Today, he’s recognised around the world for his powerful surfing style and exceptional knack for aerials, and is more than familiar with the pro surfing circuit. It’s a far cry from his days working as a carpentry apprentice, but the thing about Callum is… he’s always stayed true to his roots.
Driven by his passion for the grassroots surf, sport, and tradie communities, he was just as stoked chatting to us about the thrill of the World Championship Tour as he was the simple joys of scouting out lonely breaks with his mates along the north coast of New South Wales.
It’s for this reason that we wanted to share his incredible journey, from duking it out on the waves and nurturing upcoming surf talent to partnering with epic brands that helped get him to where he is today – constantly chasing peak performance and doing what he loves.
Callum was lucky enough to find his spark at a young age. The fire caught slowly, then all at once.
“I used to skate, ride scooters, and play a bunch of different sports. Rugby league and rugby union were pretty big passions of mine, but I’ve always been around the ocean. My parents were heavily involved in surf clubs, so I was constantly doing patrols or going to different events around Australia.
“But what really flicked the switch for me was a trip to Indo with my dad when I was maybe 13. After I came back, all I wanted to do was surf. I kind of fell in love with the freedom and pure enjoyment of it all. I think that’s why we pursue a lot of things in life, just because we have the most fun doing it.
“I went to school in Woodburn and then eventually in Lismore, spending an hour and 45 minutes on the bus each day. A lot of the time I couldn’t surf through the week, so I left school in year 11 to have more freedom and pursue a carpentry apprenticeship with my old man. I was able to surf in the mornings, since Dad let me rock up a bit later.”
Callum hurled himself into the World Surf League (WSL) when he was just a teenager. Swiftly ascending up the ranks, he broke onto the scene as the youngest surfer on the 2022 Championship Tour (known for its long and rather complicated road to qualification) and finished in the top 10 in his rookie year.
Complicated professional surf jargon aside, he was killing it. In fact, after his fifth-place finish at the US Open, the WSL themselves wrote, “…watch him surf and you’ll realise Robson has the potent combination a modern surfer needs to put a dent on an elite contest scene. He can hit the lip like a sledgehammer and fly beyond it like a jet – think of it as an Aussie grunt crossed with radical progression.”
Callum said he chalked up his navigation of the complex world of elite surfing to his experience as a tradie. Apparently, his first job not only reinforced his maturity and strong work ethic, but also made him realise what he wanted to do with his life in the first place.
“My apprenticeship was pretty short-lived, but it was one of the best things I ever did. While I was very lucky that my dad was my boss, I obviously didn’t have the luxury of being able to surf every day – there would be times when I’d have to work all week or out of town.
“I felt like I had so much more to give, and I found I was way more passionate about surfing.
“It made me realise that I never wanted to do carpentry as my main job, so it fuelled the fire for me to be a professional surfer. That was my drive every single day. I just wanted to see how far I could take it. I never really knew that I was going to be a pro – I just wanted to pursue surfing in some capacity as much as I could.
“I’ve recently finished renovating a place with my old man. I haven’t had the opportunity to go back and work with him since being on tour, but it’s such a different experience when I don’t have to do it for work. I really like learning about building, and feel like it’s such a good skillset to have.”
When asked if he would ever consider picking up the tools again full-time, Callum told us he doesn’t see himself going back. However, that doesn’t mean he has left that part of his life behind completely.
For those that don’t know – in high-level circuits like the Championship Tour, many pro surfers make a living through prize money and, more importantly, sponsorships. For Callum, this is where the support of businesses like VIZ Tradie’s Insurance is invaluable.
Perfectly aligned with his good nature and community spirit, Callum said he’s been able to develop an awesome relationship with the brand, as they’ve supported him massively throughout his whole journey.
“I feel like they’re along for the ride, which is definitely what you need from a pro surf sponsorship.
“They really value the space that I play in, having that tradie background. I’m from a small country town, so working-class, blue-collar kind of work is deeply ingrained in me. I think that resonates a lot with their community and the Aussie tradies that surf. I relate to them quite easily.
“I think they’re exactly the kind of people that a surfing tradie wants to deal with. They want to work all day, surf in the afternoon, down tools, and know they’re protected.
“Being a professional athlete, there are ups and downs and it’s not smooth sailing all the time, so to have the support of a company that backs you for being you really means the world to me and allows me to work on what matters. I can focus on surfing and doing my best knowing I have their support. I’m excited to see what we do together.”
If you tour the car parks of any beach along the east coast of Australia in the early afternoon, chances are you’ll see a bunch of muddied-up utes – tools in the tray and surfboards strapped on top.
Tradies have always been known to surf. There are even figures that say nearly two thirds hit the waves during the working week. We were introduced to VIZ for this very reason, and felt it only appropriate to help them give away Callum’s surfboard to one lucky surf tradie last edition – congrats Shane!
On top of everything else, VIZ also backs Callum’s junior camps and all the insane work he does in the area of performance development. Speaking with him, you can just tell that helping young people reach their potential and come to an understanding of what they want to do in life is something that he’s really, really passionate about.
Callum said he began coaching well before he started his global competitive tours, and described it as his transition into the pro surfing world.
“It allowed me to understand myself on such a deeper level. I realised I had a lot of value to give in that space, because something I’m really enthusiastic about is giving back. I also think I’ve got quite a unique take on it, because I felt like I probably wasn’t the most talented kid when I was younger – I had to work a lot of things out for myself.
“I want to be able to help someone through their journey – not just give them the tools to be a professional surfer, but encourage them to understand themselves more as a human. Being able to provide that level of support through my junior camps and having a platform where I can help kids from around the world has been super good for me.
“They get to access the world’s best and hear advice straight from the horse’s mouth, which is just unbelievable. Putting this together for these groms has now allowed me to build a bit of community, which is really exciting.”
Callum lit up when he talked about his junior performance camps… almost as much as he did when he described the simple joys he finds in surfing itself.
While the competitive scene is very much an expression and a way for him to challenge himself, it’s clear that he finds the most happiness doing the same things that us casual surfers enjoy – finding secret spots, getting barrelled, and practicing our favourite craft.
Callum said when there are waves around, his energy levels are through the roof.
“At the moment I’ve been living in the Kingscliff area, so I’ve been surfing a lot around D-Bah (Duranbah Beach) at the southern end of the Goldie and northern end of New South Wales. I love sneaking around Evans with my mates on the ski. That’s probably one of my favourite spots, but we’re in such a wave-rich zone, so I also surf in Ballina and all kinds of places.
“The funnest thing in the world is chasing waves and surfing with my mates, but I’m pretty motivated in the sense of working on my high-performance surfing too. I’ve always been driven by my curiosity about how I can be the best surfer I can be. I don’t know what that looks like, and I don’t know the end goal, so it’s exciting.
“I’m actually in front of a camera for most of my surfs. Watching your own footage is actually the best thing from a technical standpoint – it’s so good for your mind-body connection.
“When I was younger and started to get filmed for the first time, it was definitely a little intimidating. But now, I don’t really think too much of it. I usually set my intentions so I don’t get too caught up in trying to get clips. That way, I’m more focused on my goal for the session.”
The horror of imagining a camera pointed at you almost every time you wanted to take a surf was hard to shake… So we were curious – does Callum still experience a casual sesh in the same way we do?
As someone who does it for a living, and for such an insane amount of time in his life, does he still enjoy surfing as a cruisy, relaxing activity?
Callum said going for a general leisurely surf has been difficult at times throughout his career, so it’s nice to put the board away and have some time off to refresh and reset.
“Surfing has obviously played a massive part in my life. I love being able to do something where I can get outside of my own head and connect with myself and Mother Nature. Getting in the salt water is such a great way to cleanse your whole being and feel really, really good about yourself.
“If I’m ever a bit overwhelmed or stressed, I just go for a swim. I think it’s so beneficial. I feel like my family really helps with my wellbeing too – spending time with them always makes me feel better. I also like to go fishing, golfing, being with my mates, and basically anything else that lets me escape from reality, which includes competing.
“When I was on the WSL tour previously, quite a lot of my focus was on being big, strong, and powerful. Whereas now, on the Challenger Series, I want to be more agile to bring a bit of speed into my surfing, which is why I’ve been loving my Juliette from DHD – I’ve gone from 6’0” down to 5’11”.
“My training, diet, and body have changed too. I’ve definitely leaned up a bit more, which reflects in my boards going down a litre from 30 to 29.
“I’ve been playing around with a smaller board space because, being back on the Challenger, I’ve wanted to bring more progression into my surf. I’ve been loving the round tail at the moment, but I’ve been experimenting with the square tail with DHD as well.”
Callum’s first experience as an official member of the elite Championship Tour was at Pipeline, Hawaii, in 2022. In classic WSL fashion, the schedule was changed last minute, meaning the welcome party for the rookies was set amongst some of the world’s scariest waves.
Of course, Callum nailed it – embracing the uncomfortable spots in the lineup and coming in second. He told us that he sees all comps as blank canvases to get points and do his best in, but there are locations that he does enjoy competing in more, with Hawaii being one of them
“I obviously have a good connection with the places I’ve done well at. I won the Challenger Series at Snapper Rocks, so surfing there for me feels like a home break.
“It’s only an hour and a bit up the coast from my hometown, and a lot of my friends and family can come to the event, so I’m really hoping I get into that comp this year as a wildcard.
“For me, Snapper is probably one of my favourite events just because I grew up experiencing the atmosphere there. When the beach is packed, it’s really, really sick. They’re world-class waves, and some of my favourites to surf, so being able to enjoy them with no one out there is just amazing.
“I had a good experience at Pipeline in my first year – I got pumping and really memorable waves, so that one ranks high on my list. I also love Bells Beach, Portugal, and Jeffreys Bay – that place is beautiful. So yeah, my preferences usually correlate with places I’ve done well at, but Snapper is probably the cream of the crop for me.”
Callum was excited to share with us a project that he’s been working on for some time now – a new brand called Project 6 that encompasses his coaching camps, learning experiences, and all the incredible things he’ll be doing in this space moving forward.
Always one to stay true to his roots, the name ‘Project 6’ was inspired by the jersey that he wears as a nod to his elite surfing journey. From the beginning, he really had to understand it all for himself – from the nuts and bolts of surfing to all the complex things it took to get to where he is today on the world stage.
Callum said coaching and public speaking aren’t things that have ever come naturally to him, but just like so many other things in his life, he’s come to realise that it’s something he wants to do. He was made for it.
“I’ve got so much insight and experience from dedicating my life to understanding myself and my performance. Speaking at events, doing workshops, and participating in things like this is definitely a bit of a social risk – and something that does provoke some uncomfortable emotions – but for me, the joy of being able to help someone far outweighs that.
“It’s something that I’m really passionate about, so I want to continue pushing myself outside my comfort zone and spreading my message. Hopefully people can take some inspiration from that and apply it to their lives. I find a lot of value in listening to others talk through their experiences, so being able to give people insight into mine is super special and something I want to keep doing.
“Helping aspiring pro surfers holds a massive place in my heart, but Project 6 is so much more than that. It’s about creating different types of enjoyable experiences for surfers of all ages and levels. It’s for them to come play and experience surfing at its core – pure fun and a challenge to push yourself mentally and improve in different and uncomfortable environments.
“I’m super excited to launch the brand and see where this next journey takes me.”
