Warmup rituals in surfing are a peculiar phenomena. It used to be that something as sensible and practical as stretching in the sand would be looked at with derision from locals – a carryover from traditional sports that was a clear sign of kook behavior.
Now, things seem to have swung entirely in the opposite direction. We live in a world where the superstitions and mental games that were once just the hallmarks of cult leaders, yogis and self-help hucksters have gone fully mainstream. Championship Tour surfers like Griffin Colapinto and Jack Robinson proudly advertise their fondness for meditation, and have been seen with eyes closed and legs crossed into the lotus position in the moments before a heat begins. In his post-heat interview at Bells, Cole Houshmand casually mentioned that he had been visualizing the outcome all week.
Clay Marzo, on the other hand, is having none of that. His latest video starts with him rubbing his hands to stave off the early morning cold in his car, while singing “Billy Boy” to no one in particular. It’s a goofy and quite frankly charming moment that belies the explosive aquatic gymnastics that the man is capable of.
In the rest of the Album-sponsored edit, Marzo’s partner Leilani Zerkle films the freesurfing auteur tackling perfectly blue overhead waves in his signature effortlessly creative style.
No vision boards required.
