Words by Alexei Obolensky | Photography by Wade Carroll, Paul Daniel and Megan Gayda
This article was originally published in Volume XVII, February 2026
It’s no big secret that surfing is a ‘sport’ increasingly polished into palatable shapes: whitewashed, consumer-friendly, algorithm-optimised – Mikey shows up like sandpaper on silk.
Unapologetically raw, actually unapologetically everything. A distinct middle finger to the status quo of the current conventions of the industry, and we’re very much here for it. From a legacy family of surfing über-talent, Mikey was a regular on tour, defining video parts in all whilst keeping a low-key profile, showing up, doing his thing, and leaving. Minimal interviews, minimal social media presence. Media shy. However, despite his low-key profile, Mikey unwittingly became one of contemporary surfing’s defining cultural points – the mullet, the Toyotas have become an integral part of Australian surfing culture in no short measure thanks to Mikey not trying, for just being, well – Mikey. Mikey’s a throwback to the glory days of surfing past, one that still exists if you know where to look. We’re not sure if he’s the last of a certain breed, or maybe just the first of whatever comes next.
But there’s more to the raw fuck-you energy that Mikey exudes; there’s internal battles, struggles. Now a father and with a major role in the upcoming Ritual film, we picked up the phone and dialled +61 to hear more from the man himself.
Alright then, Mikey, how did this all begin?
As a grom. Grew up right by the beach in Culburra on the south coast of New South Wales – not many people… good waves… well, actually, shit waves. My old man liked surfing, that’s all we did, really. Surfing, soccer, footy. We did a lot of Surf Lifesaving back then, learning ocean skills and beach skills. I did the whole junior contest thing for a while, but when I got my licence and moved out, I stopped competing. I moved around a lot – South Coast, Goldie, Kingscliff – now I’m near the Mid North Coast, where I’m pretty settled in.
You recently became a father. How has that changed your approach to life?
It’s a massive change for sure. We jumped in the deep end with him; he’s a cracker. He doesn’t really sleep, which can be tough on my partner, Shenay. I try to do as much as I can when I’m home, as he’s up eight times a night. In two years, he’s slept through the night twice. I’ve come back from trips, and Shenay has been in the hospital due to sleep deprivation. We’ve had to get on with it – a job is a job – but I love him so much, I wouldn’t change him for the world. He’s such a go-getter, nothing can stop him. He’s only two, but he talks to you like an adult, he can do most things on his own, and if he can’t, he asks you how to do it, then does it himself.
Has it been hard to juggle being a full-time dad and being a pro surfer?
I take the view that my work is my work; you have to draw a line in the sand, and if I have to go, I have to go and do my job. I wouldn’t say I haven’t chased as many swells, but I’m more selective. The first year, I travelled less, but this year I’ve still been on a few trips. I generally don’t really surf unless I’m on a trip, so I’m all hands on deck. Ditch the phone and be a stay-at-home dad. I’m still able to chase waves, and I’m so grateful to Shenay for that.
A few years back, you were somewhat of a feature on the CT as a regular wildcard or injury replacement – is that something that was important to you? Did you want that?
In all honesty, I was kind of told I had to go back to competing if I wanted to make money. I was presented with the option of “You can make this much if you compete, or this much as a free surfer,” so I kind of took it in my stride and thought, alright, no worries, I’ll compete. I did a couple of events, was on the Challenger or the Primes, whatever it was. I think at one point I was winning the QS. I went all in, though. Once I set a goal… I want to do it. I want to win. I wasn’t having a half-assed go at it.
I don’t really like competing. I like to show people what I can do, but in competitive surfing, you often aren’t relying on your surfing; you are relying on heat tactics. I don’t mind losing if you have a couple of waves and get to do something, and it’s not the pressure – fuck, I love the pressure. It’s more the fact that if I lost and didn’t even get a start and didn’t get a wave, I was fuming. I got on the tour, but the whole time I was battling my injuries. I could hardly walk at some point. At some locations, Shenay would have to help me get changed, and would have to help me put clothes on. It was pretty heavy.
I was also dealing with a lot of depression, and felt like I was on a short road unless I worked out what was going on. After an event in Western Australia, I did a two-week road trip through South Aus, and realised that I didn’t want to leave. I almost stayed there. At that time, I didn’t want to surf, didn’t want to do anything. After that, I decided to do one last event in Mexico and call it a day after that. I had been dealing with a fair bit of depression over the years, but ever since I made that decision, it felt like I was in the clear. I was able to start talking about it and was lucky to have an amazing partner.
Touching on depression, do you think that mental health in surfing isn’t something that’s talked about enough?
I think that’s in every part of the world; it’s not exclusive to surfing. Every sport, every person, all sports. I guess the difference in our sport is it’s not a team event; it’s all on you, it’s a lonely game. You do have a team around you, but it’s so much on you. I don’t think it’s spoken of enough. It’s also this culture of because we’re so lucky to do this for a job, people say “how can you ever have a bad day when you are doing this for a job,” and that makes it worse as you think “fuck, what’s wrong with me”. How can I be depressed if I get to do this for a living? But you can’t pick and choose your days and how you feel.
Any advice for anyone who’s going through it?
Talk to whoever you hold closest. As hard as it is sometimes, just talk. As soon as you start talking, it makes it easier. It’s not easy to do, but reach out to those close to you.
Who were your biggest surf influences growing up?
Troy Brooks played a massive part; he helped me through a lot of stuff in my teens. To have him around and travel with him was mental. We did a bunch of events together, and he was a massive mentor to me. Dane, as well, was a huge inspiration to me – I’m sure like a lot of people out there. To be on the same team as him was amazing. I watched TB a lot, and my siblings had his movies on the computer that we used to watch on repeat. Honestly, though, since I was younger, I haven’t watched a lot of shit in a long while.
Wade once mentioned to us that you’re not the sort of person who keeps up with what’s happening in the surf world. What’s the reasoning behind that, despite it having been your career for two decades?
Not really sure…. I don’t really watch stuff. My brain works differently from a lot of people. I struggle to sit still and watch something – my brain goes so fast, and I can’t sit down. I don’t get online and watch stuff. I’ll watch bits and pieces from mates and stuff. I’ll watch some fishing or pigging videos, but Instagram is a trap for someone with a brain like mine. I don’t have it on my phone. In fact, I hardly have a phone. I have a phone that works with WhatsApp that I don’t really understand how to use, but I’ve been running a Nokia brick phone for a while. I’m way better off like that; life is a lot easier having no direct link to social media. Straying away from social media and that dopamine hit is important for me. I can see the effect straight away, when I’m away from it, I think so much more clearly. I don’t need that distraction in my life.
Do you find that distance from social media has translated across to your output in terms of dropping longer full-length parts rather than bits and pieces on Instagram?
I find it’s way more special releasing something properly that you have been working on, rather than dropping pieces on social media for that dopamine hit. I recognise that Instagram is such a great tool, and I’m looking at getting someone to help with that, but it’s not something I’m into personally. In all honesty, I couldn’t give two fucks about social media.
I much prefer the process of working on full-length parts. The way we work now with Wade (Carroll) is that we don’t really watch any of it until it’s been made – it’s kind of wild. I’ve had a lot of knock-outs, concussions, and brain bleeds over the past few years, so in all honesty, I can’t remember a lot of shit that’s in this movie. It’s cool to watch it for the first time and think “holy fuck, we did some work this year!”. Working for something on a trip and knowing it’s going towards something like a full-length movie is ten times better than just putting stuff out for the sake of it. You might get those viral views, hit,s and follow,s but it means fuck all in the long run – people forget about that clickbait stuff so fast. I’d prefer that people watch the people on repeat. That’s how I grew up.
You were on Dion’s very first Ritual Vision roster as a co-owner of the brand. What’s your take on the brand’s vision and morals? What makes Ritual different from the rest?
I mean, first year off the bat, we weren’t making any money, but all the money we had was going into making the film. That’s so refreshing in this day and age. Dion was pushing so hard to get something out, first year, and now he’s done it. He’s created this platform to keep on doing it, which is so epic. We have the funding to keep doing it and chase waves and movies. It’s pretty hard to beat this team. It’s insane as we haven’t even done a proper trip altogether, so I would say the best is yet to come. Hats off to D, as the vision of this brand is to keep creating movies. Wade and Dion have done such a good job.
What have been some of the standout moments from shooting?
There have been so many. All the locations were sick. Puerto Rico was insane. We were there for some festival in the streets with a bunch of tuned-up cars rolling in, doing donuts. We started throwing oil on the road to get it going. Mexico was also insane – surf all day, eat food, drink beer, and sleep. Then do it all again. I can’t wait to do more.
You and Wade go way back, how’s that relationship between you guys, and the importance of trusting a filmer and travelling so much together?
We’ve been mates since we were kids – my uncle, who sadly passed away, was best mates with Wade’s old man. Best mates since the beginning. We used to play against each other at soccer, then he came to our team. Wade got into filming and photography. He would film with the local boys, then we started filming, and it all grew from there, really. We would chase waves up and down the coast, then overseas, then we moved out of our home together on the road tons. He came to Quiksilver with me, and then it really ramped up with the films they were producing, and now it’s onto Ritual. Now Wade is a business partner in Ritual, and we’re doing the same thing we’ve always done, I guess. Feels right. I think he’s so good at what he does, and he’s going to blow a few people’s minds with this movie.
How has the premier tour been going?
It’s been solid. Had some really good feedback so far and great turnouts for the prems. Getting to watch it on a big screen with crazy sound is incredible. It feels like you’re on the wave with us. We had some local bands play in Torquay; it’s been so mental. I’ve never really been to premieres on this scale. It’s been off its head. I think people are frothing over the brand, the team, and how it’s marketed. I think people are like, “We have to go, there’s no way I’m missing this,” and that’s why we’ve been selling out of every show. I’m really stoked to be a part of it.
We’ve seen you’ve been riding a lot of Asymmetrical boards recently, noticeably from Ryan Burch (unless mistaken). What’s your take on them vs. traditional shortboards you’ve ridden the majority of your life?
I found I was just getting pretty stagnant, not in terms of boards, as JS has been mixing it up a lot for me and bringing back old AI files and templates, etc., but it was more of a mental thing for me. I wanted something different, and Burch’s boards came along at the right time. It’s been amazing riding those boards, so much fun trying them and trial and error. He’s made me a bunch, and asks me which one I like the most – I can’t even answer as they all go insane. Obviously, they are asymmetrical, so they can do different shit than normal boards can. They can put you in different positions. The rail game is insane. I can put my full body weight and power onto one rail, and it doesn’t give out. You wouldn’t even know you were on a twinny. It also made me appreciate shortboards more as well, so it’s kind of a full-circle thing, I guess.
What do you like and dislike about surfing right now?
There’s not that much to like…. I guess the core of it, surfing with mates – that’s what I’m most excited about. All these brands being bought and sold isn’t great for the industry; there’s a lot of noise out there. Just surfing with mates – that’s the only thing that’s holding it all together right now. I wouldn’t have my son try and make a living out of it, that’s for sure. Surfing with friends keeps me above it all. I’m more stoked on surfing than ever.
Over the years, you’ve spent a lot of time in Ireland? How’s your relationship with the place and people?
I love it. I’d go back tomorrow. It’s amazing. I love cold weather. Waves are really fun, so many set-ups and had some special sessions there. Had some bigger days at Mully as well. I actually ended up with a brain bleed from that one bigger session.
What happened?
It was pretty wild. I fell right as it threw and breached through the other side. I got thrown over so hard. I guess the explosion of the water hit me on the back of the head, just clocked. A cubic metre of water is a tonne, so the explosion of water that hit me had a bit of force behind it. I got so ragdolled, I was unconscious underwater. I came around and up, surfaced, took a breath, and got hit by the next one, but I couldn’t move my body, and just had to take it. When I came up from that one, I was able to move my limbs a bit. I was waving my hand to get help – luckily, the ski was right there and grabbed me.
I was keen to give it another go and paddle back out, but then Noah Lane came paddling past and was like ‘nah mate, you’re not going back out’. About 40 minutes later, I was sitting in the car, trying to call a hospital to get checked out, and I lost all motor skills. I was seriously on the phone and just couldn’t talk, couldn’t breathe well, and started crying. My body was in full flip-out mode. I’ve had injuries in the past, and I knew what was going on, but it hit me really hard. I tried not to fall asleep that night, flew home the next day (which is the worst thing you could ever do with a concussion), but I was like, get me out of there. I’d still go back in a heartbeat. I love that wave.
We see you’re a very keen fisherman,4 and like to dabble in hunting. Is that something you’ve always done? Does that complement a life spent at sea?
Anything that keeps me moving and keeps me from sitting still. It could be anything: fishing offshore (or inshore), hunting, chasing pigs with dogs, off-roading, diving – I love all of it. I don’t think I would still be doing what I’m doing if I didn’t have fishing and hunting, as well as diving. When I was surfing competitively, I would have quit a long time ago. I was fishing for a long time, but wasn’t into freshwater fishing or hunting, as I didn’t get to do it as a kid. I got into it with Shenay’s old man, inshore fishing and hunting and never looked back, really. If I’m not chasing waves, I want to be hunting or fishing.
It’s such a good release for me. It’s a major part of me, it’s linked to the question earlier about mental health and depression – I would advise anyone to get outdoors and try something new, whatever that might be. Get off the phone and get out there. Of course, you have some bad fishing trips, but at the end of the day, it’s still better than most things….
Talk to us about Cars?
I love them, I’ve had so many. I love driving something different, and I love a deal. Love my toys, have a lot of boats, buggies, beach cars, hunting cars…
Had a Commodore when I was younger, then a Land Cruiser, then onto another Land Cruiser, then a Hilux, then a BJ73, like a short wheelbase Troopy, then a GMC C10 from 1963, swapped that for a chopped 80 series…. I’ve got a lot of cars, I’ve been selling a lot recently though – I’ve been destocking.
I’ve got a 1963 Dodge Truck in the States that’s still sitting in parts; it’s getting work done on it. It’s been like that for six years. I should probably get onto that.
Who is the next kid to keep an eye out for?
Hughie and Lungi for sure – it’s crazy watching them surf. Hughie has really been surfing incredible – he holds himself on a trip, that’s for sure. Also, Milla as well – she’s amazing. There’s also this young kid called Luca Martin who’s coming up; he just got on Quik. There’s so much talent out there.
What or where is next?
I’m going to start my own YouTube channel on hunting, surfing, and fishing all at the same time with a production company, which I’m really excited about. I’d love to take mates on it that have never done that kind of stuff before and see it all through new eyes. Super excited to show people what I do and bring new people into the fold. I’d love for my son to be able to do the same thing.
