The Drifter - Rob Machado

The Drifter, iconic surfer Rob Machado's much-anticipated autobiographical movie is here. Directed by Poor Specimen's Taylor Steele, this is a personal journey as much as it is a showcase of some of the world's most flawless waves.

The Drifter starts in Bali, where Machado is looking for life's deeper meaning. That surf trip ends up taking him on a soul-searching journey where he eventually finds himself in Indonesia's outermost reaches with nothing but a surfboard, his journal and a tent. Machado's conclusion after scoring more perfect waves than any surfer could ever wish for? There's always a new dream to chase.

Machado has been chasing dreams ever since he set foot on a surfboard in 1985. From his years as a top amateur surfer to his world runner-up finish in 1995 to his Pipe Masters victory in 2000, Rob has always accomplished what he's set out to achieve. The Drifter is a culmination of the second phase of his career, where he's blazed a path and sealed his legacy as not only one of the world's most stylish surfing ambassadors, but a true humanitarian. This is evident in the film itself, where he helps fund and construct a well for a remote village in Sumba — part of his Hurley H20 campaign.

Much of the dialogue in The Drifter is taken from Rob's own personal journals. According to respected surf journalist Nathan Myers, who co-wrote the movie, there is nothing embellished in Rob's candid, heart-felt passages. It is these passages, in fact, that drive the movie, from Rob's epiphany in Bali, to his ill-fated motorcycle purchase, to his decision to delay his return to California, blindly pick a new island on the map, and just go.

The result is a tender, honest film that will enlighten as much as it will inspire. As Machado says, "Not all who wander are lost."