Free friction is an interesting corner of the surf world. There are only a few who really stand out–Derek Hynd, of course, but also people like Jordan Rodin. Like most, Rodin didn’t start off without fins.
After a knee injury sustained while surfing a regular shortboard, he had to take four months off for rehab. When he was finally able to get in the water again, he started out slow. “When I could finally surf,” he told Bluewhiteandgrey.com, “I nursed the knee on the single fin for a couple of months and one day I forgot my fin for the board so I just waxed up and went out!”
From then on, his focus changed. “You can do one little turn on a wave,” he says, “and it’s better than doing three turns on a shortboard. That’s just how I feel.”
See more from the filmmakers, Pierre David & Douglas Guillot, on Vimeo and on David&Douglas.tv.