Since his retirement in 2016, Taj Burrow’s gained the unfortunate reputation as “the best surfer to have never won a world title.”
But, the gregarious West Australian is often forgotten for one of the most badass moves he managed early in his competitive career that had never been done before and hasn’t been repeated since.
In a recent upload to Taylor Steele’s YouTube channel, Momentum Files, Steele writes of TB’s 1996 decision to not compete on the ’97 Championship Tour despite earning a coveted slot. At that time, Burrow was the youngest surfer to ever qualify for the Tour at 18.
According to Matt Warshaw, Burrow claimed he was “too young to do the tour full-on.” In other words, he’d do the tour “full-on” when he felt ready. On his own terms.
“Such confidence,” writes Steele.
Before becoming a household name, Taj Burrow was just a lightning-fast ripper from Yallingup with something to prove. And his part from Steele’s 1997 film “The Show” proves why Burrow’s ascension to the Championship Tour – on which he spent 19 years – was so anxiously awaited.
