Meet the professional surfing world’s headline-making bad boy Bobby Martinez.
The surfer has rejected any claims that he should be the face of Latino surfers, even if he is the first Mexican-American to ever qualify for the World Championship Tour (WCF).
Since his surfing start at the age of 6, Martinez had made quite a name for himself, being called a few names as well.
The outspoken 29-year-old athlete has been praised for his surfing abilities, but it seems he’s more likely to be criticized for his antics these days.
After joining the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) the moment he was old enough, Martinez would score a record seven national titles, the first of which was earned when he was only 12. After going pro, it seemed the surfing world was willing to make him the next surfing superstar after Kelly Slater. Martinez wasn’t having it however, saying that that kind of notoriety means nothing, because it’s the talent that matters. Sponsors and money only serve to take the soul out of surfing.
He would go on to cut ties with many of his sponsors and self-fund his run in the World Qualifying Series in 2005, from which he’d walk away with 5th place and the 2006 Rookie of the Year title from the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP).
And though his sponsorship status has changed since then, he has not, with his vocal criticism of the ASP and “don’t give a sh*t” attitude getting him into trouble.
On September 7, 2011, Martinez was suspended from the ASP after he blasted the ASP during the Quiksilver Pro New York 2011 competition.
After finishing his first heat, the surfer was asked by one of Quiksilver’s marketers to do an interview. Martinez warned him that he wouldn’t like what he had to say, but the marketer ignored the warning.
