Brad Gerlach on why Conner Coffin will be the world's best in two years!
For regular readers of BeachGrit, Brad Gerlach needs little in the way of introduction.
But, if you need a taste.
Click here for “How I Fucking Smashed Pottz” or here “Five Mistakes You Make Every Time You Surf” or maybe even here “Gerr: What I learned Watching a WQS!”
Our feelings toward Gerr veer dangerously close to a crush and, therefore, when he was transiting overnight in my neighbourhood, I moved the heavens and earth to get him in front of a camera to talk about his coaching of Conner Coffin, what he thinks of Kelly Slater in 2016 and the tendency in pro surfing circles to “work” on your surfing.
On Conner, whom he believes can be the best surfer in the world in two years: “He’s technically and intellectually ready to be the best surfer in the world. You haven’t seen the turns he can do. There’s a turn that we worked on during the off-season that nobody else can do. If he does it right, he’ll rewrite the judging criteria.”
On critics of Kelly Slater: “All these stupid fucking people out there, going, ‘Aw well, he’s lost three heats in a row. He sucks and he should fucking kick out and he’s not surfing as good and those boards look shitty… fuck you and your stupid dumb… you have no technical eye whatsoever. He’s fucking shredding!”
On working on surf: “There’s work and there’s play. What you tend to hear from a lot of these surfers is, ‘I’ve been working really hard.’ Working, working, working, working, working. Have they ever considered that watching someone…work…isn’t that much fun? We don’t want to watch you work, we want to watch you defy gravity. (But) Adriano de Souza worked his ass off! There you go, hard work won the world title. Am I impressed? I’m impressed? Do I want to watch him surf? No. Sorry man. I don’t want to watch somebody work on a wave.”
Watch here!
power look
Couldn’t agree more with Gerr’s thoughts on peoples criticism’s of Kelly. Stop and watch him surf for a second, nobody has the technical wizardry he has, even when he is losing heats the guy is on a completely different level in terms of how he approaches a wave.
So, have read all the “thoughtful replies” clearly their seems a disconnect with sense happening. Many offer only Shit like porn pimp music, hats, bubbles glasses, bringing back the 80s, his age, wardrobe, somehow have a place here as relevant that some can only offer to what the subject of the piece is. While amusing. None of this worthy of comment from me. Others, can only retort with “oh yea? Well your a fag” type shit. Stupid dumb Re-fuccing-dickless. Here is really what you all are given with this story. Straight direct answers that are stood behind. AND ANSWERED TO HERE by the person (article subject) who makes his case in the way he chooses to look, speak, think. for this I can only express gratitude! ITS A UNIQUE AND REAL GIFT. For that, I DONT THANK GERRR but, I thank my chosen sport in that it demands honesty, separates stupidity, exposes weakness in thoughts and actions, is always un appologetic and accountable. Beach grit knew this This, all demonstrated below with Gerrr. Honesty on target is what is often missing with any opinion. Surfing and surfers has a way to cut through the BS. You either call the wave paddle over the ledge and make it standing on your own 2 feet. or…. You get the horns and dirty looks and none more. Thus, leaving only yourselves, lies, genius or stupidity clearly in view. It’s fine to love Brazil and agree that DeSousa, curren, Connor, Dane etc… is less or more than Gerrr’s opinion. It’s fine that Gerr is right on target or way off base with his words, dress and attitude. But guess what? He is the only expert in the fuccing room. So argue with Fact and truth. See where that takes ya. Oh…. And paper is way better than plastic so I’ll take that for a dime and save the plastic freebie for those of you that require everything handed to you. Thank Beachgrit for bringing it. Gratitude does matter. To think otherwise? Means you are who you are have what you found. So be happy with simply that and get nothing else.
There’s a lot of gibberish on this site, but that, was, awesome.
Another thing to remember about Gerr’s hayday, the tour was way more savage. You had like 40 events and had to surf every event from day 1 to finals day against whoever entered (wasn’t just a top tier tour like now). And there were no round 1’s or round 5’s. Gladiator shit.
that was great. totally enjoyed.
Thanks!
Hipster dufus spell corrected to Hipster Sufis… I like that and my hat.
Mmm in 82 he was 16. In 86 he was 22. I think Tom might cringe at his old footage like I do when I watch myself. I hate so many things about the way I surfed. I still do. Anyway, Tommy snapped his head around and held his right hand in a fist. That wasn’t stylish. He also had nowhere near the power of Conner. IMHO. When Tommy came back in 90 is when he was crazy good. Phenomenal to me. The surfing he did at the lane is incredible is still one of my favorites to watch. Alas he was 26. So much more relaxation, finesse, confidence etc… Will happen for Conner.
I felt so much better when I was 25-26 too. This is all arguable of course. But this is what I see and I watched Conner surf Sunday.
all I am saying is don’t work while you surf. Do the work on the land.
If you hate many things about the way you surf (even in your early 20s), imagine how the rest of us feel.
it was terrible when he rode that same 6’9″ at Huntington and Todd Holland took it out and you tried that backside floater to flat. that was nice. 85′ Bells? how bad did Chris Brown’s head snap get? Dino wasn’t scared of it either, even Jimmy Hogan could throw it on a roundo.
I was Luke Davis BEFORE it was gay
i think the Lincoln Memorial took a bunch of hard work, Mt Rushmore too. i like to show up when the hard work is over so i can behold the result, sure as fuck don’t want to watch the paint dry
I like Brad. He’s interesting. I once saw him and Benji at a restaurant in Solana Beach and they were with two weathered looking ladies. Made me sad. But at least he wasn’t all bloated like Benji. That would have made me even more sad. I wasn’t sad for Benji though. I never liked him.
Benji is one of the raddest dudes I know. He definitely wouldn’t like you either
Rad dudes tend to lose their cool in their 20’s. Eventually they’re sad dudes.
Rad as a human being. Non stop heckles and generous. And yeah, I believe you’re referring to aging. It sucks.
non-stop heckles? He’s what, 40 year old by now? That’s not rad.
Heckles don’t have to be mean spirited- they can be funny and self deprecating. He’s just a funny, cool dude. Do you even surf? If you do you must not have any friends cause all the surfers I know routinely take the piss out of eachother. Wait, don’t answer that. I’m spending too much time replying to your trolling.
I guess I’m too hard on Benji. He takes the piss, has a good job, started a nice family, and owns a great house that definitely wasn’t lost to foreclosure a few years back. He’s one righteous dude.
Wait, emulation would mean he has to “work” at his “style”…Brad, I smell a contradiction here…if he didn’t have to work at it, would he need a coach?
first of all there is no working on style. Style just is. Anything else is manufactured and that wouldn’t look stylish. I teach technical things. Where is he losing speed? How much pressure to put into the rail? Is the body working as a whole? Or is he disconnected? Where is the body disconnecting? What is he picturing? Does he know he know what he is capable of? Does he want to learn a new turn? How? I teach all that but don’t fuck with style ever. So yes everyone could use a coach. It’s just whether you have the drive to get better and the guts to hear the truth.
Oh, Mr Coach, I would have to disagree. One can do wonders working on it’s style. And this true for pretty much all boardsports.
You still didn’t speak to the fact that emulation would mean working to fake his predecessor’s style.
Slight change in topic: so do you just come off in video like a guy who rails coke off of stranger’s cocks or do you actually rail coke off of strangers’s cocks? Is it a byproduct of the era when you were on tour?
Did I ever talk about emulating in the first place? That’s a no.
You aren’t interested anyway so I won’t write more on this and waste my time. And to the other topic: are you a new follower of surfing?Should I just sit there and try and act cool like Machado? I am being honest. You don’t like that? You want some pre-meditated speech? Fuck off and go watch Pottz. Hahaha
Oh, I’ve thought you had that “rails coke off strangers’ cocks” look for well over a decade, almost two.
to be fair, he’s hardly the only one who’s wondered about your sexuality. There’s something about middle-aged men who haven’t married or spawned that begs the question.
To be fair, what begs the question is; why you, and said wonderer’s are so interested in my sexuality?… If you know so much about me you would know that surfing is my first love. It’s not easy on woman when you leave to chase swell and then tell them to get used to it because you love your job. Oh and btw honey there is a possibility I will stay 3 more weeks because the best swell of the decade may come and I can’t come home or I will miss it and then surely resent you. So being honest Trogan Fan, I haven’t been lucky with the right woman until now and I wasn’t going to settle.
I believe in true love and that one can have a harmonious, loving, caring relationship with an amazing, fun, unselfish, beautiful, rad woman. So I held out man. I never wanted to have kids with someone that wasn’t my soul mate.
Hey Brad. When can we expect waveki to become available? #getitpublishedalready
Hopefully my first book will be out by fall. I don’t know because this book stuff is unchartered territory. thanks for asking.
best in the world at surfing? huh. i thought the article was about conner coffin.
Hahaha duh
Thanks and I love “the dude, or duder, or el duderino” how could you not? who is bubbles? Lol
Bubbles
Hahahaha ☝️
wasn’t bubbles jacko’s fill in when he couldn’t find a little boy to lay with in bed?
Did you watch Tommy at 22? Go back and take a look, then watch Conner’s latest edit.
didn’t he get that backdoor one in the yellow short john with the orange rail Merrick by 82′? He was kinda ripping already too.
The problem is that (like Adriano) nobody wants to see Conner surfing.
yea you are right. I am trippin.
Please someone bring me up to speed on Gerr’s brain power. The intellectual helping Connor part?
Nevermind lol
Keep doing what you are doing your voice is refreshing! If you have something outside surfing worth sharing please do.. Our paths have crossed. I shared a house with T. Miller and Tarlow for a winter we rented rooms from Steve Elliot. Besides you were nicer than P.King. lol
He knows his stuff, maybe a few of these punters should open up their minds to the fact that an ex pro, who’s continually gotten insight from the ex best and current best in the world knows a bit (or a lot) more than they do..
hold the phone….he worked on a new turn with Connor , but not impressed with Adriano’s work , or World title?
You might want to drop your hearing aid to the shop for a tune up Maurice.
Hahahaha
hey I didn’t watch just read ,busted, at least Gerr , clarified it wasn’t work , but playing around. My Point with ADS he has the biggest positive affect on surfing in the last 5 years than any other surfer but when the wave pools arrive , that should end !
See below. Lol
Played around with a new turn. That’s what I meant.
Huh?