“I couldn't really care less what people think about how I surf or who I am. I grew up in Angourie, a small coastal town. I was taught by my parents to be respectful and humble. And I think that’s what I am.”
As a personal mission statement in an age that rewards hyper exposure, it’s a refreshing take. Yet, if the explosive goofy footer isn’t interested in what people think, the feeling isn’t exactly reciprocated. Harley’s mix of point groomed style, explosive progression, and the anticipation of just what-the- f#$%-will-he-do-next-on-a-wave has generated real heat. It’s seen the 20-year-old claim multiple junior titles, qualify for CS on his first attempt, and be at the top of the VIP list at the Stab High events. Oh, and along with his elder bro Dakoda, he will be a key plank in an upcoming Ocean & Earth feature film.
“I want to showcase our personality, show who we are, where we grew up, and what we've been up to,” Harls said. “Kodes and I share so much, but we’ve got our own agenda and angles. My dream is to get on the CT, surf my way, film and make projects with Ocean & Earth. I want to be different by being myself, and not changing, however far I go. Not many crew really know who I am, or what I stand for.”
Standing 6’3” and a cheekbone and moustache combo that channels both MP and Magnum PI (Google ‘em groms!), you wouldn’t think Harley would have any trouble standing out. Like his surfing, he is smooth and languid, but prone to short, sharp bursts of clarity.
I want my surfing to be unpredictable. I want to take different lines, and not look so compy,” he said. “I feel like you just need to push hard, and never be boring. That’s what I want to bring to the table.”
After the recent Stab High event in Virginia, Harls posted an image of himself, his best mate Lennix Smith, and the winner, Huey Vaughan. On land, Vaughan's bottle-blond hyperactive charisma and Lennix’s extroverted humour are well-known parts of the personality package. Harley, however, has outwardly played the strong, silent type in the trio that could help define Australia's surfing future.
“Lenno's pretty loud, funny and kind of just takes the piss the whole time,” he said. “In some ways, I'm similar; I'm not serious at all, really. Having fun is the priority. I’m pretty cruisy and mellow, but the more I get to know someone, the louder I’ll get.”
Perhaps, strangely, the best insights into Harley’s world came through the YouTube series he started when he was just 14. Filmed and edited by his old man, he and Dakoda would ride a mix of old boards and give their feedback. Each clip would end with Harley’s Pop measuring the volume using a rubbish bin full of water and a very Yamberized version of the Archimedes Principle.
“There were only a dozen episodes, but they have gained the most traction of anything I’ve done,” he said. “They were relatable to all ages. And I loved riding the different equipment, still do. Plus, Pop was so funny.”
“Pop” was one of the original Yamba surfers. He grew up in Grafton, but each weekend during the late 60s and 70s, he would make his way to the coast to surf the empty points before moving there. Harley’s dad, Jeremy, aka Walt, was a pro surfer who competed on the QS and ran a successful surf school in Yamba. The family moved to the Gold Coast a few years ago, but Angourie will always be home. The town, its waves, his parents and the community are the polestars to who Harley is.
Yet, make no mistake, it takes confidence, talent and ambition to be truly humble. He’ll always wait his turn, but never not take what he deserves. And it hasn’t always come easy. This year, on a trip to Fiji, he burst an eardrum on his first wave. “I was in the hospital, and pus and blood were coming out of my ear; it was so gross,” he laughed. “So I was out of the water. But the boys were frothing and having a sick time. So I was just like, good on em. I was happy for them.”
But now recovered, life moves quickly again. After a stint in Uluwatu with his mates, there’s a camp at Keramas with Surfing Australia, and back home for some frame grabs on the South Coast. Then it is six months on the road with his mate Lennix on the Challenger Series, chasing the big dream: CT qualification. As momentum grows, Harley will be asked who he is and what he stands for. It’s an easy question for a kid who doesn’t need to question himself.
“I've definitely never based my surfing on someone else. It’s the same in life. I just try to be myself, try not to take it too seriously or be a different person than I was raised as,” he finished.
Who is Harley Walters? He knows, and you’re about to find out.
Words by Ben Mondy
Footage Supplied by Shane Fletcher & Mitch Imgraben