Watch: Asher Pacey // Crystal Voyager
This fifteen-minute offering is produced by The Surfer's Journal. In it, they feature Asher Pacey, the 42-year old free surfer who always appears ahead of the curve. Whether it be riding twin fins or pursuing artisan pasttimes, the Scotts Head native has been a spearpoint traveller - a trend setter by any other name.
Part of the charm is how natural and effortless he is, both in what captivates him on land - ain't no pretensions here - but also how he moves on the water.
Comments
Really enjoyed that, something to be said about living a simpler life
The article in TSJ is excellent, well worth a read, he definitely walks to the sound of his own drum.
Fantastic. as much as I love watching the WSL comps for the banter and controversy, nothing at Margs made me want to go for a surf. This sure did.
That final surf sequence with the music selected was so, so good.
So good. Good on ya Asher.
Genuine question to himself if out there or others, how does he afford to live? I mean how is he at 42 purely still getting paid by his sponsors to surf and live?
I’m also quite surprised to see that he surfs the snapper / Kirra a fair bit. I would’ve thought that scene would be a major put off?
Always loved his surfing. Has that kind of talent that could’ve taken him anywhere. I’m glad he’s been able to do exactly what he’s doing and loving it.
Sounds like he lucked into living on land that's long been in the family and otherwise lives very simply? That kind of thing has become the norm in a lot of coastal towns I'd imagine. Hard to be a surf hippie while paying coastal rents!
Love that he feels he is surfing his best, feeling surf fit and flexible. Important to be reminded of that being possible as I creep towards forty!
Really enjoy seeing clips with Asher surfing, and cheers for sharing a bit with us, he's on the right path. The bees were very cool, too!
Such effortless style. Very nice little film.
If he lives in the hills behind Scotts Head, how does he surf the Goldy all the time? Must have a place up there.
Enjoyable clip. Lovely surfing. Seems like a cool bloke.
One word?
Idyllic.
Sweet.
Refreshing to see a “surf hippie” who’s doing it for the right reasons
Right, that’s it, jumping in right now
I agree with everything about the attraction of that simpler life and his authenticity - the first question that always crosses my mind is "what do you do for cash?". How do you pay the bills?
You'd have to sell a shit ton of honey to afford a house in the hills. Might seem like a funny question but does anyone know how he makes a quid?
i agree. i think the same about torren martyn. its fine to go sailing round the world and surf whenever and wherever you like, but how do you pay the bills without a sponsor?
What makes you think they are not $ Sponsored ?
Has been with RVCA for a long time....
im sure they get free boards, maybe some other merch, but they arent winning comps or getting front page spreads, so i cant see a regular surf co offering 50k per year so they can eat and pay bills without having to work. maybe it happens, but doesnt make a lot of commercial sense. different for someone like dane reynolds who is arguably more high profile.
Maybe he has 5 or more Sponsors @ 20k a year
im guessing Album and others Sling him free boards - Has a Fin model with Shapers...
Part of the above clip is Asher's surprise at "keeping this thing going" now he's in his forties.
"This thing" is a surf career, paid for by sponsors.
It's a magic set up - and I love his almost surprise at the fact it's still going. Shows the genuine appreciation I reckon. Like others I sometimes cant get my head around the economics of it all. How do sponsors get their "return" on someone as alternative as him?
I get how Kelly's face on the board shorts sells $Xm worth of kit to the masses - but how do you show a return on investment (to use the management speak....)
Very marketable in the US.
twin fins, long hair, shreds.
Also very U.S. Marketable ....A long Partnership but no longer on Vissla site...
Bryce Young now Need Essentials ?
Thanks for bursting my "taking the alternative path" bubble Freeride....I had box #1 ticked.....then came crashing down to earth....
True that.
He's the one surfer in the world who I've always wanted to photograph more than any other.
Sponsored by Many .
Yep, low overhead if the land was purchased a long time ago.
Enough income from sponnos to cover the monthly nut.
https://matemakerco.com/pages/owners
faa$$#$rk.....youve got to be freaking good looking to invest in that one! Ugly people need not apply (or those without a good airbrushing process on their Insta feed...)
Way too cool for me.
Album are doing quite ok, through no small part of Asher's influence. The "alt" board market is thriving. Think they'd be slinging him a bit more than just free boards. Plus rvca, fin merch from shapers. Low cost of living. Don't think he has to travel much these days either. He's either surfing around the MNC, or making an appearance at the Goldy when it's on.
Yep. Keep in mind he was lured from Darcy to DHD, where he had his own model the Mini Twin, then lured from there to Album right when they became the premier boutique board brand.
For ghost finished machine cut poly/pu boards (not saying that is a bad thing quality wise), fuck album are expensive!
Most expensive rice paper decals in the industry.
Similiar Rice paper as McTavish.
They need to pay the web developers for that flash website.....very slick!
Would I be out of order if I said that I think hard konbucha is a bit of a wank?
Was that a deliberate spelling mistake of the main word….. or where YOU in the middle of a hard w+#k when writing?
No and no.
Was yours?
Yes, & only cause I was in the middle of…………
Why does this clip use George Greenoughs Crystal Voyager movie title?
You miss the but where he was fossicking for crystals?
No children/dependants making living a sustainable lifestyle easier too.
Sometimes I surf several day straight during good swells etc and think, jeez I don’t know if I could hack it as a free surfer - that’s all they do!
His boards in general have minimal nose rocker AND so short. Not many 40+ year olds surfing that length. No airs just flow, so understated.
so how much is that rock worth?