Craig Anderson
Professional Surfer
Interested in how a professional athlete stands out in a saturated market? Professional surfer Craig Anderson took the stage with iconic artist Jason Woodside and his long-time shaper Hayden Cox to discuss collaboration across mediums and timezones.
Craig Anderson, 26, is arguably the most influential free surfer of today. Every major surf publication in the world has had multiple covers graced by him in recent years. In 2013, the highly anticipated release of his 30-minute film Slow Dance – Directed by Dane Reynolds for Quiksilver, catapulted his already globally booming profile and firmly established his name as one of surfing’s legends in the making.
Born in South Africa, from the age of 15 Craig Anderson grew up in Merewether Beach in Newcastle, Australia. Today, it is from this home base that he travels the globe chasing the swells and filming for various projects for both his list of major sponsors as well as his own creative ventures.
Although he competed in junior and WQS comps in the early days, he made the decision to forge a different path into the free surfing space where he'd soon become one of the most prominent. Travelling with likeminded individuals and creating content for various platforms is the style of surfing and artistic brand building that he enjoys most.
“You have no set calendar or rules or regulations. I have no pressure from sponsors that you have to do this or that. I kind of make it up as I go along,” he says.
Although you’ll often see his name at the top of Surfing’s Media Meter of most talked about, published or Googled surfers - you’ll find Craig himself sitting humbly, politely observing and letting it all roll off his shoulders.
Craig Anderson, 26, is arguably the most influential free surfer of today. Every major surf publication in the world has had multiple covers graced by him in recent years. In 2013, the highly anticipated release of his 30-minute film Slow Dance – Directed by Dane Reynolds for Quiksilver, catapulted his already globally booming profile and firmly established his name as one of surfing’s legends in the making.
Born in South Africa, from the age of 15 Craig Anderson grew up in Merewether Beach in Newcastle, Australia. Today, it is from this home base that he travels the globe chasing the swells and filming for various projects for both his list of major sponsors as well as his own creative ventures.
Although he competed in junior and WQS comps in the early days, he made the decision to forge a different path into the free surfing space where he'd soon become one of the most prominent. Travelling with likeminded individuals and creating content for various platforms is the style of surfing and artistic brand building that he enjoys most.
“You have no set calendar or rules or regulations. I have no pressure from sponsors that you have to do this or that. I kind of make it up as I go along,” he says.
Although you’ll often see his name at the top of Surfing’s Media Meter of most talked about, published or Googled surfers - you’ll find Craig himself sitting humbly, politely observing and letting it all roll off his shoulders.