In a sea seemingly awash with homogenised surfing talent, Craig Anderson is a true stand-out. His stylish nuances have won him praise in an era that typically sees surfers making a name for themselves either via senseless big-wave bravado or a string of ho-hum contest results.
Ando's surfing is often compared to another goofy-foot; 90s style-King, Rob Machado, and this is something Ando has absolutely no problem with.
" I love the way Rob Machado surfs. I've always watched sections of him in Taylor's [Steele] old movies" he says.
And no matter what he's doing - throwing himself over the ledge at Pipe in Hawaii, or hurling himself into wedging ramps at South Straddie or beachbreaks in South Africa, Ando's innate flair is what sets him apart - time and time again.
His win in the second annual Waves Magazine “Black Knight” awards is testament to this. Determined by Waves readers and the mag’s staff, the Black Knight Awards is designed to heap praise on the greatest free-surfer in all the Land.
Though Ando has tasted sweet victory in the competition jersey, climbing to the top of the pro junior heap with a win at Gunnamatta, in Victoria,  his trajectory suggests 25 minutes heats scrapping for waves in front of a panel of a judges might best be left to others.
“I find when I don’t even care, I surf better. Or when I’m not trying, I’ve had my best results. Just trying to relax, letting it flow, is best,” explains Ando.
In early 2009, Ando, as a face of the Ramones campaign for Quiksilver, appeared in a music film clip with Kram from Spiderbait, which was filmed on Victoria’s south-west coast.