“Tosh is taking up his father’s torch with outstretched hands, and seeing them surf together is interesting because the viewer can see their styles bleeding into one another. Like father, like son, right?”
That was a quote from The Inertia , commenting on a clip titled Tosh and Joel Tudor in Mexico that dropped back in February, 2024. More recently Tosh’s first full-length feature, “Tube Therapy” may have signaled that the younger is usurping the elder for surfing relevance. Or as Shakespeare said “Full fathom five thy father lies. Of his bones are coral made.”
Surfing fathers and sons have a long lineage in our culture; Billy and Laird Hamilton, Pat and Tom Curren, Nat, Beau and Bryce Young, Mike and Mason Ho, Herbie, Christian and Nathan Fletcher, Fabio and Ian Gouveia, Dino and Kolohe Andino. We could go on.
However, having a father and son operating at a surfing performance level that is elite, and watchable, at the same time, is a much rarer gem. The elder’s bones turn to coral. Youth takes over. Such is the way of the world. Well, it used to be. As groms start packing Jaws barrels at 12 and ex-pros start maintaining, or even reaching their peak physicality in their mid-40s, there’s a solid list of father and son combos whose sum are greater than their parts. These DNA-spliced duos are worth watching.
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Shane and Jackson Dorian
At 18, Jackson Dorian is now entering the prime stage of his surfing career. At 52, Shane is now entering the prime stage of his surfing career. The younger Dorian has been on the radar since he was a kid, but his ahead-of-the-curve mix of progressive surfing and barrel riding has now matured into real adult-adjacent talent. Shane has ditched the big-wave realm, but with a blend of fitness and stem cell treatment has roared into his 50s injury-free and with an eight-pack. Recent sessions at solid Teahupo’o proved his surfing remains not only watchable, but essential.
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Lukas and Ben Skinner
Sixteen-year-old Lukas Skinner has been on a tear in 2024. He won his first QS event at home in Cornwall, claimed silver in the ISA World Juniors in El Salvador and was the Under 16 World Grom Search Champion. He’s been identified as one of Europe’s hottest talents and looks the best equipped of his generation to make the CT. Lukas’ Dad Ben, aka Skindog, has also been on a tear in 2024. The 39-year-old made three semifinals in the World Longboard Tour to finish as the World No. 6. That goes with his 12 European Titles, multiple ISA Games wins and Duct Tape performances, all on his own boards.
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Brendan and Micah Margieson
Brendan “Margo” Margieson has had a recent(ish) renaissance as the affable power monger moved to Album surfboards. The pure speed and agility may have dulled since his career-high freesurfing days, but the style, timing and power have lost none of their enduring appeal. And, as ever, filmmaker Justin Gane is often on hand to capture it all. Of all the progeny on this list, it is his son Micah whose surfing style most resembles his old man. All the elements of Margo are there in Micah’s rail surfing just reboxed and rebooted for the digital age. The only question is, who throws more spray?
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Mark and Jay Occhilupo
It’s a safe bet to say that Occy is the best 58-year-old surfer on the planet. The Raging Bull doesn’t rage so much these days (he’s been sober for a decade), but by staying fit and keeping his froth levels high, the surf world has never tired of watching Occ in action. Surfers’ styles are often, erroneously, referred to as timeless, but for Occy there’s no other word. Twenty-one-year-old Jay, one of Occy’s nine children, has grown up as a natural-footer on the Gold Coast, and the point breaks have added polish and more orthodox technique to the Occ DNA. Yet he has an explosive angle to his surfing like his dad and the same gift for tuberiding.
