Reshaping Surf Culture One Board at a Time: Rob Machado Edition
California has been the heart of surf culture since boards were invented. Kooks from all over the world travel to SoCal in the hopes of scoring wave after glossy wave. Tucked away, but not letting himself go unnoticed, in Encinitas, California abides surf legend, Rob Machado. Currently a retired freestyle surfer, Machado has made quite a name for himself during his two-decade competitive career. Securing titles in both Hawaii's Pipeline Masters and the U.S. Open of Surfing, Machado's loose, fluid style has become an icon and remains the definition of radical surfing that has blazed the path for future generations.
Rob Machado is one of only a handful of surfers whose relevance has stood the test of time, a true representation of his surfing abilities and character. Rob has combined his surfing knowledge with his artistic eye to culminate his own unique surfboard designs with Firewire Surfboards. He has strayed away from high-performance criteria and is instead allocating his time to strengthening the communion between a board and its rider. Rob takes his time with the process in order to ensure quality, shaping only two Firewire boards a year.
Rob started shaping boards after riding for the Channel Islands throughout the ‘90s. He had always been interested in the science behind shaping and got most of his knowledge from Al Merrick himself. The first board he shaped, a single fin, ended up terrible, but Rob was hooked. He explained the process as "a constant learning curve. Working with the Firewire team guys, like Jon Pyzel and Daniel Thomson, and seeing what those guys bring to the shaping bay gets [him] so excited. It pushes you for sure. [He's] really happy with the Firewire range now, because [they] have it fine-tuned to exactly what [he's] looking for." Machado was confident enough in his shaping abilities to ride one of his own boards to victory in the Single Fin Division Four Seasons Maldives Event. His daughter, Rose Machado, rides boards shaped only by her father.
Despite his powerful influence in the surf world, Machado has also been a leading figure through his humanitarian work and holistic lifestyle. Aware of the environmental crisis we have been battling for years, Rob started the Rob Machado Foundation in 2004 to support environmental programs for youth in the community. According to the foundation, their mission statement, "Our youth need clean drinking water. Our planet needs clean oceans. We have a solution for both," has inspired a change in over 18,000 students' lives. What started out as the introduction of gardening programs at local schools has expanded into the implementation of water bottle filling stations at schools and public places globally. Rob has personally been involved in these efforts by organizing beach cleanups, educating students on trash innovation, and implementing recycling systems within their communities.
You can donate to Rob's cause and help keep our oceans clean here.
Machado knows no limits, recently collaborating with director Chris Benchetler and Grateful Dead to merge action, sports, and music in the eclectic film Fire On The Mountain. Premiering in late 2019, the film features a psychedelic dreamscape as it captures athletes appearing as skeletons, shredding under the moonlight at Mammoth Mountain and surfing in Indonesia. Hall of Fame basketball player Bill Walton narrates the film and spoke about the movie saying, "this project is one of the coolest things that I have ever been involved with. It validates my criteria for why I do things—people, passion, and purpose. I live on the edge, and beyond. Fire On The Mountain takes this notion to incalculable heights and spectacular places" – Jam Base. Machado, a Dead Head at heart, was able to capitalize on his passion for surfing and combine it with his passion for music in a way that created a true masterpiece for us all to enjoy.
For the first time ever action sports and the Grateful Dead are merged together in a film of eclectic style: Fire On The Mountain. Improvisation is the silver thread that weaves this film together.
Rob Machado is one of few that had the courage to ignore social norms and act upon his own personal beliefs and sentiments. Leaving his world titles behind, Machado took a chance and dove into a part of the surfing world that had previously been left untouched. Carving outboards, waves, and now movies, Machado has left a long-lasting impact that is not only expanding surf culture, but inspiring groms all over the world to do the same.
Strike Out,
Writer: Ellie Rill
Editors: Giselle Parks and Savannah Tindall
Tallahassee