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You’d be hard pressed to find anyone online who’s a good influence, much less anything close to a role model. But I’d argue that Dylan, the man behind the iconic surf meme page @toby_honk, is making the world a better place one joke at a time. (Note that he didn’t want us using his last name. We’re not sure why.)
It’s easy to see the state of modern-day surfing and get caught up on the bad: crowds, disappointing forecasts, drop ins, underwhelming waves, overpriced secondhand boards, the list goes on. But Dylan neither ignores these factors nor embraces them: he just good naturedly laughs at it all.
With a little over a thousand posts and a little over 6,000 followers, Dylan has gained a loyal audience who has chosen to laugh with him (check out the who’s who in his comment section). Dylan doesn’t seem like one to care for internet clout, but I bring this up because he deserves credit for making historically accurate surfing memes that get laughs from a large audience while also reaching a core niche. Some of the jokes are about universally relatable topics, like flat spells, or ‘90s board designs, or even weird surf scenes.
But unlike the other surf meme accounts I’ve come across, while these memes make fun of different types of surfers, styles of boards, and basically everything you could make fun of about surfing, they don’t attack anyone specifically. In fact, a lot of it is even self-deprecating. I had to find out who was running such a beautiful account that has turned my worst sessions into something I can also look back on and laugh at, so, in true Instagram fashion, I dropped into Dylan’s DMs.
Tell me about yourself (what you like to ride, your name, anything)!
I am Dylan, a very average surfer who loves surfing regular waves but finds humor in the mundane and tribal aspects of it. I would love to say that I surf everything, but typically you can find me on widepoint-back longboards or eggs based on the conditions.
If you ever meet me, I would much prefer to talk about birds, post-hardcore music, motorcycle rides, or what new recipe I am working on than surfing.
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What inspired you to start making surf memes? Is there a story behind this account?
This is actually my personal account that slowly devolved into what it is now. I have always been a bit of a sad clown and enjoyed making people laugh. For a long time, I would intermittently make memes based around classic country music or post-hardcore bands. People responded well to them, but eventually those memes were stolen by a very well-known country DJ. That irritated me, so I stopped. I realized posting pics of my dog, motorcycle, awkward surfing pics or sunsets was boring and was tiny acts of narcissism. So, I stopped and started focusing on the surf memes.
A lot of these memes seem centered around California surf culture, is that where you surf? (You don’t have to share your local if you don’t want to!)
That is the beauty of surfing. The cornball aspects are seen everywhere now. That is why Bruce Brown was able to show The Endless Summer all over the country, including the Midwest. While I visit California often, I am an East Coast guy. For better or for worse, surfing has the same cultural pockets and assortment of people everywhere. It doesn’t matter if you are in Tofino, North County, Jersey or Noosa.
Did you expect this account to get so popular or was it a surprise?
I never set out to be a surf meme guy, so yeah, it was a surprise. I know when things make me laugh or cringe that other folks will feel the same way. I just did not expect that some of the guys I looked up to in surf culture would bring me along for the ride.
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Behind the humor it seems like there are some messages, like promoting local shapers instead of popouts and factory boards. Got any other advice or criticisms on modern-day surf culture?
Where do I begin… I would rather dole out advice than critique. So, my advice is this: if you are learning, or have not put in time at a spot, go down the beach. Please do not share pics of surfing on your Instagram, you only increase the crowds. Learn more about the history of your spot including the generations that came before you. Befriend the weird guys in the lot. Pick up your trash. And never, ever paddle for a wave when I am on it. HAHA!
In all seriousness, we are all on our trip and enjoy different parts of surf culture. Ride what you want, dress how you wanna dress, surf where you feel at home. Just be mindful of how your actions affect other people.
Is making memes a coping mechanism for you? (Some of them seem a little self-deprecating!)
In a sense yes, 90 percent of what I laugh at is me. The mustached hipster on a hand-shaped single fin. Some days when the crowds get to me, yes, it is a way to scream into the void.
Where do you draw inspiration? Do you ever paddle out to crowded places for ideas? (Half joking!)
I like to see surfing through the lens of things that are not surf related. For example, ’80s professional wrestling, movies, music videos, people dancing.
However, since every spot is crowded now, it does not take much to become cannon fodder for my sense of humor.
