The 5 Funniest People in Surfing Right Now
The realm of surf comedy is at an all-time high with endless podcasts and posts being created for social media that poke fun at all the different people, places, and experiences within our world. We've curated some of our favorite bits and skits from this list featuring some (but not all) of surfing's funniest comedians.
Although no one on this list is on the CT, the one thing that everyone has in common is that they were--or still are--professional surfers. Sometimes it takes humor to tell the truth in the best way and these five know how to do just that and more. This selection focuses specifically on surfing although they're combined range touches upon everything from Berlin's nightlife culture, a skate mom on house arrest, Laird's plans for Halloween, and the trauma of flying economy and much more.
Social media can be a dark place but these surfers know how to light it up again and again so enjoy, give them all a follow, and be sure to share with your friends.
Sterling Spencer
It's not just the subjects Sterling covers in his podcast show Pinch My Salt, but it's also how he says things. A master at using his own soft-spoken voice to create an ongoing sense of comedy at every moment. Sterling fuses his lived experiences into honest stories and hilarious interviews with his guests. Most notable was his recent episode with Tom Curren, who is notorious for shunning interviews and not saying much. Sterling got Tom to open up on a range of subjects from the "womens" and perils of pro surfing life, to twin fins vs thrusters, owning a Gerry Lopez soft-top, and roller skating with Occy.
Another favorite Sterling clip is the one below where he talks about how airs aren't that cool, especially when compared to barrels (or latinas).
Ivy Miller
Born to a family of lifeguards in Southern California, Ivy Miller's life was steeped in surfing from the very beginning. Today she keeps busy with a steady stream of work ranging from comedy skits for her Instagram, to professional modeling, working with Netflix, and trips and events as a pro surfer. She rips harder in surf and snow than most dudes and can lean into jokes in ways guys never could. See the clip below for her take on the classic creepy guy at the beach.
Another favorite is this clip of her going over the falls--a funny spoof on the endless amounts of barrel clips set to hip hop. The transition to Enya and her skipping out of the water all happy-go-lucky is just hilarious.
Raglan Surf Report
I'm not sure when I first started following Luke Cederman's satirical Raglan Surf Report, but I'm sure glad I did. The Kiwi power surfer keeps serving up regular laughs by poking fun at everything from surf coaching, German backpackers trying to impress girls at the surf hostel, and dangerous sea creatures (check out his merch here). His "surf solo hat" clip below is genius, where he adapts the blinders made for horses so, "you can feel like you're surfing alone".
He's also been known to make some great interview splices, plopping himself into make believe scenarios with Joe Rogan and Chris Hemsworth.
McKenzie Bowden
A few months back I interviewed McKenzie on he trip he did to Norway with Roark and it turned out to be quite the yarn. While he plays the funny guy on IG, he is a great conversation on any topic and I can see how he would be a great addition to any trip. His travels open doors for him to both explore and mock new realms not strictly beholden to surfing but his surf-centric stuff is quite often brilliant. See the below clip on expats in Bali.
Mason Ho
Of all the surfers on this list, brada Mase is the gnarliest. His relationship with Pipeline alone places him firmly into surfing's most elite realm. His Instagram isn't made of memes, it's made of bombs. Crazy surfing aside, his presence on land brings smiles with him everywhere he goes. His recent foray into podcasting with JOB gives us a deeper look into the thoughts and stories of one of surfing's most fun-to-watch people.
The clip below may be from 11 years ago but it's still great, in case you've never seen it.