Photo: Iker San Martin
I had the opportunity to speak with Craig Anderson on the phone back in May of 2014. At the time, I was living on Austin Avenue in a shack overlooking Curl Curl Beach. The existential nausea of post-college adult life drew me to that place from across the world. A few months of living at home and freelance editing bought me my one-way ticket to Sydney. My goal there was to scrape by, surf every day, and, at least for a little while, defer what I was certain would be the day-in-day-out drudgery of the real world. I wanted to live truly and learn more about the world and myself through the lens of this thing I loved to do. I won’t be offended if you roll your eyes—this was basically the archetypal, cliché soul-surfing journey. This is more or less how I found myself on the phone with Craig on that Sydney morning.
The sky was clear and blue, and motes of dust were floating in the light that washed the porch. A thick band of whitewater against the shore below signaled that the swell was strong but messy. Craig picked up. I explained that I had been writing about surfing for a local startup rag and gotten his number through a friend. He said that was cool and didn’t ask any other questions. I remember being taken aback by how unassuming this made him seem. He was at home in Newcastle having a cup of coffee and looking out at the waves.
As cringe-worthy and fanboy-like as this might read, Craig is one of the best, coolest surfers in the world. In fact, he’s so good that he doesn’t even need to compete in professional surfing events. He’s what’s called a “freesurfer,” a guy so talented and stylish that he can get sponsorship dollars simply by being himself. That’s what makes Craig an interesting person to talk to. He’s one of surfing’s reluctant heroes. His pursuit—not of winning or fame, but surfing for surfing’s sake—has propelled him to the height of the sport. And surf fans love him for that. In a media age of sellouts and corporate shills, the masses are starved for authenticity. He’s famous both because of and despite himself, and it’s just that tension that makes him so compelling.
Photo: Quiksilver
From the magazine covers, Craig’s life seems perfect. He’s one of the infinitesimal number of people who get paid to do something they love. But, as with everything in life, there’s more to the story. What follows is a transcript of my conversation with Craig. He speaks on passion, work, and the art and meaning of surfing. I’ve condensed the parts of me speaking into single-line prompts because, let’s be honest, you’re not reading this out of interest in what I have to say. I was writing and reading a lot at the time, and this interview with Craig fell through the cracks, but I wanted to share it with you now. I think it paints Craig as confident, thoughtful, and as authentic as any of us could ever pretend to be in conversation with a stranger on the phone.
A lot of people talk about surfing’s healing capacity. Does that hold true for you?
I think surfing can heal a lot of things. It’s such a beautiful sport; you’re out in the ocean and there’s not much that compares to that.
Would you say that surfing is your primary passion in life?
Right now? Yeah, for sure. It has been the focus of all of my time and effort for the last couple of years. I have my ups and downs; I’ve had injuries. I’m still trying to get back into surfing form my last injury that I got back in September. It’s hard if you’re not surfing to occupy yourself in a way, because it’s all that I’ve done for so long and all I’ve really cared about besides my family at home. If you’re not surfing, you’re just hanging with your family and friends. I’ve got some other hobbies and stuff, but nothing really comes close to how much fun I have when I surf.
Would you say that you’re one of the few lucky people who are paid to do what they love?
Yeah, I’d say so. I do try to stay productive and keep busy. I’ve had a goal to want to be a free surfer. When I was competing, I never really found the love for that or enjoyed myself. As dumb as it sounds, it’s still kind of a job. I just got back from California yesterday. I was there for a week and I didn’t get to surf. I had to go to meetings and do photo shoots where I felt awkward. It’s a dream job, but even filming for sections — I’ve just been surfing for the last couple of months after my injury and I’ve just felt a lot of pressure to get content for these movies. It is pretty fucking demanding, but I think about the flip side, and if I was doing anything else…I don’t know what I’d be doing and I probably wouldn’t be having nearly as much fun.
Would you say that freesurfing is more of a “job” than one might think?
Freesurfing is not as easy as everyone thinks. It’s a super cool job, but I have so much fun when I go surfing without a video guy and that just never happens anymore. I’m going to surf to try to get a clip or a rad photo or something, and to do that nowadays — it’s not that easy. It sounds like I’m complaining about it, so don’t get me wrong; it’s super rad. It ends up being a job in the end, but like, a really cool one.
You’ve been dealing with a knee injury lately; is that right?
I think I just maybe rushed back into it a bit early and got back on the road. It’s just hard to have structure when you’re traveling and be able to do exercise and stretch and all that shit, because you’re just sitting on planes and then drinking and surfing and having a good time.
Do you have any fear of re-injury?
Yeah, all the time. It’s always in the back of my head, but it’s definitely regressing and starting to disappear. I had the exact same injury when I was younger — they repaired my meniscus — and just to get back into the flow with the ocean takes time.
Give me the gory details.
Meniscus tear. The first time I did it was in West Oz at Lefties, just landed in the flats doing an air reverse and it all happened so quickly; I just came up and my knee was locked in a right angle. And then the last time I was in California in July or August and I tried to pull into a little barrel and all my weight was over my back knee trying to pull up under the barrel and I just tore it. It took way longer than the first injury did to get better.
Which fellow surfer pushes you the most?
I like surfing with Dion. I’ve been surfing with him a lot lately, and also the younger guys like Creed (McTaggart) and Noa Deane and Ryan Callinan. And it’s always good surfing with Dane, too. Yeah, all those guys. Chippa. Everyone’s fucking crazy talented, they’re all really good at what they do and super consistent, too.
How does surfing progression work? Do fellow surfers collaborate and share insight?
I feel like a lot of guys kind of just stick to themselves about that stuff and just keep it all bottled up and try to improve, but I always have talks with Dion and a couple other friends just to keep progressing and trying different moves. But surfing’s so hard. You get one shot at it and it only comes around every now and then — when the surf’s really good. You’ll get a couple of chances a session but it’s hard to progress when you’re traveling around and it’s difficult to get waves these days and everything has been done or seen before, so you have to do something really crazy.
I’ve had countless and endless conversations with different people about surfing progression, but for the most part, on a freesurfing trip, everyone’s just talking shit and having fun. It’s not really spoken of, like, “How could you rotate faster or how could you do a bigger air, Dion or Chippa?” No one really cares. Everyone’s just trying to have a good time.
How far has the overall level of surfing come in recent years?
If you watch Campaign and Campaign 2 and shit that Taylor did like five years ago…the stuff that Kelly and Andy and those guys are doing is so relevant even now. Bruce, in his movie, even Dane back then…surfing has definitely progressed, but you watch those videos and you’re like, “Holy shit, those guys are doing some crazy stuff.”
How hard is it to keep pushing the envelope?
It’s progressed, but surfing’s difficult. I don’t know that it’s really progressed that much. Kelly, Andy, Bruce, Rasta, Ozzie — his different take on things — all those guys…the guys these days are still doing really cool stuff, but that’s where it all came from and that shit is still so relevant. Some of the turns those guys were doing…maybe it really hasn’t progressed that much.
What do you love to see?
Big waves and big turns, because I feel like I can’t surf a wave over 4 foot. Just surfing big waves, doing big turns and barrels and shit. I think that stuff’s really cool. I think it’s gonna get back to that, maybe. Go on the internet and every clip on there is people doing crazy air reverses, but, fuck, I wanna see someone do a big backhand blowtail on a 6-8 foot wave. That’s pretty rare these days…but is that progressive? Fuck, I don’t know. It’s cool just to see different styles coming through.
You’re known as a style master. Do you have any conscious control over your surfing style?
It’s just crazy; you jump up on the board, and you can try your hardest, but it’s still going to look the way it comes out, you know? It’s weird. I don’t really get it. Some people just do it cooler than others. I appreciate that.
The harder you try, the worse it looks?
I think so. I’ve been trying to get a clip for Kai’s new movie lately and the harder I try, the worse I do at it. But then you’ve got guys like Julian Wilson and Mick Fanning who are going to the gym and going crazy, so it’s different for everyone.
How do you get good?
Ability and repetition — just doing it so much. But definitely surfing’s got a lot to do with ability. People have surfed forever and they still kind of surf the same, which blows my mind, because I feel like if I juggled for the last ten years I’d be really good at fucking juggling, or tennis or some shit.
Who’s your favorite surfer to watch?
Dane for sure, and then guys like Chippa and Dion. Kelly’s super rad to watch, if you look at his old videos. Rob Machado — surfing with him in real life is fucking crazy. Everyone’s got their different approach that works for them. Kelly and Dane are unpredicatable and have raw power, Chippa is so technical, Rob’s got such a rad style and just surfs faster than anyone. Everyone’s got their different little thing that makes them what they are.
How is working with Dane?
I was fortunate enough to work with Dane on Slow Dance. I feel like he’s a visionary in terms of what he’s done with his career. He was doing shit before a lot of people.
If you could surf one wave for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Desert point. Even though it’s the most crowded, chaotic surf spot in the world besides Pipe, I feel so at ease there. I could just sit out in the water and wait for two or three hours for one wave and be happy like that. I don’t know if it’s the surroundings or the local people that I’ve hung out with a lot, but I like it there.
What’s it like to be famous in the lineup?
It’s probably not what you think. It’s still fucking impossible to get waves and people want to drop in on you and shit. I feel like if I went to a skatepark and watched a good skater skate, I wouldn’t dare try to ride the park when he’s there or something, you know? But surfing is so fucking selfish and everyone is trying to get the best waves no matter how good you are. It’s so hard. Don’t get me wrong, I want everyone to get good waves and have fun, but it’s just so hard when you’re trying to work on something and people are dropping in and shit. Like, I’ve been to Snapper where Kelly and Joel will take off on any wave they want, which I feel like they should deserve, but people are trying to jock them and drop in on them! It’s a battle of egos, that’s what surfing is. It’s fucking stupid.
What’s been your coolest experience surfing?
I never thought I’d be a surfer with influence or that people would ever care to hear from or give a fuck about anything I did. I grew up in a pretty humble family. One time, I was running along a beach in west Africa, and these local kids ran up to me and asked if I knew Jordy and if my name was Craig and they all jumped on me and gave me a hug. Just to have that influence — hopefully it’s positive, but it’s just cool to hear people say nice things and you hope that maybe you’re influencing a generation in a positive way. It’s humbling.
What’s your favorite web clip ever?
Seen/Unseen by Dane.
What’s your favorite surf film ever?
Focus by Taylor Steele.
What’s it like to be represented in the media?
It is really frustrating when you read and interview sometimes, because you get put on the spot a lot when you do an interview. You want your parents to at least be able to be proud of it, I guess.
What does surfing mean to you?
If I didn’t surf, what would I do? I’d probably have a lot of mental health issues. It allows me to keep calm and it just makes me feel good. It gives me something to focus on. I’m grateful that it’s there for me. The feeling I get of going surfing everyday just means a lot to me — if I didn’t have that I don’t know how else I’d find it. I don’t know. I might be talking a whole lot of shit here.
