ROB MACHADO AND COMPANY ROLL INTO LONG ISLAND
BY RICHARD LIVSEY
on this past July. Surfaid International, Surfing Magazine,
Fuel TV, Unsound Surf and a host of local surfers were on
hand for the event. Storm clouds threatened to unleash a
fury, but they held off until the Reef Team riders: Ben
Bourgeois, Brad Gerlach, Evan Valiere and Rob Machado
along with the smoking hot Miss Reef Girls had boarded
their black tour bus and headed on down the road toward
their final stop in Narragansett, Rhode Island.
On the beach, it was the 2006 Surfers’ Hall of Fame
inductee Rob Machado that I saw first. He walked
shirtless across the sand carrying a 9ft Al Merrick stand-
up paddleboard under his arm.
Aaron Smith, the production manager at Channel Island
Surfboards informed me later that, “Rob and Al have been
working together to develop a good stand-up paddleboard
that paddles well and at the same time surfs the waves
better than the traditional stand-up boards.”
probably. It’s fun. It’s really good
exercise. I take that thing down the
beach and it’s kind of like the first
thing I do. Unless the waves are
really good. I just jump on, paddle
up the beach and catch a couple of
waves. It warms you up, it’s kind of
like going for a jog or something.
RL: What’s the biggest waves that
you have been in with that
paddleboard?
RM: Probably overhead surf.
RL: I know that you’re an avid guitar
player. Have you ever thought about
the relationship between sound
waves and ocean waves?
RM: Definitely. It’s all rhythm. There
is a huge difference when you’re in
rhythm and when you’re out of
rhythm in the ocean. Sometimes you
paddle out and the waves just come
to you. And you’re in such a good
flow, and it happens the same when
you’re playing guitar.
RL: I know that you have talked
about this many times, but it has
been over a decade since that
memorable semi-final at Pipeline
against Kelly Slater. What are your
thoughts on that day?
RM: It’s still really fresh in my mind.
Like it happened yesterday. Those
moments don’t come along very
often. It’s actually become even
better over the years, just because
we’ve had time to talk about it. To
reflect on it, and really kind of
analyze it, and be like: wow that was
crazy.
RL: From the perfect conditions to
the high-five as you were coming
out of the barrel, it was just
awesome. But do you have any
regrets?
RM: Some people say that I should
have ran him over, and try to win the
world title. But I look back, and have
been like ‘Well I would have been a
totally different person.’ It would
have changed my course a little. I’m
glad it ended up the way it did.
RL: This last question, I hate to ask,
but considering the circumstances.
What are you’re thoughts on Kelly
Slater, still out in front chasing his
eighth world title?
RM: He’s a freak. He’s always been
a freak. We’ve always looked at him
like that. When he really wants to do
something, and he’s focused . . . The
guy is really hard to beat. He’s an
amazing surfer.
Check out some awesome video footage
of Rob Machado surfing in New York for
the first time. Provided by Guerrilla Guru
Productions . Watch Video
oar over the white water, I couldn’t help
thinking, man he makes that look so
easy.
Around forty-five minutes later,
Machado came in for his shortboard.
Too bad he wasn’t here the day before
when Tropical Storm Beryl sent some
pumping surf our way. This was his first
time surfing in New York and although
the waves were barely waist high, he
was still able to rip it up and put on a
good show.
After his autograph session, I caught up
with him on the beach. We talked about
his stand-up paddleboard routine, the
relationship between ocean waves and
sound waves, Kelly Slater’s charge for
number eight and that memorable semi-
final during the Pipeline Masters in '95.
Richard Livsey: Let’s talk about the
Planet Reef Tour. I heard it has been a
real party.
Rob Machado: Yeah, it’s been good. We
started off in North Carolina. They had
an event down there last weekend.
There was a big turn out. Fun little
waves. It was really cool. Then we just
started heading up the coast.
RL: What’s a typical day like on The
Planet Reef Tour?
RM: It’s a combination of hanging out at
surf shops and then coming down to
the beach. Taking kids surfing. Going
surfing ourselves and just kind of
hanging at the beach.
RL: Did you guys catch any of that
tropical storm swell down in New
Jersey?
RM: Yesterday, it was pretty good, but I
guess that we should have been here.
But that’s life.
RL: So how was your first session in
New York?
RM: I had a blast out there.
RL: I was totally surprised to see you go
out on your stand-up paddleboard. How
long have you been doing that?
Continued at top of page
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