John John and Kelly both made the media landscape a more interesting place in 2023.
The year 2023? It’s been real. And if anything went down in the surfing world in the last 12 months, we were there to cover it. So without further ado, we compiled the best quotes from surfing’s key athletes, players, writers, recorders and randoms.
“Three months out of the water I’ll throw everything I can at it to get back by winter. Rest first then PT and any dietary stuff I can do; lots of deep tissue massage once the labrum is settled and attached. Obviously if there are any protocols from PRP to stem cells I can do, I’ll look into that. The foot was possibly worse (than my hip) and kept me out longer overall but I also didn’t give that enough attention and time and still have issues with it.” – Kelly Slater to The Inertia’s Alex Haro regarding his hip surgery in late summer.
“As an athlete, sometimes it’s hard because it can be shown as a weakness and that’s what you don’t want. We’re all human and it’s okay to take time for yourself. You’re nothing without your health, so it’s important to take that time away. It was helpful for me and I came back stronger. I went from the lowest point (in my life) to the highest point ever and one million percent it made this moment so much more special. Just use that as an example to believe in yourself and know that you can get through anything when you’re having down moments – you can come back stronger.” – Caroline Marks, on taking time away from the Championship Tour and coming back to win a world title.
Caroline Marks, a champion at last. Photo: Serena Lutton//WSL
“It’s this totally relatable act that in my opinion most significantly establishes David, Jonah and Edward as our most underrated, and certainly most under-appreciated, pre-modern history surfers.” – Sam George from his An Ode to History’s Most Underrated Surfers
“So when you watch the world title being won at waist-high Lowers, you’re like, ‘Oh, okay, that’s cool.’ But it’s not as exciting as 10-foot barreling Pipe when you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh!’” – It’s pretty hard to argue with the new Vans Pipe Masters Champion John John Florence, from an exclusive with Editor Joe Carberry on Why the WSL Finals Should Be at Pipeline and How Long He’ll Compete.
“I’ve discovered that many of the groms we sponsor, and support have little or no knowledge of Hawaii’s incredible surf history. But with no resources or physical place to learn, it’s understandable. A museum is my plan to give back to the community.” – Surf-shop owner Luis Real has the best surfboard collection in Hawaii, and a big heart to go with it.
“But I know Clay doesn’t want to be rich. He doesn’t want to be wealthy. He just wants to be able to continue to surf. To me, man, we’ve got so many talkers in surfing these days.” – Logan “Chucky” Dulian to The Inertia’s Juan Hernandez on Clay Marzo from Why SNAPT5 Is the Last In His Iconic Film Series.
“The Aruni 5 will become its own floating Olympic village, equipped with 103 cabins that can house up to 254 people.” – Surfers are staying on a cruise ship for the 2024 event in Tahiti. Weird, right?
“What did today’s seven WSL championship tour qualifiers have that their hometown predecessors did not? E-bikes. That’s right, E-bikes.” Sam George reckons he has the answer to why San Clemente surfers are on fire now.
“It’s a one-percent feeling that the whole world hasn’t tapped into yet.” – Eric Geiselman on foiling in the article Is Foiling the Future of Surfing?
“I’m looking at it like, is this the end or is this just a new chapter that I’m gonna have to create? Is my story another comeback?” – Zeke Lau from Zeke Lau on the Mid-Year Cut, Fatherhood, and How New Sponsorship Has Him Re-Energized
Can the waves really be tasty? Photo: screenshot
“Perhaps the surfers’ dialect we unknowingly slip into is a way to separate ourselves from the pencil-pushing, pigskin-tossing masses. A way to show people that while some of us now have jobs and responsibilities, we remain obsessed with the simple act of riding waves. Maybe we speak slowly because our brains are perpetually divided between the fleeting memory of our last good wave, and the prospect of a sublime morning session at dawn…um, what were you saying, again, my dude?” – Brian Sousa in his piece, Explaining Surfers’ Dialect and Why They Sound Perpetually Stoned.
“I do believe it’s been the same otter, but this time it was extremely aggressive and the surfer abandoned his board and swam to shore.” – The Inertia’s Cooper Gegan writing about a Santa Cruz local dealing with a rogue sea otter.
Diego and Valentino, two of San Juanico’s finest residents. Photo: Haro
“Everybody comes here because it’s a small town. It’s quiet. You can feel the vibe here. It’s chill. But it will be very different. It will be a big change. We’ll have more people from everywhere. With no power, we have mostly surfers, but people who don’t surf will come if there is power.” – Scorpion Bay local Diego Suarezon on new moves to bring better roads and power to one of the world’s best surf towns.
“Half of the women’s CT Olympic qualification quota was decided without any surfing. We discovered (or confirmed) that the best surfer in the world is fearful of big waves. And a CEO was mysteriously dismissed.” – Evan Quarnstormin in his piece 2023 Was a Long, Strange Year for Pro Surfing.
“It’s really come full circle. These days pretty much every major brand has been bringing back the surfboard model. I give credit to Channel Islands for reintroducing the model idea 50 years after that first time around.” – Matt Biolos in Sam George’s Why Surfboard Model Names Have Made a Comeback
“But to say (a result) is a rip off or a crime, that bothers me – claiming it’s a crime (that Medina lost). I thought Ethan beat Gabriel. I rewatched the heat a few times.” – Kelly Slater weighs in on the Surf Ranch judging controversy and other matters in an interview with Joe Carberry.
“You know, I just feel like I got to live a whole life, like a whole normal life, but I focused it on surfing. I didn’t let surfing take a backseat to do that.” – Gary Linden on how to stay happy and keep surfing into your 70s.
Things got ugly in Bali. Screengrab: Sara Taylor//Instagram
“Sara pops up on a wave as another surfer drops in. She gets into a brief tug-of-war with him on the open face before he jumps out the back. As she’s paddling back out, the man’s friend, apparently, paddles up to her and viciously punches her in the head. You can actually see Sara’s head bounce back.” – An altercation in Bali goes viral as a man, later identified, as JP Azevedo, attacks Sara Taylor.
“I was also unaware up there that, at 59 years and 8 months, I was about to become the oldest person in the world to surf Maverick’s for the first time.” – Lionel Canarcher on how it’s never too late.
“Larry was larger than life, the hardest working man in the business and yet always with his huge smile and infectious laughter,” – Photographer Jim Russi after the passing of legendary water cinematographer Larry Haynes.
