Rob Machado and The Drifter Return for 15th Anniversary Tour

Originally posted on SURFER | By Chris Dodds | Last updated Jul 24, 2025 5:50 PM ET

Although neither of them could have known it then, fifteen years ago Rob Machado and Taylor Steele’s film The Drifter marked the birth of modern free surfing. Rob’s accomplishments on tour left little to doubt about his skills and relevance but it was post tour that an even more significant chapter began and a fateful year in Indonesia changed everything.

The Drifter is a poignant time capsule of not only Rob as a surfer but also travel before smartphones reigned supreme and Bali was far less developed and felt far more away. Rob’s hair, not quite the full flowing power-mane that it is today, was showing signs of what the future would hold. The Drifter embodies what it meant to be unhinged, in Rob's case, from the tour and finally free to surf. The film returns this Friday, July 25th, to La Paloma in Encinitas. You can buy tickets here.

Not only is the Drifter coming back to the silver screen, with Rob and Jon Swift playing music and talking story, but the holy temple that is Drifter Surf Shop, is coming to Encinitas with its first-ever space outside of Bali.

From afar, Rob’s life could easily seem like it was all good times and cool breeze. The reality is that the transition from life on tour was far from easy.

“To be honest, when the reality set in that it was happening (getting voted off tour), I was in Hawaii and someone told me on the bike path. It all came down to an injury wildcard meeting, that I wasn’t at because my daughter was born that week. So I heard through the coconut wireless…I was in disbelief. It felt like I dedicated my whole life to this path, the only one that seemed open–to compete and be a pro surfer. Then it was gone.”

In addition to being off tour and becoming a new dad, he lost his main sponsor (Gotcha) to bankruptcy. Not an ideal set up by any means, times were heavy and some serious soul-searching ensued. Things started to turn around once he signed with Hurley and Bob Hurley gave him the green light to, “just go surf”. Eventually, long time friend and collaborator, Taylor Steele invited Rob to come live in Bali...

The rest, as they say, is history. To check out the film in Encinitas, get your tickets here. If you can’t make it to the screening but want to hear more of the story, check out Rob’s talk with Nic von Rupp below.