Listen: Former world #2 surfer Ian Cairns on cheating Democrats, Edward Snowden being fixed on the “Russian teat” and strangling a Hawaiian surf star on a ten-foot wave: “You have to be a gnarly tough son of a bitch cocksucker to go beyond the point where you think you might die!”

And a blow-by-blow account of contract beatings on the North Shore.

It was with considerable pleasure that Charlie Smith and I engaged the pro surfing pioneer and former world number two Ian Cairns in an hour of conversation yesterday evening.

Cairns, a sprightly sixty-something and famous in the nineteen seventies for brazenly presenting his titanic buttocks to the beach as he flexed into bottom turns he himself described as “berserk”, is very human, often brilliant, so caustic, and with a dynamic contempt for all who cramp and spoil. 

He is described by another legend, Rabbit Bartholomew, as a “strong minded son of a bitch, a brilliant politician and an absolute master in big surf.”

A delightful sparring partner.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Join the discussion

Your comments are still here. Every one of them.

Twelve years of BeachGrit comments came across from Disqus. Connect and we will show you how many are yours. We get your username, nothing else.

Unclaimed
Handle
Comments
Posting since

Connect Disqus to reveal.

Subscribe
Notify of
118 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
surferpl

Kanga, “I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.”

Heysoos

I’m west Australian ya dickhead.

Waterproof Polo

I party Pete’d this. Kanga has some great stories. His big wave charging in the 70’s and 80’s was legendary and loomed large over up and coming Aussie surfers. No doubt RcJ, TC and others felt the pressure to do well in Hawaii and much of that is due to Ian and crew going hard.
Great pod.

Sellme fitzgobbins

They say people over emulate their culture when they move overseas, Kanga laying the “straylan” on pretty thick for someone thats lived in California for 30 years.
Still wont admit he was wrong with his Hawaii bustin down the door arsehole pro surfer attitude either…

david fffff

Cry is free

Keith Grace

First time I ever gave up on a Dirty Water podcast (because of the interviewee, not Chas and Derek)… I’m all for a tad of politics no matter the view, and surely enjoy making fun of the dummy that is Joe Biden… but to peddle absolute blatant falsehoods about votes, and parrot the same dangerous lies of the gangster in the White House about this election is utterly unacceptable… plenty of darts to throw at either of these 2 pathetic political parties in the U.S. and I’m OK with it on a surf podcast… but the garbage Cairns spewed crossed the line, I do not care how legendary he is in the history of everything that is pro surfing… what a shame… one pathetic subject can’t put a dent on the work Derek and Chas do with Dirty Water however…

Mr Salty

Go back to OZ redneck.

Jsamuels

he’s a pretty self absorbed cunt isn’t he. If more people were like gerry lopez we’d be in a much better place.

Capt Sensible

Ahh you mean drug smugglers yea great …you twit.

Keith Grace

you said it Jsamuels…

Wolfy

Couldn’t agree more. I feel a bit sorry for him, obviously he ain’t the sharpest knife in the draw…

Hippy

wasn’t that the TUbes?

Heysoos

I’m pretty sure kanga lurks here in the comments section. embarrassingly his politics is quite representative of western Australians of his generation.
just googled kanga and it turns out he went to my fucking high school. classic!
ps. Gough Whitlam was done in by the cia and britain’s most successful “soft coup”

Sellme fitzgobbins

Swanbourne high? Did 3 years there myself, full of fuckwits.

Heysoos

the very same. you would’ve fit right in then. far less fuckwitty than the neighbouring private schools mind you. the western suburbs are fuckwit central.

FL Skunk Ape

Listen to more trump dick suckers whine? No thanks. #ByeDon

Hippy

#ByeDon

Capt Sensible

Kanga a fully legit surfing cunt no bullshit , no excuse , no backdowns , no drugs just a fucken good surfer having a fucken crack at making a living , i dont agree with what pro surfing has morphed into and i sorta dont think that was Kangas vision but hey fuck he is a solid cunt and i rate that.

Low wide stinkbug stance

He’s a man of conviction, i’ll give him that. I actually admire his stance on dumping on Rothman from great height. It takes guts or complete naivety to do that. The fact that he’s pretty much an arch conservative is a bit of a surprise though.

Heysoos

west Australians are by and large conservative and small minded.

Tomas' silky smooth arms

Mutually exclusive?

Low wide stinkbug stance

Did that trip on a University junket about 10 years ago. Loved it.

Doobalachy

About time, I haven’t listened yet but 80% of his book was great and I was surprised it didn’t get more commentary and debate.

Frank Sumatra

Annapurna Circut 83′ started Muktinarth..got lost but finally made it over The Pass. We then carried my knee board ledgend mate Nick Jane for 2 days to Jomson, got him on a plane to Katmandu, then walked out to Pokhora. Epic journey..back thru India finished up in Hikkadua. Fuck they were good times..funny enough still are!

Billy Hunt

Give us some Sumatra stories Frank … that shit never gets old

Chief Hot stuff

How am I tuff??
Or fake?
It’s true I’m a guy

Beef & Beer

Best episode yet
Blimmin’ legend
A real bloke
I’d happily load and pass the spare Mossy if he had to take on any non-surfing Pennsylvanian Jewish ‘salesmen’ these days…
(Although as he says it shouldn’t have to come to that)

Mads Naeraa

Pre 2020 I would have give this a very wide berth, but the world has been turned on its head, so might just do a Party Pete.

Mads Naeraa

There’s a turn-off for the ages

Chief Hot stuff

Ha
Suk on it Brutus!!

Party Pete

I like Maurice Cole. And that Brutus guy hates racists which I appreciate.

Chief Hot stuff

Me too

Billy Hunt

You do know MC and Brutus are the person … don’t you?

Low wide stinkbug stance

he used to be called sharknado or something. Not sure why he changed to brutus.

Capt Sensible

Make Torquay great again haha fuck you Brutus


118
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x