Surfing is a lot of things to a lot of people. But first and foremost, it’s fun. Mat riders, lying prone on an inflatable surface, squeezing their craft as they scream down the line, don’t get a lot of respect in the water. But less concerned with being cool than going as fast as they possibly can, mat riders may, in fact, be having the most fun in the water. It’s hard to deny watching Andrew Stephen Buck slip down the face like he’s riding a bar of soap – in as much control as a mat will allow – that he’s not grinning ear to ear in the process. Going straight never looked so enjoyable.
