Big wave surfing has always sold the image of absolute freedom. But, outside the water, even the biggest names on the planet have discovered that talent is no longer enough. In an interview with Carlos Burle on Bravamente, a program in partnership with NeoFeed , Kai Lenny and Nathan Florence spoke about a demand that has gone beyond the sport: today, every professional also needs to know how to showcase themselves.
The athlete, the executive, the entrepreneur, the doctor, and the artist all experience, to some extent, the same pressure to showcase their work. “You can be the best surfer in the world, but if you don’t post anything or film anything, nobody knows. And no brand wants to be associated with that,” said Nathan Florence.
Florence recalls that, in the past, surfers depended on magazines, sponsor-sponsored films, or large platforms to gain visibility. Now, they need to produce, edit, publish, narrate their own journey, and maintain an engaged community. This isn't very different from what happens in other careers, where competence is no longer sufficient when not accompanied by a digital presence.
Kai Lenny acknowledges the discomfort. According to him, controlling his own media gives him freedom, but it also transforms the athlete into a content creator. Today, he estimates that three-quarters of his work happens outside the water: behind the scenes, on trips, in commitments with sponsors, in interviews, and in building relationships. "Sometimes you think: I just wish I could surf," he stated.
Florence, who built part of her relevance with behind-the-scenes videos and trips in search of slabs—as waves breaking over rock slabs or shallow reefs are called—one of the most dangerous and respected forms of surfing, sees social media more as a tool for independence. By creating her own channels, she stopped depending on the WSL, magazines, or third parties to tell her story.
Their criticism isn't directed at the exhibition itself, but at the illusion of ease it creates, since the public almost never sees the cost, the reinvestment, the fear, the failure, and the routine behind it. "The biggest lesson in life is that everything takes time. Nothing happens overnight," said Kai.
