Barton Lynch (August 9, 1963-) |
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Affable, outgoing, uncompromising: three words that fittingly describe one of pro surfing's rampantly outspoken front men, Barton Lynch. The gangly (and some say unlikely) world champion of 1988 will go down as a key figure in the ever-declining number of characters in an era marked for its suffocating homogeneity in the professional scene.
Raised in the leafy, quiet suburbs of Sydney's northern beaches in Australia, Lynch's propensity for surfing became clear early on. After his father died in a motorbike accident, 11-year-old Lynch promised his mother that he'd become a world champion surfer. The eldest of three boys, his rise was due largely to his father's early influence. His dad, a policeman and the captain of Whale Beach Surf Club, introduced his nine-year-old to the ocean and seeded determination in his son by telling him to "persevere" during his first-ever surf session. Those words stuck with Lynch for life. Shortly after his father's death, the family relocated to Mosman, an inland Sydney Harbor suburb, which made getting to the beach a daunting task. The gregarious teenager befriended other surfers at his new school, and despite their skepticism about his ability, let him tag along. Once at the beach, their doubts were erased when he blew them out of the water. After establishing a pattern of truancy, 16-year-old Lynch left school to turn pro. At the time, it was a relatively unproven career path, but Lynch plowed ahead. After a short period of post-school teenage rebellion, he entered and won the world's most-prestigious junior contest -- the 1983 Pro Junior. After breaking into the ASP Top 16 in his tour debut, he performed brilliantly, but seemed destined to remain wedged between the more-fancied names of the time. He finished runner-up to Tom Curren in 1985 and, as so often happens, the following year was a write-off. In 1987, he suffered a disappointing (for him) third-place finish. In 1988, though, the year of Australia's bicentennial celebrations, Lynch silenced the world and his big-wave critics with a stunning finale at the Billabong Pro. At perfect 10-foot Pipeline, as former champions Tom Carroll and Damien Hardman fell by the wayside, Lynch clinched the title in the semis and went on to win the event -- fulfilling the childhood promise to his mother. Despite the ensuing influx of young talent, Lynch managed to remain competitive well into his 30s. His consistency and drive kept him near the top of the ratings through 1995. When he won the Rio Surf Pro in Brazil at age 32, he was the oldest surfer to take out an event. As with many ex-world champions, Lynch's pro surfing dream later soured. Disillusioned with the blatant image-manufacturing within the sport -- and possibly because of his limited sponsorship -- Lynch accused the surfing media of corruption based upon sponsors' dollars. Since retiring from competition in 1998 -- with 12 appearances in the top 10, the most of any male surfer -- Lynch now seems content, living back on the northern beaches, surfing recreationally and cohosting a new Australian TV surfing show. He enjoys spending time with his daughter and is clearly happy not having to appease sponsors. For Barton Lynch, that freedom -- the luxury of being normal -- means everything. -- Tim MacDonald, October 2000 Click here to find all the Barton Lynch photos and editorial on Surfline.
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