Pro Surfers Rob Machado, Nathan Florence Launch New Beer Company

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated 2/15/24

Booze and surfing, surprisingly, have a long, storied history.

From the Smirnoff Pro-Am, a pivotal surf contest held from 1969 to 1977, to Corona currently sponsoring the World Surf League’s Championship Tour, alcohol brands have long backed surfing events, basically going all the way back to their beginnings.

Then, there’s surfers sponsored by beer brands, and surfers starting their own beer brands. When it comes to the latter, there’s a new surfer beer on the block.

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A post shared by Nathan Florence (@nathan_florence)

Introducing, Easy Rider – a new light beer company from co-founder of JuneShine hard kombucha, Forrest Dein, and with affiliations to surfers like Rob Machado, Nathan Florence, and Matt Meola. No word on exactly the surfers’ level of involvement – either investors, cofounders, or simply ambassadors – but they’re part of it in some way.

Florence, in announcing the beer’s arrival on social media, wrote:

“The day has come we have officially launched our very own beer! @drinkeasyrider so fired up for this to hit shelves and be a proud owner of an american beer company!”

American is right. The promo video is like a country song music video. Cowboy hats. Horses. Mountains. Flowing rivers. And lots of stars and bars.

As mentioned before, it’s not the first time a handful of surfers have gotten involved with a beer brand. Like, for example, Balter Brewing, created by Aussie former CT surfers Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, Josh Kerr, and Bede Durbidge.

That one turned out to be a hit, and a lucrative investment for the surfers in their retirement. The boys sold the brand, allegedly for $128 million.

Could Easy Rider takeoff, too? Check it out here.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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