“My surfing still feels really good,” said Ryan Callinan, somewhat understating the huge backhand hangers, vicious rail turns and hyperspeed rotors that pepper spray his latest clip ‘FLUX’ “I feel like my body is back to 100% after a few niggles the last few years. I’m surfing how I want to surf.”
It was the French philosopher and tube hound Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, who said that “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” While R-Cal might have dealt with some major gear changes in the past 12 months: a baby, a change of major sponsor, all while attempting to requalify for the CT, his surfing hasn’t lost the mix of power, style and progression that makes him one of the best surfers on the planet.
Frame grab, pure goofy power
“I ain’t gonna lie, it’s been a tricky year,” the goofy said. “Balancing new family life, with going away for events, weighing up competition versus trying to get barrelled. I’m not too sure exactly what I'm gonna do. But I do know I love surfing more than ever, so that’s the biggest positive I can take.”
At the start of 2025, Ryan was dropped by long-time sponsor Billabong and grabbed a sponsorship deal and a small chunk of equity in Rivvia, the new brand founded by good mate and fellow Newy resident Julian Wilson. He then scored a Semifinal in the first Challenger Series at home in pumping Merewether. With a new sponsor, the arrival of his grom and with requalification looking solid, R-Cal 2.0 was off to a perfect start.
New blades, fresh stickers
“I haven’t won a friggin heat since,” he laughed, ruefully, saying he soon got caught in a spiral of trying ever harder, doubling down on effort, but getting worse results. “I took Nina and the baby to Portugal, had a hell time, but lost first heat. Same in Hawaii. Epic waves, but in the comp I surfed onshore Pipe in the arvo, and was knocked. It’s brutal, but that’s the way it goes. And getting home and surfing fun waves has always been the answer.”
If you’re a surfer on the East Coast of Australia, you’ll know that surfing fun waves hasn’t always been easy in the last six months. Flat spells and onshore weeks have scribbled the eastern seaboard. The good days for Ryan, be it out the front of his home, or a couple hours up the coast at cabbage tree palm-studded swell magnets, were hard to come by. You can almost sense that in the clip. Every turn made to count. Every mission up the Pacific Highway to be documented and remembered. Every fin blast heavily indexed. Every beer after a rare good surf even more the colder and sweeter. Even if it’s XXXX Gold.
Every fin blast heavily indexed. Every beer after a rare good surf even more the colder and sweeter.
Ryan also had some time to experiment with his design last year. He added some more volume, even surfed a few twins, and wrestled with being forced by the boards into drawing different lines and different turns. He’s taken that perspective, dialled it down and is hitting that sweet spot again.
“You want to keep that spark, that keeps you excited,” he said, “but also have control the whole time so the board's going to do what you want it to and you're not just closing your eyes and hanging on for dear life.”
As for real life, well, there’s the last event on the Challenger Series, at home in Merewether, where a win could provide the last hail memory and chance at the CT. “I just want to surf some fun waves, surf the way I like to surf and make some heats,” he said. “Then we can see where it all lands. Afterwards I’ll see where the fire is for me and make a call. Mainly, I just want to get some good waves, and do some good surfing. I’ll look after the fam, look after the sponsors and friends that back me, and keep loving life.”
Life through the eyes of a new father - Ryan Callinan
As the Frenchie said, the more things change, the more things stay the same.
Cheers
Words by Ben Mondy
Music 'Proceed With Caution' by Nancy and the Jam Fancy's