What Happened to the Music Megastars Who Surf?
Surfing and music go way back. There is even a genre called surf music. Which, ironically, wasn’t even made by surfers, but by middle-aged dudes using Middle Eastern music scales and reverb. And while most surfers are into music, there was a time when the world’s biggest musos were into surfing.
In the 2000s, Metallica had a signature range of Billabong boardshorts and both Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo would be seen shralping their mini-mals after each head-banging gig on their world tours. “Whenever I surf I feel something deep inside me,” the 61-year-old Hammett recently told Esquire. “That’s the same feeling I have when playing on stage in front of a lot of people.”
Eddie Vedder, the lead singer of Pearl Jam, was, or is, another example of the surf music crossover. As of 2023, Pearl Jam had sold more than seven million gig tickets and grossed $351,816,504. In 2024, their new album "Dark Matter" helped them hit number one on five Billboard charts. And yes, that surprised me too. If Nirvana were just a poor man’s Mudhoney, a controversial opinion I’ve stuck to since 1991, what on earth is Pearl Jam?
It turns out that for Vedder the 30 years on the road wasn’t about the fans or the music, which makes more sense. “What I’ve worked and sacrificed for is not to be on stage playing music but to surf in some secluded place,” Vedder recently said. He has a home in Hawaii, jams with Kelly Slater and is best mates with Mark Richards - tick, tick, tick.
And the list went on; some of the biggest rock stars were the biggest surf frothers. Anthony Kiedis and Flea from Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Perry Farrell from Jane’s Addiction and Porno for Pyros, Ben Harper, G-Love, The Beastie Boys’ Mike D and, uhm, Jason Mraz, who always makes these lists, despite no one I’ve ever known having bought his albums, or any evidence he surfs. Switchfoot, whose very name is surfing-based and so must be legit have sold 10 million records. More than 20 years ago Jack Johnson’s debut album sold more than 2.5 million copies, and he's sold another 20 million since.
And yet, you might notice that that list isn’t exactly peppered with a current wave of youth culture. If all these dudes, and they are all dudes, were to turn up for a local boardriders event, they’d have to all surf in the Over 50 Masters Division. I’d have my money on Farrell or Flea. The heats would feature plenty of long hair, jewelry, mid-length twin fins and low two-wave totals.
Related: Jack Johnson Joins Stephen Marley, Bob Weir On New Album Release
Contemporary famous musicians who are surfers are now thin on the ground. Or as a member of Taylor Swift’s entourage said to a member of John John Florence’s entourage, when asked if she wanted a surf lesson; “Taylor Swift doesn’t get wet."
Flying the surfer as musician flag the loudest and highest is Fisher, the Aussie Qualifying Series grinder turned international DJ superstar. DJs, to be fair, are the new rock stars, and Fisher, with his private jets, Ibiza residences, Coachella main stages, $250,000 fees per gig and collabs with J-Lo, is somehow, now in the top strata. It’s a safe bet that he surfs better than Bruno Mars, and has earned more money than every single QS surfer to strap on a singlet.
Yet there isn’t a surfer in sight in all the current big acts. Sia don’t slash, Bieber don’t get barreled, Billie Eilish doesn’t boost, Lamar can’t layback, The Weeknd aren’t warriors, Drake doesn’t airdrop and Frank doesn’t Ocean.
The crossover will always exist, and the likes of Xavier Rudd, Ben Howard, The Dune Rats, Hockey Dad, Fidlar, Wavves, The Drums, Tijuana Panthers, Dune, Buttertone, and Beau Young are surfing by day, and gigging by night.
But they aren’t exactly on the Main Stage. The days of music’s contemporary megastars being surfers is a thing of the past. Has the surf band broken up for good, the irreconcilable differences too much? Or like Oasis, are they just on a 15-year break?
More to the point, does anyone care?
Related: Fisher Remixes Bob Marley Classic "Jammin'" For New "One Love" Film
Related: Eddie Vedder Joins High School Band For Surprise Performance
