Modern Day Shortboarding Through The Eyes Of Alex Knost

Californian surfer Alex Knost rides logs, mid-lengths and shortboards with a kind of Bruce Lee-meets-Thurston Moore zing-shred-pow. His influences obviously extend to well beyond the surf world but we figured it’d be interesting to find out which modern day shortboarders get his mojo running…

Ford Archbold Mushies at Night
Ford surfs for fun and fun only. He despises self promotion and rips way harder than anyone thinks. He draws unique lines and maximises the entire length of his board. I watched him paddle out in the pitch black night at big Log Cabins, and he was really high on mushrooms. No one can give him shit because to him it doesn’t exist. He’s as much Archbold as he is Ford.

Ozzie Modest Revolution
Duh… coolest dude ever. Took moon rocks with him all night, he stayed up, painted six boards with oil pastels at dawn, then paddled out at terrible Newport in California and ripped on a finless soft top. He’s my hero and another modest revolutionary.    

Christian Fletcher Not A Dork
Christian’s not a dork, he tells it how it is. If I was him and had done what he’s done I’d be a prick, but he’s punk as can be and if surfers these days were more like him, the surf industry would be a better place, more radical, less self absorbed with internet garbage, less ass kissing. Oh, and he’s a Fletcher, and he skates insane, and surfed 10 years before his time. Love him like a brother.

Gavin Beschen Interior Feelings
The most modest and stylish surfer I know. I’ve seen him pack such heavy backside ones at Off the Wall. He gave Ford a free board and that is so selfless… such Aloha. His patience at Rocky Point last winter impressed me beyond belief. Unique introvert style, he surfs for interior feelings. I love that his gratification stems from that. Also his part in some Volcom movie when he surfs to Sabbath at Sunset Beach is the coolest thing ever. I have a lot of respect for him and have only spoken four words to him ever.

Mason Ho Spirit Child
Free spirited free style charger. I love the way he uses his whole board and he seems completely unaware of any sort of consequence in the water. I watched him at low tide rights at Rockpiles and it was so shallow and heavy and he didn’t care at all. Ford turned me onto him that day, he told me to just watch and when I did my head fell off.