The man, the myth, the legend, and a pillar of surfing: Pancho Sullivan. He was an animal back then and he somehow’s managed not to change one bit. He’s not just wickedly talented, but he’s a wise fellow who knows everything about everything. According to Pancho, being a good surfer requires mindfulness of tides, conditions, and especially equipment. Pancho knows all this because he understands them better than most, and his surfing reflects it. But as much as I appreciate a smart surfer, I’m really here for the surfing.
Ask today’s top power surfers who they looked up to growing up. You known Pancho will be mentioned. Photo: Tom Carey
Pancho’s calculated approach and cool, collected style are a set that most people would kill to have. In his heyday, the 6-foot, muscle-laden Hawaiian, who weighed in at nearly 200 pounds, was making it rain all over the North Shore with his progressive power surfing. The video above is filled to the damn brim with man-turns, but I especially like the one at the 1:50 marker. Delicious, right? If you don’t particularly like that one, I’m sure you’ll find several among the myriad of hacks throughout this clip.
Here’s a bonus Pancho video The Inertia really enjoyed watching. It’s a bit longer than your average surf clip, so put your feet up and watch it while you eat your kale salad. Or whatever it is surfers are eating these days.
PANCHO SULLIVAN from Soul Surfers on Vimeo.
