Best Sections of All-Time: Taj Burrow in The Show

Last week we had the opportunity to interview a large swath of Challenger Series surfers who were in town for the US Open. You’ll see those interviews start to trickle out over the next few weeks. But it got me thinking about a 16-year-old Taj Burrow, who not only had this part out, but turned down his first spot on the World Tour because he said he, “wasn’t ready.” Taj still wanted to grow up and put out some vids. Such prowess!

Later in life, I had the opportunity to invite Taj on a boat trip we organized for Kolohe Andino and all his friends to shoot Brother, Kolohe’s profile film. We wanted to bring one of his heroes and Taj was the clear first pick. Knowing the schedule of a surfer on the World Tour and who’d sorta been there done that for decades, I didn’t promise much before calling, but gave Taj the invite and his response will ring in my ears forever:

“Are you kidding? I’m in!”

Literally, just like that, done deal. He showed up bright eyed and amping to go surf with Kolohe and his friends and was easily and obviously trip MVP for both his enthusiasm and his knowledge of just about everything. Couldn’t imagine a better person to have around on the boat — up early with the sound of the anchor drop and last in bed because he was always amping to play Balderdash all-night.

I find that this kind of surfing enthusiasm harder to find in professional surfing. Jaded, unenthused and quite lazy. Pro surfers have become complacent and one dimensional. And I’m sure there are some examples coming up who may have some of this Taj energy — I think we met a good chunk of them last week — but Taj was the last guy who was putting it all into competing and putting just as much into his video parts and films and doing so with a likability that was off the charts.

To pay homage to that, I wanted to put this Taj part from Taylor Steele’s The Show — which apparently was a crazy late addition to the film thanks to this footage Taj’s dad Vance Burrow had shot. It serves as our first real look at Taj and I think the AFI song fits perfectly to show that energy he surfed with.

Kids: take note of everything Taj does. And how are those freaking tail slides this part!? Who’s doing those!? We’re skipping the hunt for the next Slater, the real question is: Where’s our next Taj? —Travis