70/30 breakdown of narration to surfing, Nate Florence has concocted what is easily the most clickable video of the week. The surfing section starts just after the 2:00 mark and we highly recommend you watch all of it. While everyone (including 63-year-old Michael Ho) was getting bombs, it was easily JJF who won the day, getting a total of eight Backdoor beauties. When describing his brother’s performance, Nate said it best: “I’m talking manipulation of the crowd, navigation of the crowd, reading the ocean combined with being the best surfer in the world and that’s what you’re gonna get.” Wanna learn more about the board John was riding? Click here.

Miss- “Are You Ever Not On Camera?”
Channel Subs: 116k
Video Views:  15,777 (2,629 views/day)
Like/Dislike Ratio: 507/1

I’ve been hard on Leo the past couple weeks, with this being his 2nd consecutive Miss. I actually love Leo’s vlog and find his on-camera presence to be both funny and entertaining. This video does contain a gem of an interaction between him and Mr. GOAT, who upon pulling up at Haleiwa began roasting Leo for him constantly being in front of the lens, even going so far as to suggest that someone should film his daily defecation. Regardless, I simply cannot tell you to give a workout video with just over a minute of surfing one of your ever-precious Clicks.

Click- How Does This Model Not Already Exist?
Channel Subs: 11.5k
Video Views:  16,457 (4,114.5 views/day)
Like/Dislike Ratio: 452/6 or 75.33 likes per 1 dislike

Those who enjoy watching surfing on alternative crafts have likely been familiarized with Griffin and Crosby’s twinkle-toed cousin Corey (aka Kookapinto). Corey started shaping recently and invited Griffin into his converted chicken coop to make a board they aptly named ‘The Pinto Bean’. The whole crew surfs the boards (egg-shaped twinnies) incredibly well before teeing off with none other than Ryan Sheckler, who seems to have a one-up on the Cola Bros when it comes to hitting the fairway. The fact that Mayhem has yet to make a model with the Colapinto name is beyond comprehension, but seeing as they have one of the largest CT rosters and four upcoming events, we’re sure they’ve had their hands full.

Click- Cause You Can’t Limit J.O.B To Just One Vlog
Channel Subs: 3.56k
Video Views:  2,656
Like/Dislike Ratio: 356/3 or 118.6 likes per 1 dislike

Jamie O’Brien is surfing’s biggest vlogger and it’s not even close. When you spend as much time filming as Jamie does, we guess that there’s a lot of footage that goes unused. Whatever the reason, Jamie has started yet another Youtube channel titled ‘Jamie O’Brien Raw‘ which, despite being only three videos in, seems to be everything we could want from one of the best to ever do it at Pipeline (which is to say: more surfing, less selfies). In this video, Jamie does Jamie things on a custom 7’6 Gerry Lopez mowed from Clark Foam. Highlights include the double spitter at 3:31 and the redemption bomb at 7:35. Jamie knows how special the board he’s riding is, which is why he only surfs it on the ‘perfect’ days so as not to break it (even though he has another on the way).

Miss- The Worst Part Of Surfing’s Vlog Culture
Channel Subs: 87.3k
Video Views:  12,039
Like/Dislike Ratio: 661/3 or 220.3 likes per 1 dislike

Like anything, there are both good and bad aspects to surfing’s Vlog culture. This week Koa Smith gave us an example of the bad. Koa and co. went to Indonesia in 2020 and seemingly just dumped all their B-clips from one session onto Youtube. While there isn’t anything inherently wrong with this, given Koa’s follower count and consistent uploads, Youtube’s algorithm is 10x more likely to push this clip to the front of your page than say, Mauro Diaz’s latest movie Aqui (which for some unfathomable reason still has less than 2,000 views). The difference? Koa likely tossed together this clip in 30 mins whereas Mauro and Matt Tromberg filmed for Aqui for 2 years. Of course none of this is Koa’s fault, he’s gotta eat too, but if you’re gonna spend seven minutes watching the above at least click on over to Mauro’s magnum-opus and give it some love too.