Robert Trujillo has been surfing for longer than he’s been in Metallica. Photo: Lost Shore Surf Resort
Last week, Metallica played a show at Hampden Park in Glasgow. The band played under the thick blanket of a record-breaking heatwave, so before they did, Robert Trujillo decided to cool off a bit by paddling out for a session at Lost Shore Surf Resort, Edinburgh, the biggest wave pool in all of Europe.
Lost Shore recently came out on top of a list of the world’s best surf parks, and it’s not just because of the wave. The wave and everything else the pool offers is what did it, so it’s not a surprise that a member of one of the biggest bands in music history chose it. Trujillo was joined by drummer Mario Duplantier from Metallica’s support act, Gojira.
Trujillo grew up surfing on the westside of Los Angeles, a place where music, surfing, and skateboarding was everywhere. Before Metallica, he played in Suicidal Tendencies. Then he moved onto Ozzy Osbourne’s band for a few years. In 2003, he landed with Metallica, and the goofy-footer’s life changed drastically. Despite his heavy touring schedule, Trujillo always manages to squeeze in some water time, and with wave pools springing up all over the world, that’s likely getting a little easier to do.
“Surfing and music really go hand in hand, when you think about surfing, it’s very rhythmic when you’re on the wave,” Trujillo said to Lost Shore reps in between waves. “Back in the old days, I used to hit my board and come up with beats while waiting for waves. It’s a magnet for creativity… I believe that helped me with Kirk in Metallica, we came together through surf… I believe surfing is what brought me to Metallica.”
