Professional surfing is a sport with millions of followers. One of the best in the league of pro surfers is 27 year old Dane Reynolds. This madman from the Ventura area of California is identified as one of the last of his kind.
Acknowledged and admired for lots of untried tactics as well as aerial displays of magnificence. Inducted into the Surfer Hall of Fame in 2012 definitely put a stamp of approval on a short, but distinguished career for Dane Reynolds.
The beginning
His interest in surfing began at an early age. In the fifth grade he moved from Bakersfield to Ventura which made an enormous impact on his career. Although he didn’t start competing until he was 13, at the age of 16 he decided to quit school and devote 100 percent of his time to professional surfing.
Competitions
His first big competition came with the 2003 and 2004 X Games. Winning both back to back with his new style of surfing put him on the map professionally. It made his name recognizable in the surfing world. He won both competitions with the highest single wave score.
He has had an esteemed career that has traveled consistently up with major sponsors that include Vans, Channel Islands and Quicksilver. In 2008 he got second place after Jordy Smith on the ASP World Qualifying Series and started his rookie year of the ASP Tour. He moved from a world ranking of number 19 to the top ten in less than one year.
A breakout year came in 2010 for Reynolds with when he tied for fourth place with the ASP Tour. Unfortunately a knee injury cost him his 2011 tour on the same circuit. He failed to attend the first three events because of the bad knee.
Outside of surfing
Along with surfing Reynolds has tried his hand at acting. Winning the best male performance in a video at the 2006 Surfer Poll Awards was liberating. It encouraged him to continue to pursue his dream of surfing but to also engage in other related forms of income. The “First Chapter” was a game changer when it came to all that surfing had to offer him.
He has had several roles in films that include Young Guns, Lost Atlas, Thrills Spills and Whatnot and Stranger Than Fiction to name only a few.
Creating his own surfboard
One of things he has done to remove himself from the average surfer is constructing his own surfboard. Granting there are only a few other surfers who have ventured in this direction, Dane Reynolds is certainly among the youngest. In 2011 the talented Reynolds surfaced with the Channel Islands Sperm Whale.
Even though he has shaped a number of different boards, he admits sticking close to home for riding them. He has used some in a few professional events, though in several interviews he admits he is still a novice when it comes to his shaping skills. He is certainly learning more each day and continuing to work at it.
In conclusion
While he likes to chase higher waves, faster spins and more rail, Dane Reynolds is certainly unique. He has crafted more than 20 different boards during his career along with putting his face in a variety of different films.
Many people wonder what Reynolds would have done if born during the 60s and surfing his career in the 70s. They admit he would have fit in perfectly with the style and talent the young man has shown the world. He executes a surfing strategy at a velocity unseen for the last couple of decades