If there are waves he’s there. If it’s flat calm, he’s there. If there’s wind, he’s there. Flynn is a true waterman, and at 18 years young, this human is on his way to greatness. He fixes engines, sails massive yachts, works on superyachts, spearfishes his dinner, repairs surfboards and surfs to an extremely high ability.
There’s not much he can’t do actually, besides legally drive a car for now! Flynn is as comfortable on land as he is on a boat or in the sea. “Oh the sea is my first home!” he bursts, as if asking him was an insult.
The very first time we met, Flynn had just climbed out of the water after being eliminated from the first round of the Cold Water Invitational at Marley’s. And he was pissed off. And how. At 16, he was raw, wild and untamed. Fast forward two years, a few “life slaps” later, and Flynn has matured so well, it’s impossible to remember he’s 18… and to say he’s turned his life around in the meantime would be an understatement.
“I just got into my head. I was in the wrong head space, I went there to win and not trying to have fun to compete and not to surf. The biggest thing I changed for the next comp was showing up and surfing.” He opened up.
He came back to Marleys at the Reef Rampage earlier this year a completely changed individual. Visibly calmer, more chilled and overall more pleasant to be around (Sorry, younger Flynny!)
“I don’t know what happened… a lot of fucking life, I guess. Life slapped me in the face a few times and I came out of it.”
“Honestly I’m not sure how my surfing improved. It kinda just happened. I started when I was like 10 or 12, surfed for a couple of years and then stopped because i started racing sailing boats. I got back into it when I was 15, and in the last few years, I can see progress.”
The evolution of Flynn
Flynn’s evolution as a surfer is all about mastering the mental game. “Before, I’d be on a wave worried about which turns I can do, trying to jam everything in together and not flowing. You have to be flowing, take your time, and relax. I only learned this when I started teaching and watching people rush. It would mess them up. If you’re on the wave, you have to take a step back, think, and see the section.”
For Flynn, reading waves is an art. “If you see me surfing, I’m paddling up and down the bay all day. Even if you make the wrong call, at least you try to find the wave.” His love for coaching is evident, despite the crowded lineups. “I enjoy coaching. I don’t like more people in the lineup, don’t get me wrong, but when you’re out there and you see one of your students surfing and catching waves, it’s super nice.”
Main Surfing Influence
When it comes to influences, Flynn is unequivocal. “Valerio—I have to pick him. Definitely. I’ve had a push from everyone, but Vale is a big part of it.”
Sailing Passion
While surfing reigns supreme, sailing is Flynn’s second love. “Surfing wins hands down. I do yacthting as my career. My dream is to buy a sailing boat to sail and free surf the world.” His commitment is intense—once he dives into something, he’s all in. “If I go spearfishing once, the next day I’m buying the most expensive gun and going every day. I only shoot them if they are big enough. The fish population is dwindling very quickly here. I never catch octopus because I don’t know how to cook them and don’t want to waste them. They are so beautiful.” This philosophy was also evident when Flynn was a competitive sailor at a very young age, his pre teens going into his early teenage years. Being on boats, alone, from such a young age works wonders on the brain.
Flynn’s philosophy on food is as pure as his passion for the ocean. “I only eat fish I catch. No steroids, no farmed stuff. It doesn’t taste the same.”
How Surfing Changed His Life
Surfing isn’t just a sport for Flynn—it’s a life-changing experience. “It’s like I met an amazing group of people, my best friends, all of you. It gave me a lot more understanding of the sea. My job goes hand in hand with surfing. If there’s bad weather, we can’t go out on the boats, so I’ll go surfing. But when we’re out on the boat, navigating through rough seas, I can read the waves better. Surfing is a way for me to relax. Surfing is everything.”
Flynn’s Favuorite Spots
Flynn’s favourite surf spots are a testament to his love for Malta’s diverse waves. “Qbajjar, St Thomas, and Golden Bay. I love Golden Bay; it’s very underrated.” Flynn and I enjoyed a mammoth session in the beginning of July together, with practically no other surfers there, and watching him weave his magic there was impressive on one of the biggest days of my short career.
Freestyle Aims, Olympic Dreams
With his sights set on the Olympics, Flynn is all about the dream. “I’d love to go to the Olympics. It’s what I’m aiming for. It’s very difficult here. I need to see if I can get some sponsorships.”
Despite this, Flynn loves free surfing and ‘discovering places where no one surfs. This is why I want a sailing boat to sail and surf the world.”
With his dream locked, he’s also acutely aware of the generational gap in his field. “We need more young people. It’s a big problem. Most people are a lot older than me.” This would guarantee more progress in the sport, and perhaps an Olympic surfer someday.
Life at Sea
Flynn’s life is the ocean. “My job is physical. It is a workout. Tying ropes is not easy. Hoisting sails is not easy, so my job is a workout.” He’s currently a captain on smaller boats and training to be an engineer, with aspirations of working on a superyacht. “I love Malta. I’m from England, but Malta is my home. I came here when I was three, and this is my home. I hated Malta until I started working on the sea. Land is horrible. I am way more in the sea than I am on land.”
Philosophy and Future
Flynn’s philosophy is straightforward and no-nonsense. “Why be worried about something you can’t control? I used to be worried about a million things. I can sit down and moan all day and night, or I can move on.”
This mentality comes in handy while free diving. “Down there at 20 minutes, you’re just at peace. You’re looking for fish, making noises to attract them. You learn about their behaviour and they all have different types of behaviour.”
His early ambition to be a marine biologist has given him a wealth of knowledge about aquatic life. “My crew documents dolphin movements, so I like to help Francesca, for example and I’m seeing more dolphins this year than last.”
The Journey Continues
Flynn’s journey is one of relentless pursuit and constant learning. Whether it’s braving the cold waves of Ireland or navigating through the Mediterranean, he’s always pushing his limits. “In every session, my job goes hand in hand with surfing. When my trips get cancelled, I get to come surfing. It feels like I’m living the dream. It took a long time.”
Flynn’s dedication and passion are evident in everything he does, from the meticulous care he takes in spearfishing to the joy he finds in teaching others to surf. His story is a testament to the power of following one’s passion and finding harmony with the sea. With his unyielding spirit and explosive energy, Flynn is set to make waves for years to come.
As we packed our boards after an epic sunset session, he realized a crack on his board’s rail. The Fynn of two years ago would have blown his lid…, but this young man calmly told me, “I enjoy fixing things, so I’ll do this myself.”
Keep going Flynn, a true inspiration of a young man who never stops working, surfing and crafting his trade on the sea. When I grow up, I want to be Flynn!
