Watch: Asher Pacey // Carillon
Not only is Asher Pacey an outlier in that he's a paid freesurfer long after the concept supposedly died, but he's also an in demand test pilot.
Last year Stab ran an article 'Nobody Gets Paid To Ride Surfboards', featuring a rolling interview of A-grade shapers explaining their team and sponsor gigs, the headline largely summing up their arrangements. Again however, Pacey is an outlier. He's ridden for Darcy, got a better offer to ride for DHD, and followed it up by riding for Album the last few years.
Surfboard Marketing 101 says you need to put your boards under the feet of succesful, visible surfers. Ergo, pro surfers, and the higher up the WSL chain the better.
But a sideways take on that is to put your boards under the feet of someone with a bit of cachet and, importantly, a lot of technical chops. And that's what Album have done. Few surfers look as balanced and visually appealing as old Asher, even the blonde locks flowing in the wind add to the display.
His currency is a fluid style - always on the face or under the lip, the air days are over - that speaks to the Everyman surfer, that's radical yet relatable, that makes surfers think they could possibly string a wave together like Asher, or even just a turn, if they only had the right equipment.
It's seductive thinking. Healthy too, as it fires the imagination, seeks visual preparation, and fosters a bold, if sometimes blind, sense of optimism.
So here's Asher at Winki and Bells, being our better selves. Squint and you may just see yourself surfing.
Comments
awesome - thanks :)
How's where his back foot is on that first twinnie!
Yes! Gives you better idea how he is hooking his turns by moving foot all the way back..
"Healthy too, as it fires the imagination, seeks visual preparation, and fosters a bold, if sometimes blind, sense of optimism."
hahahahaha, so true!
I love Asher and Margos surfing, is it just me, or do they both seem to get 'hung up' on these boards?
Who are the shapers for Album? They do look beautifully made boards from what I have seen.
Matt Parker is the owner and designer of Album. Not sure who cuts them here in Oz.
Still good, but definitely isn't the best surfing I've seen from Asher.
Pretty good for a 5/4/3, gloves and boots though and someone that rarely wears them.
Would agree Stu as I watched seemed tender footed on the quad unable to apply full pressure on his turns. tons of speed on the high line..
Mitch Surman shapes on the Sunny Coast
Beautiful Work...Outer Island Morning of the Earth and many others use him
I Agree ohv.
Album Surf | Australia
80-82 Sixth Avenue, Maroochydore Queensland 4558, Australia
[email protected]
Used are Pricey Christ - https://albumsurf.com.au/collections/used-boards
Am I just imagining this or does AP have one glass eye as well!?! Feel like I might have read that in a mag a while back but could be wrong. Either way the man can surf with style eh!!!! Good stuff
Good surfing, easy on the eye.
Fun looking waves too.
Definitely looks off to me. Don’t know if it’s the boards or the rubber.
Quad looks stiff to me, does not like to carve through turns, want to pivot instead. Nice video and great surfer obviously. The Albums Josh Kerr rides go amazing.
2nd that - seemingly couldn't push through the turns
yeah agree that second board looks like a dog. Apologies to Album and the boards shaper, but know how good Asher surfs and it looks like he is nursing it alot, on some epic waves that he should be laying way harder lines... maybe it's becaause I am to much of a fan of twinnies - I ride a gary mcneil torus twin......
I must be the only one who loved his surfing on that quad.
Really smooth high lines, effortless speed, great off the bottom and lovely top turns.
Just had a second look, and still think that way.
it is longer, and being a double ender has a much longer effective rail line- maybe that is what looks off?
Surfs more like a 6'6" than a 6'2" ????
I was in the water when he was out on that thing, and it looked easy 6'6, longer even. Maybe we're just used to seeing him on such short boards.
How’d it look from the water?
He was fair hooking
FR true, it's opposite to the tight somewhat "twitchy" lines of a twinnie... to be honest though such sick waves I reckon he could of made it look good surfing the front door...
check the turn at 4:07 and then compare it with the turn at 1:19...... similar sections - comes from around the foam, with lots of speed, steep (but not hollow) section........
enjoyed watching him surf that quad more than the twin. The board has speed to burn, but the board did look WAY too big for him. Like a kid riding his dads board.
Playback @ 1:25 is Cool for that Longer Bboard
Boards Ridden ~ 5'8 Sunstone - 6'2 Double Ender Proto
6'2 ??
Nice viewpoint on his marketability... definitely surfing that the "everyday" punter can relate/aspire to ( except for the fkn twin fins... wouldn't be seen dead on one)
meh..
sorry, but those were world class waves.
in my opinion that wasnt world class watching,
maybe mediocrity is the new black so long as the board doesnt have a centre fin.
Made the mistake of reading the comments before watching so maybe my mind was made up already before I saw it but that was easily the worst I’ve ever seen him surf.
Those high line-arms above the head-things are purely for the camera.
Same as Mikey Feb, Steph G, even Bryce Young to a lesser extent… they 100% would not be doing that if they knew a camera wasn’t on them.
Nexxxtttt
I thought the same, very contrived.
Haven't watched this yet but know it will be better than watching WSL finals day. Well Ewing was good to watch.
Looks like he scored and had fun.
A bit Tyler Wright circa 2019-2022 with the repetitious lay back.
Certainly doesn’t inspire me to buy that quad.
How do these dudes, Dead Kooks etc justify $1500-2000+ for their boards?
When I first watched it I wondered if it was the difference in power in that Southern ocean swell vs the more "playful" waves I normally see him surfing at snapper *. But now I wonder if it was something else after reading the comments.
* Written by someone who has not surfed the goldie so forgive me if I have that wrong.
Watched this yesterday and didn't finish it. The longer board wasn't working for him. Just read these comments and it seems some agree.
Tough crowd. I reckon he goes alright. Maybe not his best, but he ain't at Snapper either.
How's the back going Ox. On the mend?
Hey Zen ... don't get me wrong, he still surfed great but I thought the longer board at times looked a bit awkward. He usually surfs really short boards so maybe that's why.
Back is good but I have nerve damage in my foot still which has caused the top of my foot and big toe to be numb. I can't surf in cold water because of that. Warmer water last summer was fine but cold water is not on.
I'm hoping to surf again this summer and hopefully the numbness improves by next winter. Frustrating!
Good luck with the recovery. You'll get there.
Haha yes agree with you Zen, tough crowd. Would be happy to surf that well. However, the quad did look a bit long for him, not bad but different. Mind you, had my 6'2" out today, only comes up to my nose, so I'm guessing he is a shorter bloke.
I don’t think anyone is saying he’s a bad surfer, and he’s not being compared to Joe blows like you and I, he’s being compared to himself in other footage that you see fairly often where he’s surfing is absolutely razor sharp.
Everyone on this thread would love to be able to surf like that!
He is a Big Fella 6ft easily and no Longer Wirey ....
Now that's how you surf the pop!
Fantastic surfer!
Pleasure to watch.
High line trims on the Quad
Sublime.
Like the comments above, this is the first video I got bored with after less than half of it. Not sure if it was the boards, or surfing but yeah, something was a little off. Bigger board looked too big.
6'2'' They Say ?