Rob Machado: 40 cool facts about the surfer-environmentalist

Rob Machado is one of the most popular surfers on the face of the Earth.

Although people can instantly recognize him by his exotic hairstyle, his zen-like style in the waves and laid-back attitude out of the water best characterize him.

Machado is a surf legend, and he uses his notoriety to draw attention and act when it comes to protecting our planet's natural resources.

The smoothest-riding surfer of his generation has a busy agenda, but it's in the ocean that he completes himself.

Even though Rob Machado never won a world surfing title - he almost did - the sport and the world we live in are thankful for his actions.

Let's take a snapshot of the most famous free surfer of the modern era.

1. His full name is Robert Edward Machado;

2. He was born on October 16, 1973, in Sydney, Australia;

3. Rob's parents met at a ski lodge - they are both passionate skiers;

4. His family moved to Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California, when he was four;

5. At a young age, Machado was "scared to death of the ocean";

6. He is a goofy-footed surfer;

7. Rob won the 1986 US Amateur Surfing Championships in the Menehune category;

8. In 1992, the soul surfer won the OP Pro Junior and turned professional;

9. One year later, Machado conquered the Professional Surfing Association of America (PSAA) Tour, joined the ASP World Tour, and was named Rookie of the Year;

10. He remained in the elite of surfing for nine seasons (1993-2001);

11. Rob Machado won 12 Championship Tour (CT) events;

12. Machado quit the ASP World Tour abruptly in 2001 after not getting an injury wildcard and became a professional, free surfer;

13. He created the Rob Machado Surf Classic and Beach Fair, an annual amateur surfing contest held in San Diego;

14. Rob appears in the computer-animated film "Surf's Up";

15. He is, alongside Kelly Slater, one of the stars of "The Drifter," a surf movie by Taylor Steele;

16. The title "The Drifter" was chosen after a heartbreaking divorce from his first wife, Patou;

17. He has been inducted into the Huntington Beach Surfing Walk of Fame (2011) in the category "Surf Champion" and in the Surfer's Hall of Fame (2006);

18. He was named Waterman of the Year in 2011 by the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA);

19. Rob has two daughters from the relationship with Patou (Rosé and Macy) and a son with Sophie Vilardo (Jaxton);

20. Sophie and Rob opened Salt Culture, a concept clothing and interior design boutique located in Encinitas, California;

21. In 1995, during the Pipeline Masters, Rob Machado gave Kelly Slater the most famous high-five in the history of surfing and finished the season in the runner-up position;

22. Rob Machado is 5'10'';

23. The Australian-American surfer won the US Open of Surfing in 1995 and the Pipeline Masters in 2000;

24. He was once called the "New Gerry" for his surfing similarities with Hawaiian legend Gerry Lopez;

25. In 1998, Rob Machado, Kelly Slater, and Peter King formed The Surfers, a surf music band that released "Songs from the Pipe";

26. In that year, he played on stage with Pearl Jam in Queensland;

27. He has also performed with Jack Jackson several times;

28. In 2010, Rob Machado and Blake Lively modeled together for Vogue Magazine;

29. The Rob Machado Foundation aims to educate and encourage children to protect the environment at a local level, adopt healthy lifestyles, and keep the ocean and beaches clean and free from plastics;

30. The surfer-environmentalist is a fan of Jimi Hendrix, Jane's Addiction, Minor Threat, Dag Nasty, Bad Religion, Bob Marley, Beastie Boys, Guns N' Roses, Ben Harper The Beatles, Pearl Jam, Beck, and Mississippi John Hurt;

31. Rob Machado loves to play guitar and has a collection of six-strings that include a 1968 Martin acoustic, a 1973 Fender Strat Blonde, a 1978 Les Paul Classic, a 1950s Fender Lap Steel, and a Ben Harper Signature Martin model;

32. Machado says his 1973 Dodge Balboa van is his "ultimate freedom vehicle";

33. You can see Rob Machado in action in the movies "Momentum," "What's Next," "Thicker Than Water," "Shelter," "Drifting: The Rob Machado Chronicles" and "Momentum Generation";

34. Rob Machado believes that "style is the nucleus of surfing," and it should be a part of professional surfing's judging criteria;

35. His great-great-grandfather, Jose Agustín Machado (1794–1865), was one of the first settlers of Los Angeles and the owner of Rancho La Ballona, a 13,920-acre land located near Santa Monica Bay;

36. The free surfer and environmental activist has his own line of boards - Rob Machado Surfboards;

37. Machado currently resides in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California;

38. Golf, ping-pong, and yoga are some of Rob's favorite hobbies;

39. Rob rides for Reef and Hurley;

40. He despises hotels, likes pizza, açaí bowls, and all Mexican meals, and loves reading Rolling Stone;

Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com