Professional surfer Bobby Martinez, 26, has his feet grounded in reality. Bobby, a Mexican-American, grew up and still lives in Santa Barbara, California, while it is not as brutal as Watts, CA the streets still keep you “real.” During his freshman year on the tour he was donned the “gangsta surfer” because of his tatoos and his choice of music. But Bobby is no gangster, he is a blue collar type who believes in hard work, honesty and humility.
While his friends were working or getting into trouble, Bobby hit the beaches to surf and this was his way off of the streets and into the international spotlight of pro surfers. Being one of the best in the world take hard work, practice and sacrifice. Which is why he takes exception to the likes of Kelly Slater since he does not believe in celebrity. He surfs because it is in his blood, just like it is for most surfers. Surfing is not a way out of the ghetto. “I think that where I come from definitely helps keep me humble,” Martinez says.
To further explain how grounded he is here is an excerpt from an interview in July 2007 Surfer Mag “We’re not famous, man,” he says. “This little world of ours, the surf world, it’s so tiny that it doesn’t really matter. No surfer is a “real celebrity.” more…
During the interview, Kelly says “Terrorism is a played-out, overrated threat considering that terrorism, world-wide, might kill thousands of people a year, while cardiovascular disease kills 15 million and cancer kills, like, 12 million. Those are bigger issues in my eyes.” This comment prompted an onslaught of slams by surfers who chided that Kelly is out of touch and doesn’t understand the issues. One surfer comments, if Kelly lost his father along with thousands of other lives in the 9/11 attacks he would not be so nonchalant about terrorism being “played-out” or less important. Perhaps his cozey world of swells and beachfront locations distorts his reality.