Rob Machado

Rob Machado is not just one of the world’s greatest surfers; he’s one of the sport’s most recognizable characters, a living icon who continues to expand the definition of what professional surfing is all about. Known for his Zen-like flow both on land and in the water, Machado was consistently seeded at the top of the rankings as a competitor on the ASP World Tour. His world-title-deciding heat at Pipeline against close friend Kelly Slater in 1995 remains perhaps the most dramatic – and uplifting – showdowns in competitive surfing history. With 12 career WCT victories, Machado was ranked among the top ten surfers for eleven straight years and was inducted into the Surfers Hall of Fame in 2000 and re-inducted in 2006.

But his contribution to the sport doesn’t end with his accolades in a colored jersey. Since his departure from the ASP tour in 2001, Machado has been one of surfing’s most committed ambassadors, roaming the globe, surfing the world’s best waves and broadening the definition of high-performance surfing. From reinventing tube riding in the depths of Indo to blowing minds on the finless, wooden planks known as alaias, Machado is often seen as a modern-day Gerry Lopez: A true embodiment of style and aloha.