Watch: Torren Martyn // Reflection
It's been ten years since Ryan Scanlon took his idea for selling wetsuits and turned it into a company. There's been many twists in the road since then: lawsuits, name changes, plagiarists, but Scanno has evolved the company from one man show into a merry band with its own peculiar ecosystem. Each player with a unique role, all of them working interdependently.
Arguably, the most visible face of the brand is the tall fella with blonde locks and quiet demeanour. Can surf but.
This clip by Ishka Folkwell - himself a critical part of the ecosystem - is a gathering of many fine moments over he and Torren's time with the company. It's the finest travel scrapbook you're likely to see, and backed by Headland with an original moody score.
Comments
Not many finer tube riders than Torren. And how many good waves has he had.
I can watch Torren surf all day.
I can listen to Headland all day too.
Spot on. My most watched surfer, and my top artist on Spotify too. Really thankful to need essentials for introducing me to both!
They're a good band, aren't they
I keep hearing early Pink Floyd snippets in that track.
Torren's not following anything mainstream, and does his surfing really well, much better than well.
Surfed small Kuta reef this morning, crowded of course. The guy who had the most fun was on a Wayne Deane 8'0" an old board, not a mal or a shorty like most out.
Glide take-offs and long running lefties. The rest of us just had to watch and smile.
I'm hearing Pink Floyd, Crazy Horse, Tinariwen and Gustavo Santaolalla.
Fine company.
Been listening to White Sands on repeat this evening. Would be the perfect soundtrack to solo sessions at my local hideaway. So so good.
(And yes, live and with the gain turned to 11 I get some Crazy Horse too - Dangerbird maybe)
Brilliant watch & top class soundtrack, what a life Torren & Ishka lead.
such a graceful surfer
Not to pollute this post with WSL garbola, but Torren Martyn demonstrates everything that is lacking from WSL (and especially their wavepool persistence) surfing...interpretation on appropriate time scales. No pre-planning, take off and surf a wave on its merits...however you might do that.
Always blown away by Torrens surfing and the art around the footage the whole trip just resonates.
BTW never rated the boards but just totally awestruck at how well Torren surfs them.
Yes big thanks to everyone involved.
what a sensual feast...thanks to everyone involved
All on those shit boards .....amazing
There's always one
No mate , theres actually many . He has the ability to ride those boards in a fashion the customer who buys them feels they are doing something similar . They are not . He keeps the dream alive , to that I say well done .
No mate , theres actually many . He has the ability to ride those boards in a fashion the customer who buys them feels they are doing something similar . They are not . He keeps the dream alive , to that I say well done .
Totally agree.
Second biggest marketing con in the history of surfing.
Torrens style DNA goes back to a combination of Nat and Midget with a dusting of Russell Hughes.
Nats carving graceful style combined with Midgets footwork/weight position finesse.
And here is me thinking the middle THRUSTer fin actually did something.
Kimbo 1.
And which shit boards are you referring to?
Do you have or ever had one ?
I shake my head sometimes. AW
Shake all you want . Do you think Jack Freestone would be ride those rail catching dogs if he wasnt being paid to ???? mate a well edited video of you on your 7S Fish could even sell a few more .
Thinking the same myself Kimbo
So Josh Kerr enters a QS Comp , knowing full well he will be the most highly published surfer of the event ( and to his credit , probaby the best surfer) . when interviewed launches into an advertismnet for the new model his riding . The Video we watched was an info add . should be anounced by the publisher.
That was really nice....
He is living a very nice life!
Could watch this all day, and full credit to Ishka, stunning cinematography and I use the word reservedly. Respect to both
He could hang up the boardies and head down to the local lawn bowls green and be a very content man.
sure could. leave instructions to play this film at your funeral, Torren, your loved ones will be grinning ear to ear through tears of pure joy.
We have had a superb August, back to back typhoon swells. Today.
Zen. Hi mate, hope you and yours are well.
Beautiful shot of your swell. Did you get amongst it ?
All the best. AW
You betcha AW. So surfed out. Been great waves recently and coinciding with 8 days off. I think I've surfed 13 of the last 15 days. Probs again tomorrow but wife is starting to get a bit niggly ha ha!
Hope you're getting some too.
Good stuff mate. Dead flat on my coast today ( Torquay coast).
Got my fill last week fortunately.
Surfers wife minor problems, global issue regardless of nationality. Go well .AW
All good AW, cooked her a nice dinner, we're surrounded by pets and she's watching her shows on tele.
Life is good like Torrens.
Had the pleasure of a chat with him a couple of months ago. Such a nice relaxed guy. Non existent ego, mellow and grateful for the life he and his family have.
Wouldn’t meet a nicer guy. Quiet demeanour. AW
Obon turns on! Looks great, Zen.
Clivus, Obon has been so good.
Just got back from another fun as surf at our local reef point. Handful of locals, plenty of waves, good vibes. I'm fried.
Sensational
Zenny: most local waves beachies or river mouth set ups?
ie: hard work when you get solid swell from typhoons?
Hi Soli, my area I guess would be similar to east coast Oz with much more cement. Varies, some places dry hair paddle others if you don't time it right can be a nightmare. Lots of beachies, a few breakxalls, a few river/creek mouths, a reef point which is the jewel in the crown in our area, very localised. Actually, we have it all.
The place above is very fickle and can get brutal. Yesterday was pretty user friendly comparitively so out there. Sometimes it's frightening and I won't touch it.
Anyhoo- another surf beckons this morning. I know a breakwall that should be on in an hour or two.
Sounds like a great place to be a surfer. Why does the water always look less than clear over there?
Do you have to get down to Okinawa to get clear, blue water?
Usally typhoons come with heaps of rain and this one no exception so heaps of runoff. About 200m north is a small river. The water is often clear and blue here coinciding with dry spells and warm water and in winter with westerly winds. When the water is cold It's usually that murky greeny colour as a result of the water being nutrient rich.
A friend goes regularly to Ishigakijima in Okinawa, reckons It's like surfing in an aquarium.
If you can get over the cement, Japan is a really nice place to surf. Reasonably consistent, some good waves natural or by accident and sometimes epic. Locals are generally nice, like anywhere bring your manners and a smile and you're golden.
This has been an exceptional run of swell and It's still going.
I got a nice typhoon swell in Ishigaki once during Silver Week (2016). Slabby right on the western side of the island
Japanese are keen travelers too, always some around here, and usually friendly!
rasta"s little brother, they both seem to make the unmakeable easily makeable.
great surfing great tunes.
I started watching these films for Torrens surfing, but stayed for Ishka's work, great cinematography
Ishka is an understated genius. finds moments of serendipity like the nownow guys, cos they are living a visceral thing, not just shooting a film (i assume you have held back on linking the masencamp seaweed film to give this one space to breathe, @stu. excellent call.)
Absolutely outstanding! Surfing, music, cinematography, everything!
Not shit boards to him, hes surfing the boards HE wants to. It's refreshing to see someone genuinely traveling his own path, we could all learn from that.
thanks for sharing.
timeless...a perfect precis.
Unpretentious style, honed from surfing perfect waves with no one around.
I think its unnatural, cruel and unfair how many freaking tubes that guy has had compared to the rest of us.....
WHY!!!????????????????????
(tears tumbling into my keyboard.....)
beautiful film in every way; thank you to all..
solid highlight reel
What was the lawsuit about ?
Legal stoush with US distributors, not sure of the cause, but one sued, the other counter sued, then it went quiet for a while, and shortly after the US distributors reappeared as Colby + wetsuits.
From memory there was also something about the name 'Needs' hence it's always stylised as needessentials now.
https://www.theinertia.com/surf/need-essentials-u-s-distributor-splits-o...
Sounds like complicated end to a friendship
Geeze that took me down a reddit rabbit hole.
haha, same. ordered some more workpants but. out of black. 2025 = dunegrass rat year.
Sureal experience
I worked with guy years ago who would get hammered and buy shit off the infomercials
Came to work one day complaining about not having money...
What did you spend it on ?
" non stick fry pans" was his response .
Brilliant!
How'd they go ?
I replied.
Mesmerising, and I loved the snow thongs in the opening 20 seconds.
Mesmerising, and I loved the snow thongs in the opening 20 seconds.
well, gotta say, $80 for some farking awesome trousers from needessentials seems alright to me. Sizing is right on the money, post prompt, communication clear, dunno why I need 3 buttons to keep my pants on, but if it gets me outta my boot-cut jeans and into some killer older-gent moleskins, I'm all in. Just ordered 3 more pairs. That should be me done for life clothes-wise now, thank you!