Can you believe it? Being quarantined? It seems like there are varying circumstances all over the United States, but this eerie cloud of isolation and just a weird feeling in the air is ever prevalent. We could be hanging inside for a while, so time might start to move in slow motion. A lot of us are in the same realm that getting exercise and being active every day is a day well spent. While being cooped up, we can use this spare time we find ourselves with finding new love for things we do daily and get new drive that you might not have had. One of the things that people could lose sometime soon is surfing, and while this sounds trivial to some others hold it in high regard. Obviously it is a tad bit selfish to tote an activity so highly, but a lot of people find solace in the sea. A ton of us long for our time spent in the ocean, and with building stress and lack of other things to do this is something we look forward to doing. 

Nothing gets you excited about surfing like a good surf clip. The crux of this though: most surf films can get us chomping at the bit to enter the oceans vortex, try and get as low to the water as possible, or as high above the lip as we can. A proper surf clip is something you typically don’t want to watch if you can’t surf. However, why not just build up all this froth and excitement, so when you get back to surfing you are absolutely tweaking to get back into the water. It could be tomorrow (watch any SoCal cam and it looks like business as usual) or a month away. Start getting excited, sooner or later we will be able to get back the thing that brings a smile to our face even on our darkest days.

So here they are, 5 relatively short clips that will surely get you licking your lips for some water time. While most are hi-fi performance hammers (guilty, as that is always what gets me the most psyched), it touches all facets of surfing, from tubes to turns to tail-high punts. 

2019. from Ryan Callinan on Vimeo.

Ryan Callinan is one of the most fun surfers to watch on the CT currently, and is madly underrated. From a polished and powerful backhand to the things he’s done on the forehand that are hard to comprehend, this clip showcases Ryan does have the complete package. Filmed over a year and in all different locations, this should get you excited to just surf. Sure, we all won’t look like Ryan, but we all can try. 

For What It’s Worth from Layne Stratton on Vimeo.

Cam Richards grew up in South Carolina and has quickly became a household name. With a crazy WOTW entry on a board shaped by his pops (that was well over 7’ tall), Cam has been touted as a pipe specialist. What some may not have known, is that Cam also has a crazy air game, from stylish straight airs to oops to backside spinny things. It’s always nice to watch someone that might have grown up surfing conditions you may have. Anything is possible with determination. Getting that wave that Cam got last winter and making every section, however, might take longer than you’d like (it’d most likely never happen). 

Everyone needs a little spice here and there to reignite the fire. While most will not be able to surf a 4’10” as fluidly as Asher, it may trigger some curiosity as to riding alternative shapes. Watch enough Asher, Ryan Burch, or Bryce Young, and you might just pull the trigger on a fish or an asymmetrical or something even weirder. New boards make you draw new lines, and while we all don’t live by fabled point breaks and all don’t get consistently fun peaky waves, there’s no harm in trying something new. You never know, maybe you were born to ride a 4’10” twin fin. 

Parker Coffin has a great Instagram if you want micro-doses of form and high flying airs to live in your feed. From a tack sharp backside that found it’s stride from surfing the Queen of the Coast to huge laybacks, Parker surfs fast. If you are a goofy foot, nothing is more fun than watching Parker tee off on a roping Rincon right, carefully cutting back and placing powerful punches. Parker gathered the clips  and deemed it as a “surf bender”, something which just about everyone wishes they could be on the path to. Nothing is better than consistently surfing, because on one hand it keeps you happy, and on the other hand you get to sharpen your craft. 

No matter what boards you like to surf, or who your favorite surfer is, you’d most likely be labeled as a kook if you had beef with JJFs rail game (or any aspect of his surfing). Rewind back to his Margies performance or watch some clips of him at rock piles and Haleiwa and you’ll understand. John draws unique lines and holds his turns much longer than most, giving pleasurable viewing and often (attempted) replicas of his surfing. You’ll need a big canvas if you want to draw the lines anything remotely similar to johns, so you might need to keep this one on ice until the waves get bigger than you are tall.