“Well, the guy doesn’t have a sponsor, so I felt a bit bad, beating him.” That was Yadin Nicol after he had beaten Kelly Slater in Round 1 of the Drug Aware Margaret River Pro. Apart from being by the funniest post hit win quote of the day (not a tough field to be honest) it had us thinking just who are the five best sponsor free surfers in the world.

Laurie Towner: 

Laurie’s latest clip featured online has propelled him to the current poster boy for the non-sponsored surfer. People, understandably, are baffled how one of the premier big wave riders in the world, and the one with the best all round act, has lost his major sponsor. We’re thinking that mind blowing three minute clip might change this pretty soon.

Loz, as usual, deep and meaningful in Tahiti. Photo Joli

CJ Hobgood

“But yeah, beyond that, yeah, it is a little bit weird. At home I have Rusty baggies, …Lost baggies, I have Volcom baggies …I mean, I’m lucky that a lot of companies still give me free clothes, but yeah, it’s a little weird. Which ones do I surf in?” That was the 2001 World Champ talking to Surfing last year. Now in 16th consecutive year on tour and one of his peer’s most respected surfers, Ceej lost his long time sponsor Globe a few years and has been paying his own way around the world ever since.

If surfers were paid by the tube, Ceej would be leading the money earners. Photo Joli

Dion Atkinson

“Work-wise, December and January is the prime time,” Atkinson told the ASP. “The last couple of years without a sponsor have been hard, so I’ll teach surfing lessons, laboring, anything I can find to make some money. It’s funny, at the start of the year when people ask what you do you feel like an idiot saying you’re a professional surfer when you’re not actually getting paid big bucks by anyone.” After seven years trying Atkinson is on the WCT and doing it the hard way, without full industry support. Go get em tiger.

Dion throwing buckets on the Goldy instead of bricks. Photo Joli

Raoni Monteiro

“I haven’t had a sponsor for three years now and I’ve basically run out of money and have to pick and choose what events I can afford to travel to. I mean, I made it to the World Tour; it’s as high as you can go. There are only 34 guys in the whole world who can make it to this level. I did it. I worked unbelievably hard to get here. And now I can’t afford to do it any longer.” That was Raoni Monteiro talking to Surfer late last year. And he has a point, if one of the top 34 surfers in the world can’t get a paycheck, who the bloody well can?

Caption: Raoni in Portugal, looking for an exit and a backer. Photo Joli

Clay Marzo

Clay Marzo’s clips are perhaps the second most anticipated in the surfing world after Dane Reynolds. Sure Marzo’s diagnosed Asperger’s may effect his ability to represent a brand, but when you surf this good, in everything from 15 foot slabs to two foot beachies, surely that has to be worth something, to someone, right? Nope, wrong.

Caption: Clay a few years back when the future was so bright he had to wear shades. Photo Joli

Is there anybody we have missed and deserves some attention? Let us know.