Kerr doesn’t call himself a shaper, but a board designer. Photo: Draft Surf
There’s a saying in the world of athletics for a sportsman who has seen the highs and lows at every level — “Been there, done that.” Josh Kerr is an evolved surfer. He started his career as an aerial master, inventing the renowned Kerrupt Flip. After many years on the Championship Tour, Kerr did a brief stint on the Big Wave Tour. Today, he’s keen on seeing his daughter, Sierra, through to her limitless surfing future.
I had a quick chat with Josh about his unique perspective on the surfing life, from the pro world all the way to fatherhood.
What’s your home break?
My home breaks are really the Gold Coast and Tweed Coast — Snapper Rocks, D’Bah and all the beachbreaks through the Tweed Coast. Growing up surfing the right-hand points was amazing for developing my surfing, especially being a natural footer and having so much time on my frontside. But I think what really shaped me was the diversity. We had incredible point breaks, all sorts of beachbreaks that allowed you to work on different styles of surfing, and even a reef break that helped me develop a lot of my tube-riding skills, especially when it came to surfing slabs. It was a pretty amazing place to grow up as a surfer.
How is the World Tour different today?
The biggest difference for me is probably the surfers themselves. When I first got on tour, there were a lot more surfers who happened to be athletes, rather than athletes who had been developed specifically to compete in surfing. Most of us just grew up surfing our hometowns, chasing good waves and loving surfing for the culture and lifestyle around it. There wasn’t much coaching. I remember when I first got on tour there might have been one or two coaches around. Now pretty much every surfer has a coach and a whole team around them, and a lot of them have been developed competitively from a really young age.
Back then, even when we were at an event, a lot of us would disappear and hunt down the best waves we could find rather than being completely focused on the competition venue.
The waves and locations on tour actually haven’t changed as dramatically. A lot of the places I competed at are still there today. For me, the biggest evolution has been the athletes and how much more sport-focused and professionalized competitive surfing has become.
Where does your aerial influence in surfing come from?
I grew up skateboarding, although I was much more of a street skater. But really my inspiration came from the whole action-sports culture of the ’90s and early 2000s. Surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, wakeboarding, freestyle motocross — all of those sports were progressing so quickly and people were constantly pushing what was possible. I was always drawn toward the tricks and the progression side of it. In surfing, airs were where I felt you could bring that same kind of wow factor, so naturally that became the part of surfing I was most inspired to push.
What was the highlight of your pro career?
There are probably two different parts. The first was my time competing in the air shows as a teenager. That whole era was amazing. Winning world titles in the air-show days and being at the forefront of aerial surfing while it was progressing so quickly was a huge part of my career. The other highlight was being able to take that style onto the World Tour and help push aerial surfing into mainstream competitive surfing. Looking at how important airs are on the WSL today, it’s pretty cool knowing I played a part in helping move that progression forward.
Tell us about the Kerrupt Flip.
Back in my teenage years, aerial surfing was all about experimenting with different grabs and rotations. I was looking for a way to get an inverted alley-oop/flip rotation around as quickly as possible. A lot of the inspiration came from skateboarding — particularly mute-grab McTwists on vert ramps. I found that by tucking my head and grabbing both rails, I could get really locked into the rotation and bring it around quickly. I first landed one at Newport Beach when I was about 19, around 2003. Wave pools are obviously perfect for a trick like that because you can create such a consistent ramp and section and get repeated opportunities to dial it in. On paper, I’d describe [the Kerrupt Flip] as a combination of a mute and stalefish grab with, technically, a backside rotation, even though you’re doing it on your frontside on the wave — basically an inverted alley-oop/flip-style rotation.
Gnarliest wipeout?
Probably at Jaws during the Big Wave World Tour event. I went down on my last wave of the semifinal and it was really big. I fell on the drop and felt like I was underwater forever. I was trying to get to my inflation while pushing off the bottom and just couldn’t get to it. It wasn’t quite a two-wave hold-down, but I only just got to the surface before the next wave hit me. That was definitely one of the heavier experiences I’ve had in the water.
Twin fin or thruster, Kerr has left his mark on the sport. Photo: WSL
I hear you’re shaping boards these days.
I’m doing some shaping, but I’d probably describe what I’m doing more as designing boards. My goal is to create boards that still have a lot of performance but incorporate alternative designs and different feelings. I want boards that allow you to draw different lines on the wave, carry a lot of momentum and speed, but still let you really rip into a maneuver when you want to. I’m especially interested in twin fins and alternative fin setups. It’s really about combining performance with different sensations and different ways of approaching a wave.
Sierra, your daughter, is also an aerial prodigy. Do you work together on an approach above the lip?
Yeah, Sierra and I have definitely worked together a lot. She was an amazing skateboarder from a really young age, and I think that gave her an incredible foundation for aerial surfing and aerial awareness. Wave pools have helped a lot too because they give you so many opportunities to repeat the same section and really dial things in. She’s insane in the air. There are definitely similarities in our styles, especially with straight airs, but her rotational ability is on another level. She has incredible awareness in the air and can do rotations that are well beyond what I was ever capable of doing.
You’re surely a proud father.
Absolutely. I’m incredibly proud of her. One of the things I love most is how well-rounded she is and how talented she’s been across multiple sports, but obviously what she’s accomplished in surfing has been incredible. Watching her win the US Open live was one of the most special moments I’ve had as a father. Being there, then being able to jump in the water afterward and give her a huge hug — that’s something I’ll never forget. More than anything, I’m just extremely proud of her and the person she’s becoming.
Any advice for parents whose kids are into competitive surfing?
The biggest thing is keep it fun. As a dad or a mum, I think you need to remember that your number-one job is being their parent, not their coach. That relationship has to come before competitions, results or anything else. For me, my number-one goal has always been that I want to be able to surf with my girl. Hopefully we’re still doing that together for many, many years, long after the competitive side of surfing is finished. I also wouldn’t force competition too hard when they’re young. Being the best or winning the most events at a really young age ultimately doesn’t mean much. What matters is that they genuinely fall in love with surfing. Let them love surfing as a lifestyle first and a sport second. If they have that foundation, everything else can grow from there.
