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Martin Potter (October 28, 1965-) |
 The Largest Surfing EncyclopediaA-Z: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Advertisement
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Hellmen are neutered by competition. They bathe in respect, but they don't win world titles. Sure, hellmen have thrived, especially when surfing was wild and mind expansion was acceptable, even encouraged. But on the "bigger is better" tour of the '80s, where consistency was the benchmark on a grueling 25-plus event tour, they floundered. The 1987 and 1988 champs, Damien Hardman and Barton Lynch, were renowned conservatives, bred contest machines. At the same time, Martin Potter was, without question, the best freesurfer on the planet. But consistent? Not a chance.
Potter began surfing in Durban, South Africa, at age 10. By 15, he took the world by storm, defeating Shaun Tomson to win his first professional contest and finishing second in his first two IPS events. The following winter at the Pipe Masters, he outlasted the meanest tube of the winter, a 12-foot screamer that delivered him into stardom. Through the '80s, he was a card-carrying member of the Big Four, along with Tom Curren, Tom Carroll and Mark Occhilupo. His fluid, powerful, radical style -- an unheard combination -- made him one of the most admired surfers anywhere. He also helped pioneer aerials, although his were fluid extensions of powerful off-the-tops rather than the forecast hip-hop tricks of today. A teenaged Kelly Slater even patterned his style after Potter's, plastering his walls with shots of Potter putting his trademark green-and-yellow explosion boards through their paces. Despite Potter's infinite talent and admired approach, putting it together for a solid year seemed beyond his means. Then, before the 1989 season, Pottz engaged in a brutal training regimen with then manager Peter Colbert. He came out firing, winning four of the first five events and cruising to the widest margin of victory in ASP history. By then a resident of Australia, he silenced the naysayers and grasped the elusive crown. And he wasn't finished yet. Despite the financial setbacks of a failed apparel enterprise bearing the Pottz label, he stayed near the top of the ratings, remaining firmly in the top 10 until his retirement in 1995. The proclaimed freesurfer spent a record 14 seasons in the world's Top 16. Transitioning out of the only job he's known since the age of 15 has been difficult. He endured a failed marriage and hasn't managed to secure a solid new career trajectory. In addition to holding regular training classes for aspiring young pros, he put out a training video with Barton Lynch in 1998. Recently, Pottz got the call from longtime sponsor Gotcha. The order? Relocation to the southwest of France, where he now serves as a marketing manager for the European arm of the country. With flawless Basque sandbars and fellow power monger Gary Elkerton close by, it's likely that the Hellman may have finally found his niche.-- Jason Borte, September 2000
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