Watch: Oscar Langburne Stamps His Signature Style From Sumatra to G-Land

After signing a new deal with Rip Curl at the start of the year, he tore his meniscus playing tennis, which meant four months out of the water. Once he recovered, he flew to Sumatra to get the first segment done on the film. Then he got really, really sick. Like, couldn’t walk sick. “We were meant to leave at 7 a.m. for the Mentawais, and at like 6 a.m. I could barely stand up,” Oscar said. The doctors diagnosed it as dengue fever, and Oscar was laid up in a Bali hospital for five nights. “It felt like a bit of a low point, lying in a hospital when I was supposed to be in the Ments.”

Dengue meant another two weeks of resting and recuperating with the Indian Ocean teasing him not far from his bedside. If there’s a silver lining, it’s deeper gratitude for his surfing, his health, and making the most of both. “When I first got back in the water after I did my leg, that first surf I had this crazy sense of appreciation,” he said. “But then surfing after dengue, it was like double that. It was a pretty wild ride.”

Oscar grew up in a highly competitive surf zone that produced rising freesurf phenom Hughie Vaughan and Championship Tour rookie Joel Vaughan, who Oscar counts as a friend and peer. But heat strategy and buzzers didn’t suit Oscar, who found more in common with surfing’s countercultural roots than with getting points. 

Finding good waves and less-frequented lineups is his goal, and that is exactly what he showcased in Ever Changing Moods. Sumatra, Simeulue, the Mentawais, G-Land, Oscar and his co-conspirator Harry Dott, who shot, edited and colorized the film, were frequent fliers in Indo this summer.  

His equipment of choice is made by Chris Christenson, the masterful Californian shaper known for building a versatile quiver. From groveler twins to step-ups, his range was a big draw for Oscar. “He’s got such a wide variety of boards, and I don’t want to be pigeon-holed into one category of surfing,” Oscar said. “I really love high-performance surfing, not that I’m doing that at the highest level, but I appreciate that aspect. I love riding shortboards, but I also love the approach of a twin fin and other alternative boards. So I felt like (Chris) was a perfect match for what I wanted to do. Plus, he’s such a good guy.”

The final section ofhis project is the star on the tree. Oscar and roping G-Land go together like Futures in the box. Yet even that didn’t come easy. Washthrough sets, down days, filming logistics, and isolation coupled with an approaching deadline to submit the video. Harry and Oscar were stressing. They wound up only surfing and filming at low tide so Harry could walk across the reef for a closer shot.

As for what's next, Oscar is hoping for a call from Rip Curl to join The Search, perhaps with Mick Fanning, Mason Ho or Stephanie Gilmore. In the meantime, he's already scheming to do more trips. Perhaps somewhere cold. Somewhere that offers a challenge. Wherever it may be, his lines will go down easy. Oscar doesn't force it.