Ben Gravy is fun. He’s the everyman’s surfer. He’s not a pro — not in the contest sense, anyway — but he’s carved out a career for himself in the surfing world that’s far different than any other career. It’s just Ben, chasing waves. Chasing weird waves, chasing good waves, chasing all sorts of waves. We’ve watched as his YouTube channel blew up, watched as his happy little pineapple logo was plastered on merch, watched as Ben Gravy became a bonafide superstar in surfing, all without sliding into a jersey. We’ve watched as he started to surf in bigger waves, tentatively towing in Oregon just a few short months ago. Ben Gravy is so watchable because he shares everything so openly: his fears, those nerves, and of course, all that stoke.
As any surfer knows, a trip to the North Shore in the winter is a must-do. It’s at the top of the bucket list, if only to be thoroughly humbled. The best surfer in the world can’t escape the North Shore without eating a solid piece of humble pie. But when you’re on the North Shore and the biggest swell in a decade shows up, what do you do? If you’re Ben Gravy, you get Jamie O’Brien to tow you into some of the big stuff. But just put yourself in Gravy’s shoes for a minute. You’re standing outside Jamie O’Brien’s house at 5:30 in the morning. Jamie is talking about the buoys with something like awe in his voice. Kalani Chapman is in the background saying that it might be the biggest day they’ve ever surfed. And you are Ben Gravy, who only first towed into a wave in Oregon a few short months ago. Nervous? You better believe you are.
Learn to push yourself, keep calm, and manage fear in heavy surf with Mark Healey’s Guide to Heavy Water.
