Dane Reynolds // Chapter 11 - video
Things move fast in the surf world. If a surfer dissappears for a year the fans easily forget about them. How quickly they become yesterday's man! It seemed like that was the path Dane Reynolds was heading on when he dropped his sponsor and willingly slid from view. Something was clearly amiss with his relationship to pro surfing but that could only be divined via his erratic behaviour and the rumour mill. Dane was typically coy.
All the mystery is revealed in 'Chapter 11', his latest movie, where Dane describes the awkward arc of his pro surfing career and why he made the decisions he did. It's as much a treatise against shareholder corporations as it is a bio flick. It also makes a stop at the platform of existential dread to deliver a warning: if you take a job you don't agree with the internal contradictions will eventually wear you down.
Which leads us to the point of this movie - at least its commercial aim. It's long been rumoured Reynolds and Craig Anderson (who also quit Quiksilver) were combining to make a company and in the closing minutes of Chapter 11 their new company, Former, makes its debut. "I don't care if I never surf a contest again," says Reynolds midway through the film. "I want to do something with integrity. Something I can be proud of."
Former is just that 'thing'. Don't expect to see it floated on the sharemarket anytime soon.
Comments
"I went with Quiksilver beacuse they had a sick logo". Classic insight into the business mind of a grommet.
Incredible movie.
will watch when I get home
didn't Dane win a court case worth a few million off Quiksilver ??
I haven't watched a surf flick in ages but I'm glad I watched that one.
I guess Dane is just one of those ultra-talented surfers more at home in the water than on land. Along with Marzo, I love watching Danes surfing, just the raw power combined with the unpredictable lines he draws. He's a pretty incredible surfer to watch.
Great 'effing music too.
Thanks SN for putting this up.
I said it last night, this is as good as it gets for high performance power shredding
Is Dane broke? Chuck some money too baliwaves they are too! I know your watching!
Heaps of aussie in there too..just needed jordy to tip ot off...
So will Former actually manufacture hardware relevant to surfing and skateboarding or just be another avenue of consumption for sheep that want to subscribe to a particular image in an already saturated market place? I don't see any difference apart from one brand being privately owned (for the time being) and one being owned by a bailout firm.
Love watching Dane surf and put him in the same category as JJF and Jordy all power surfers who can go to the air. He hates contests but from a purely personal aspect I used to love watching what he would do in them. Also gives you an insight into his drive to succeed. He is no stoner just super motivated to surf his best, just not in contests. Good stuff.
Da Cat quote--"These few Wall Street Flesh Merchants (Quicksilver) seek to unify surfing--only to extract the wealth". "The competitive part of it all is a whole different ballgame, a whole different camp from what I am involved in. I don't want to think about it. It destroys the whole purpose of riding waves. I don't like noises, I don't like crowds, I don't like bullhorns going off, and people giving me orders how to ride, how to do certain maneuvers." -----Dane Reynolds is sounding more and more like Miki Dora almost everyday.
Best part is he went from one wall street flesh Merchant to a bigger one; Vans is owned by Vanity Fair Corporation.....
Wait--that whole clip was basically an Advertisement to lead up to plugging "their own Company"? Is this true? That actually kinda offends me. Just thought the Dude was doin this to make an actual honest point--not to try and make even more bucks after his twenty million he already got paid by quicksilver....
Dane walked away with about 20 million dollars in his pocket from Quicksilver (while still in his twenties)--way, way more money than almost anybody will ever see in their life time. He'll never have to work another day in his life unless he wants to--and now he's "crying" sour grapes.....Quick didn't treat him right? He got his feeling hurt?
Whilst you shouldn't be surprised that there may (or may not) have been an ulterior marketing motive behind a surf video, it's worth pointing out that - as far as I can see - his new company doesn't have a website or social media page, and doesn't have any product for sale yet.
So, the merits of this video as a promotional tool remains to be seen.
Sure, the surfing is red hot and Dane's now provided some interesting background to his last couple of years with Quik, which seems to have satisfied many an old cynical bastards. It was a great story, told (and produced) in a way only Dane seems to do properly in the surfing world.
But do the kids care?
After all, old cynical bastards aren't the apparel-purchasing-demographic he needs to appeal to in order to push units.
As far as the merits of the video--maybe he was just 'testing the waters'--to try and get some feedback--if anybody was buying it...still seems he was crying sour grapes...
actually, despite what you hear it is the older bastards who do the spending in the surf game.
It's one of the biggest myths out there that it's millenials doing the spending.
On boards, hardwear, and surf travel. On fashion, which is what Former is, the spenders are 18-30 and daylight second.
right you are.
You going to get a former T Stu?
Do they come in plain white with no logos?
he is as good as lynch. With less ,,,stress...
20 mill FR isn't that what our great and wise PM sleeps in? Not sure what Dane would do with it he sure doesn't lead a lavish lifestyle and is certainly no hedonist.