Torin Martin has almost inadvertently become one of the more influential surfers of the past decade,

and he's done so without chasing any competitive tour path. From my perspective,

it's just his relatability that surf fans have so connected with. And delusional as we may be to think

that we can surf like Torin, his approach at least looks much more similar to an average

surfers approach than does

Gabriel Medina's or Itolo Ferreira's.

To this point, he's also changed how people think about equipment.

During the 2010's, most high-level surfing centered around shortboard shredding and

Torin showed that refined twin fins and mid-lengths

could be ridden aggressively and elegantly in more powerful and critical surf without looking

retro or novelty-driven. He, however, did not become this popular through his own individual

Moxie. I can point to three very tight partnerships and collaborations that were crucial in his story.

Simon Jones, his surfboard shaper, Need Essentials, the wetsuit and clothing brand that supports

him, and Ishka Falkwell, the filmmaker.

All four have worked together in equal parts to help achieve their mutual ambition to explore

great surf around the globe.

These efforts coalesced into a series of now iconic surf films that share a theme

of slow surf travel with an emphasis on really connecting to the local people,

culture, and place. Their latest project was just released on Need Essential's YouTube channel

and is already receiving rave reviews. Entitled Southern Edge, the 76-minute film follows

Torin and Ishka as they attempt to circumnavigate

Tasmania in two 18-foot sailing kayaks on a quest to serve remote waves. This film almost

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