Best Sections of All-Time: Curated by Jeremy Asher Lynch
EDITOR’S NOTE: Jeremy is curating our columns this week in lead up to his solo show opening at Daydream Surf Shop in Newport Beach. Come down Saturday at 6pm to check it out and imbibe and check out his creations. They’ve been marinating most of his life and we’re excited to see them unveiled. Below are his choices for Best Section of All-Time. See you all Saturday.—Travis
What can I say about Dane Reynolds that hasn’t already been said? His style, both in and out of the water, has cemented his everlasting place in surf history. He’s graced countless “Best Sections of All Time” lists and continues to do so today in fact.
I was lucky enough to be in Salinas Cruz in 2011 when he made his legendary “Lost Interest” film. He was with a separate crew, but one day we all converged on the same wave. I witnessed the best surfing I’ve ever seen with my own eyes. At one point, Dane finished his session and sat next to me while I filmed The Three Slobs crew I was with. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous and star-struck. But Dane was as nice as can be, strumming a ukulele while I filmed the guys. The legendary Jimmy Wilson captured that moment, and it ended up as a two-page spread in a Surfing magazine article about the trip. But I digress.
Dane burst onto the ASP World Tour in 2008 like punk rock kid crashing a frat party. His unorthodox approach and fearless maneuvers were a breath of fresh air, a disruption in the rigid world of competitive surfing. He carved his name into the annals of surf history with performances that were as unpredictable as they were unforgettable. Who could forget his third-place finish at the 2010 Rip Curl Pro Portugal? A masterpiece of raw energy and finesse.
But Dane was never meant to be caged by the confines of competition. The tour was a stage, while his true passion lay in creating some of the most iconic surf sections of all time…In 2011, he stepped away from full-time competition, letting go of the trappings of the pro tour like a snake shedding its skin. He dove headfirst into the realm of free surfing, where creativity and spontaneity ruled supreme over rigid judging criteria. His video parts became legendary, each one a new chapter in the evolving story of what surfing could be with a palpable sense of freedom.
But let’s take it back to the dawn of Dane-mania, before we all mimicked his fashion, hoping to capture a fraction of his cool, and before we bought his boards, dreaming we could surf like him.
One of his most transcendent surf sections ever captured is Dane doing Dane things at Jeffreys Bay in the "Africa two years ago" segment from “First Chapter.” The symphony of sea and song melds into a hypnotic flow. Huge turns that lead to falling into big open barrels with effortless transition create a mesmerizing ballet. Dane, the eternal maestro, defying the limits of possibility, forever the GOAT in the theater of the ocean.
From early competitive success to becoming a free-surfing legend, Dane has always pushed the boundaries. His edits, blog edits, and unique approach to surfing have inspired countless fans. Me being one of them. Dane is the blue-collar hero of our sport, always innovating, always influencing, proving time and again why he’s a legend.—Jeremy Asher Lynch
[Above Photo: Jimmy Wilson]
