Chris Ward Biography

Video may have killed the radio star, but it gave birth to Chris Ward as a surfer. Ward would have been another gorgeous youngster from Southern California in another era. As it stands, his legacy has overtaken that of his San Clemente neighbor, Matt Archbold, another international phenomenon who never seemed to fit into a contest jersey. When Chris was nine years old, the Wards relocated to San Clemente from Galveston, Texas. In the mid-'80s, Martin Potter racked some hours at T Street and sparked a free surfing craze that started with Archbold and Christian Fletcher, spread through international stars like Shane Beschen, and rubbed off on kids like Ward. When Ward was growing up, the region was already known for extreme, off-the-beaten-path surfing. In the mid-'90s, rumors began to circulate about a little boy who pumped big airs between flawless carves down the pier. He was the 1990 WSA Menehune champion, had won the NSSA National Boys' championship, and had made the Op Junior final in the early 1990s, yet he was a complete unknown outside of California. Ward became an overnight cult star after Lost Surfboards published What's Really Going On in 1995, which featured Ward's flawless adolescent maneuvering. The underground trend was the antithesis of Kelly Slater's strict New School. The team was having a good time, setting each other on fire, and interacting with a large percentage of the surfing community. Ward, who was sixteen at the time, was their king. In 1996, Chris signed a three-year agreement with Gotcha, which coincided with the birth of his daughter, Malia, as well as some financial difficulties caused by his father's terminal illness. While his peers were having fun in high school, the kid found himself supporting a family. He hasn't had much success in the competition since coming second in the 1997 AirTouch ASP qualification series event at Huntington Beach. His media presence, on the other hand, has remained robust. People want to see Ward surf whether or not he aspires to be a high-profile professional. He inked a hefty endorsement contract with Rusty for clothes and boards in 1999, which isn't exactly an obscure surf shop. This does not imply that he will perform in 20-minute heats; his mission is to blow people's minds. Will the finest American free surfer of his generation, like Potter in 1989, finally integrate into the system and win a world title, or will he continue to be an alone artist like Archbold? The establishment has more of a say in the matter. He has the capacity if the pro tour succumbs to the pressure and rewards new surfing, which remains to be seen. He took the first step toward legitimacy in June 2001, when he won a five-star WQS event in the Maldives, putting him in contention for a run at the WCT. June 2001, Jason Borte

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