Anthony Tashnick is a great American artist working in the medium of waves. The debate about what surfing is (is it a sport, is it an art form, is it a lifestyle, is it a religious practice?) continues within circles for whom the subject is important, but surfing is so versatile that it can fulfill a range of needs. For Tazy, it seems to be first and foremost a source of fun. Yes, he’s a gnarly guy who charges terrifying waves on the Big Wave World Tour, but he’s also a frothing grom who refuses to comply with so-called norms. Tazy is a hellman, a wave warrior, an artist of the highest order.
Collaborating with Tazy is an adventure. He goes wherever he wants to in pursuit of waves. When you are in his presence you get some sense as to the steeliness of his will. He is driven, motivated by knowing what potential is still untapped. Dreaming big about the future of boat surfing or taking a finless half-broken foamy to surf small shorebreak, every day is about interacting with the ocean, about deepening his relationship with surfing, about leading and listening to his fellow surfers through interacting with them in and out of the water.
