Photo: Chapter 11 TV // YouTube
Trying to qualify for the Championship Tour is a tough row to hoe. You’re traveling around the world non-stop, jockeying against the best surfers in the world for just a few slots in the big show, in competitions where you live and die by the often capricious whims of judges. On top of that, one wrong move and an injury could take you out of the running altogether. Still, there’s a dedicated (some would say crazy) few surfers who opt to do it, and we’re grateful that they do. Eithan Osborne is one of them, and “Skinny Meat Head,” the latest film from Chapter 11 TV, documents his journey.
In the caption for the video, posted to the Chapter 11 YouTube channel, the legendary Dane Reynolds explains both the film’s premise and unique title. “Matt and I were driving south from San Francisco when he said out of nowhere ‘Eithan’s kinda like a… Skinny Meat Head.’ And not only was it funny it was a brilliant description,” he wrote. “Eithan’s got a lot of angst and muscle packed in that tiny little frame. Erratic and un-calculated, he’s full throttle at all times. It pours into his surfing. Gritty aggression always on the edge of going off the rails but sticking it more often than not.”
“We followed Eithan around the globe to document surf trips and the challenge of balancing free surfing with the ups and downs of trying to achieve his dream of qualifying for the WSL Championship tour. “
