Australia has been minting new pros like it's going out of fashion, and in mid-June, it was Rob Pace's turn to join the ranks over at Santa Cruz, becoming the first fully-fledged Aussie pro in the brand's 50-year history. I was lucky to be in Santa Cruz for the surprise, which went down under circumstances that defy most modern “PRO AF” conventions. There was no video part, no party, and no particularly elaborate ruse, just a classic, wholesome board presentation at the NHS offices with some of Rob's closest friends and family present. And even then, it almost didn't happen…
– all of us, Rob included, knew he'd be getting a board sometime in 2023. With that in mind, I'd been fully planning to visit the US in October, which
