HOBGOOD GIVES 'ER THE OLD ONE, TWO

CJ Hobgood ready to bust heads at Teahupoo. Photo: Welsh

Boy, has pro surfing changed over the years. Back in the days of the I.P.S. Pro Tour when pro surfing was in its infancy it was not uncommon for competitors to travel together in packs. A one-bedroom villa at Turtle Bay would oftentimes house an entire nation of world title contenders. By contrast, nowadays you might see a pro in tow with his wife, kids, shaper, team manager and bro caddie. As contest purses escalated, salaries skyrocketed and mainstream endorsements became available making surfing a career that offered many top surfers an opportunity to earn a damn good living. Who would have ever dreamed of making a six-digit income by traveling the world surfing the best waves on the planet?

With the progression of the sport also came the need to stay in shape. Enter the personal trainer whom many of the top surfer/athletes consider one of the most important parts of their quiver.

With this in mind video producer Josh Coville, Gordon Lawson and Justin Purser came up with a unique idea that they could add to their collection of what they call MAD CLIPS, a collaboration of comical stints poking fun at the current pro scene including Fantasy Surfer. As a spoof, Coville convinced current #5 WCT pro and former World Champion CJ Hobgood to do a skit featuring him training for the upcoming Billabong Pro event at Teahupoo.

His trainer is a colorful character (and crazy to say the least) 1979 Texas State Champion Bucky Johnstone accompanied by his former trainer Manuel “Nacho” Estrada who are both played by the illustrious and comical Travis Ajay. The following pics are the behind the scene images taken during the taping of this skit. And I thought Robbie Page paddling out in a dress at the 1988 Aloe Up Cup in New Smyrna Beach was crazy!

Mad Clips Teahupoo Tahiti Fantasy Break-Down from josh coville on Vimeo.