The Only Fitting Response To The Death Of A Dream

Many have had their dreams crushed trying to crack the competitive surfing ranks, but perhaps none more quickly than young Arch Whiteman, 23, from Sydney’s Northern Beaches. After months of scrimping and saving lifeguard wages, Arch boarded a flight to Indo for a crack at the QS. The crack was, to put it lightly, brief.

“This year I emptied my savings, trained for months, and flew to Indo to chase the QS,” says Arch. “At Nias, I caught one wave for a 2.83 and got sent home in the Round of 96. The whole campaign lasted about 20 minutes.”

It’s a cruel life, but instead of wallowing in self-pity, Arch did what any man prone to premature finishes knows to do: he got back on the horse.

“I figured rather than feeling sorry for myself, I’d make the most of it and head to Krui to hunt slabs with my twin brother and a few mates.”

And, as fate would have it, a surf edit came out of it, featuring footage from Krui, Hawaii, and Sydney.

“It’s fast and doesn’t take itself too seriously,” says Arch, before adding one last parting shot into the universe: “If you get the chance, could you please tell Buck to go fuck himself from me? Many thanks.”

Buckley, if you’re reading this, you’ve got 24 hours to respond.