Best Sections of All-Time: Mick Fanning in Momentum: Under the Influence

I’m still reeling from the Murder City Devils show I went to a few weeks ago in California — the same weekend Jackson wrote about his experience seeing them in SD — I saw them and had a pretty different experience. But both were pretty awesome in their own way.

Murder City Devils at the Observatory

My intro to Murder City Devils (as with many epic bands) was through Momentum: Under the Influence. The 2001 Taylor Steele release (edited by Joe G) highlighted the best surfers under 23 that would define the next decade of professional surfing. Competitive animals like A.I., Joel, and Mick went on to win multiple world titles, while others like Taj, Bruce and Rasta won us over with their insane movie parts and flawless style. A then 20-year-old Mick Fanning created one of his breakout parts (at least for me) to “ I Want A Lot Now (So Come On).”

I remember watching this film when it first came out and being drawn to the raw aggression to Mick’s surfing. And the speed! Coupled with the Murder City Devils track, it was the perfect part to fuel my after school sessions at HB Pier. The whole tone of this part boiled up so much adrenaline through my veins that all I could think of was trying to do my best to mimic Mick’s fin ditch at high speed. I even bought a used MF Model DHD from my friend Matt McDonnell to assist me in this endeavor. I think it helped but it’s fair to say that I didn’t quite get the result I was after, turns out a board made for point breaks didn’t grovel at the pier all that well.