Surf fans today recognize Martin “Pottz” Potter as the gentle giant sitting in the commentator booth at many ASP events – offering his knowledgeable opinions tinged with a characteristic soft wit.
But before Pottz retired from the competitive circuit he was a fierce and volatile surfer, a progressive powerhouse, and a force to be reckoned with. Lest the new generation forget, here’s a friendly reminder. In the latest edition to the running series, “The Thrill Is Back,” presented by RVCA and Herbie Fletcher, the legacy of Martin Potter’s in-your-face, explosive surfing is canonized with old footage from the 1980s. It’s a vicious montage featuring Pottz going mental at some North Shore hotspots including Pipe, Backdoor, OTW, and some freakishly futuristic surfing from Lower Trestles tossed in as well.
“Guys like Pottz,” the late Andy Irons says in the edit, “he’s my favorite surfer to this day.”
Andy and his generation were particularly influenced by Pottz and his radical approach to wave riding. As an early proponent of aerial surfing, the South African regularfooter was a pioneer of today’s ubiquitous above-the-lip antics. That combined with powerful, rail-digging turns undoubtedly left a lasting mark on the forthcoming Momentum generation and today’s new school as well.
“He was radical, fresh, young,” Herbie says. “Surfing was changing in the early ’80s – the boards were getting shorter, faster, and more radical. Kids always change the future. Pottz was right there.”
