Iconic freesurfer talks through turning down big money offers to start own brand

The latest Pack Heavy Chase Light episode sees filmmaker Sam Moody shadowing Craig Anderson in New York. The pair were in The Big Apple for the launch of Db X Craig Anderson collection, and Moody took the opportunity to delve deep into the heart and mind of one the world’s most inspirational free surfers, and iconoclasts.

Much of the episode deals with Craig’s path from brand ambassador to business owner with his brand Former. Now Ando isn’t a great one for self-promotion, and by his own admission doesn’t enjoy interviews. In the clip, you can see his obvious discomfort as he answers questions, whilst strolling through the city. And yet to Moody’s credit, he has managed to extract more juice from the fluid goofy footer than any other biopic in recent years. 

Maybe it’s the fish out of water setting, maybe its Moody’s sheer doggedness, or maybe it’s just that Craig is “heinously hangover”, but it’s a rare, and revealing portrait.  Add insights from Craig’s business partners Dane Reynolds and Austyn Gillette in their brand Former, and it’s a great under-the-hood scan of the man behind one of the best lookbooks in surfing. 

Craig’s Quotes

“I never really felt or expected anything career-wise from surfing, I was just grateful that I fell into the space I did.”

“I turned down a contract which would have been the most amount of money I could have ever made, but it felt like it didn’t matter. I had a house, I had a car that didn’t break down. I was just happy it worked out. I had people around me that was I inspired by and that’s what mattered.” 

“Running Former, it’s not a joke, but it feels like a joke. It is a fucking joke really. Doctors, lawyers nurses and teachers contribute in a good way to society and we just goof around making films. It’s not serious is it, but I’m grateful that it exists.” 

“We started Former so we could have total creative freedom. And in the first four years, we made every mistake you could think of. And some you can’t.” 

“How do I define risk? Taking chances, doing the way you want to do it, and not giving a fuck.”