Machado

When I was growing up my cousin was the closest thing I ever had to a brother. We are seperated in age by one year and share many intrinsic similarities, including a highly competitive nature, a fondness for brunettes and a love of the ocean. We used to fang around at our pops house looking for our parents long lost toy soldiers and shralping lollies from his sea crow lollie jar. 

As we got older we spent a lot of time together up the North Coast. This was when our adult bond was forged as we sledged the teets of each other in back yard cricket, bought 1.25 liter cokes at the ludicrous price of 2 buzzards (considering a 600ml set you back the same amount) and playing scissor, paper, rock to determine who would be the first to approach the super intimidating fourteen year old babe we had spotted rocking around the caravan park on the glorious new bike she got for Christmas. Also, being absurdly keen groms we used to spend a ridiculous amount of time in the ocean, going to such lengths as putting in three multiple hour surfs as barely recognisable ripbowls with a gross onshore pounding the coast. It was here that our true rivalry blossomed, even though we rode differing crafts. 

While the waves we wanted and the tricks we were aiming to complete were seemingly worlds apart we competed for the biggest wave of the sesh, the best tube and the most radical maneuver each time we entered the sea. This rivalry also extended to our two sports as we often bickered about the merits and draw backs of each others own sport and were not afraid of throwing out surf craft based write offs at any opportunity. Secretly though we were both jealous at the different opportunities that could be found when riding the wave. In a typical grass is always greener scenario I would marvel at the speed he got on small waves and the amount of power he got in his turns, while he would be negging when the surf was powerful and bowling and he was unable to get involved in the heavy tubes and air bowls that were all over the shop. It happened more than once that I would wake up to my alarm for the early and walk in to the lounge room to find nick, already wide awake, rewinding the Ryan Hardy section on Tension four for the third time that morning. Myself I always dug the affection my cousin had for Pro Surfer Rob Machado. This guy definitely has one of the raddest styles out of any wave rider of all time and draws lines that can only be described with lame cliches as silky smooth. I used to love when we would watch one of his old school surf vids and one of his sections came on.

Here is one I stumbled upon on the net the other day. So rad.