We receive lots of vid clips of aspiring young surfers, but this one caught our eye. Most of the clips we see usually show a lifestyle of traveling the world to exotic locales, great waves, beautiful women, etc. Almost fantasy-like to the layman’s world of paying bills, hating your job, and other real-world shit. It’s as if these young hedonists are somehow magically supported by invisible means. Of course, the sponsors are most likely footing the bill, much less of late, but still, mostly just a carefree, youthful existence being portrayed as a normal and even attainable life path. Well, kids, hate to pop your bubble but it ain’t what it used to be as all but probably the top 5% of pro surfers today are living anything near a financially stress-free existence.

Obviously Pops, the 80’s surf legend, Richard, has instilled some common sense into his four boys and taught them that life doesn’t begin and end at the high tide line. And son, Beau, was smart, he learned a trade and now has the freedom to surf on his terms while providing for a future off the dole, or at his parent’s feet. Semi-pro, it would seem, yet realistic about where that may have left him later in life had he chased the near-impossible dream of being a fully sponsored athlete. A surfer-athlete no less.

It wasn’t that long ago when close to 30 or 40 pro surfers were eaking out a comfortable life on tour. However those days are long gone and we now have maybe 10 or 12 as the big surf brands began tightening budgets to feed the execs at the top, the top 4-5 pros starting sucking all the cash out of the room, and Instagram influencers became more valuable than real people doing real shit. Don’t even get us started on that rant.

So watch the vid, do your homework, finish school, learn a trade. If you’re not winning every comp you enter today the chances of being a surf star tomorrow, the type of which never works a day in their lives, is about 100,000,000 to 1. Even if mom and dad are on the beach cheering you on and your personal coach is filling your young head with irresponsible dreams. Just ask the bottom half of the CT, and virtually all of the QS, about financial security and you’ll get a quick dose of reality.

So watch the latest in a series from O’Neill titled, “O’RIGINALS“, and observe the man in action. A true multi-crafter, Beau is easy on the eyes with a touch of dad’s trademarked power in there as well. Good to see a working man get the nod once in a while. Enjoy.

What Youth