What's Dane Reynolds Doing?

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T HE NE X T B E S T T HING T O A C OMIC S T R IP J A NUA RY 2 0 1 3 ISSU E 508

THE NEXT BEST THING TO A COMIC STRIP

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DANE REYNOLDS

WHAT’S DANE DOING? A T H O M E W I T H S U R F I N G ’ S M O S T F A M O U S W O R L D T O U R D R O P - O U T. WO R D S A N D P H OTO S BY M O RGA N M A A S S E N

It’s been a year since Dane Reynolds has left the tour. Sure, he’s surfed in Snapper and France, but he left a huge void.

He was the second surfer to truly captivate the surfing world’s attention, while simultaneously challenging the first.

Dane refined surfing on all levels. He brought power surfing into the 21st century and rewrote the book on what could be done above the lip. But before we even truly realised what we had, he was gone. A “Declaration of Independence” was posted on his website, doing just as the title suggested… declaring his independence from the World Tour he had come to resent. But where did he go? And what has he been doing? He’s been keeping busy, and surfing better than ever. x

DANE REYNOLDS MAKING FRIENDS WITH A LONELY PEAK, NEAR HIS HOME IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

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MAIN: BLUE DANEM BELOW: DANE HAVING FUN IN A FOUR-FINNED KIND OF WAY.

DANE’S BOARDS Dane puts copious amounts of energy into boards, every single day. Not one session passes where he doesn’t contemplate at least one other board, shape, concept, or interest. Living in close proximity to his shaper also significantly contributes to his design input, and the recent addition of a small shaping garage to his house saw him shaping boards on his own property; escaping every shred of scrutiny or conformity a watchful Channel Islands shaper might have interjected. Dane was letting his imagination run free with the planer and he whipped up some exciting boards. After several attempts, one shape clicked, and saw him surfing with ability and prowess that would normally only come from a master’s craft. During his surfs, despite the looming obligation of the Quik Pro in France and Vans Triple Crown, Dane wasn’t trying to perfect his surfing on a single board; he was experimenting by feel, trying to progress his surfing while not succumbing to boredom on the average waves of home.

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DANE’S SESSIONS Dane spent most of the spring travelling, after his resignation from the WCT. Upon returning to southern California, his hometown of Ventura turned on, offering up a bounty of rippable sessions at its signature beachbreaks and pointbreaks. Dane has them wired, not only for their dependence on perfectly balanced combo swells, but for the fickle wind and weather that plague the area in those months.

Surfing almost every day, Dane would find moments of solitude amongst the ample surf schools and frothing locals. Most mornings consisted of sniffing out the right peak, surfing it according to the tide and then meandering home with a pitstop for some Mexican food.

The marine layer of fog would often times form off the sea, drifting lazily over the waves and shrouding Dane’s attack. Mini, Dane’s filmer, would always diligently find the best angles and film his sessions, capturing the action and surrounding weirdness of the small, workingclass coastal town. Considering the sleepy nature of Ventura and its extremely average summer surf, one would never surmise that some of the most exciting surfing in the world was consistently happening on its lonely beaches.

IF YOU THOUGHT DROPPING OFF TOUR MIGHT SOMEHOW DIMINISH DANE’S SURFING POWERS, YOU GOT IT WAY WRONG.

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DANE’S AT HOME Why isn’t Dane in Puerto Escondido? Why isn’t he chasing that swell to Fiji? Why is Dane surfing average Ventura? The job of a professional surfer is incessant. The stress of the World Tour, photo trips, video parts, and the constant travel can be a heavy burden to endure, especially when it resets every January – essentially it’s never ending. For Dane, someone that has dogs and enjoys homecooked meals with his girlfriend, a break from the airport lifestyle can sometimes herald a fresh perspective. And then magic happens; Just watch “Emma Wood is killing me//Sitting off the Horn” on his website, marinelayerproductions.com. Living on the road constantly, surfing the same waves on the same schedule, staying in no same timezone for more than 10 days, it’s intense. And Dane took a stand on that. He’s human, after all.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR DANE Some people think Dane has retired. Some people think Dane has disappeared. Some think Dane is doing … nothing. The truth is quite the opposite of those assumptions. Dane placed second in the Quiksilver Pro in France after receiving a wildcard entry and surfed in the Triple Crown. He’s directing Craig Anderson’s new signature film and travelling on the subsequent trips. Post-Hawaii season, California experiences its best surf of the year and then Kai Neville will likely begin filming for his next feature film. All the-while, Dane is earnestly filming every session, logging clips to upload onto the internet. While he could never make the surfing world collectively happy, Dane might just be in his most comfortable and prosperous place yet.

ALTHOUGH THE OUTLINE FOR THE FUTURE MIGHT NOT BE WELL-DEFINED, DANE REYNOLDS IS NOT DISAPPEARING ANY TIME SOON.

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DANE RIDING TIGHT THROUGH A STAINED-GLASS TUBE.

DANE DOESN’T DO AIRS HE DOES RE-ENTRIES IN THE SKY.

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