Surfing World Champion Says Weed ‘Doesn’t Define Work Ethic,’ Wants Other Surfers To Try It
“As a professional surfer, partnering with Sunburn Cannabis signifies a transformative chapter in both surfing and cannabis cultures,” says Justin Quintal, with the enthusiasm of someone who’s not just riding waves but also making them.
Pro-surfer Justin Quintal, a name synonymous with mastery in longboarding, has embarked on a pioneering journey as the first surfer to be officially sponsored by a cannabis brand. His accolades, including being a 10x Vans Duct Tape Invitational Winner, 5x U.S Open Winner and the 2019 WSL World Champion, are clear evidence of his prowess. Beyond surfing, he’s also the entrepreneurial mind behind Black Rose MFG, his own board company.
His partnership with Sunburn Cannabis, a Florida weed brand, marks a notable intersection of athletic excellence and cannabis advocacy. The brand, under the stewardship of CEO and founder, Brady Cobb, carries a legacy rooted in the state’s cannabis history, with Cobb’s late father being a notable figure in the cannabis smuggling saga of the 1970s and 1980s.
A Long-Standing Personal Relationship With Cannabis
Quintal’s integration of Sunburn products into his surfing and workout routines signals a broader narrative unfolding in the sports world. But in order to understand the surfer’s relationship with the herb, we need to go back to his college years. “I was balancing graduating from college with my professional surf career/competitive goals. I was also working multiple jobs,” he shares.
“My days were filled with project management and fieldwork for my family’s business and waiting tables at night and on weekends. The field work was physically demanding, as well as waiting tables and surfing and professionally competing as much as possible to stay on top of my game. At the time I could not afford to lose my scholarship either, so physically what I was doing was demanding, but also mentally there were times when I was a wreck.”
This period wasn’t just physically demanding; it was a mental marathon, too. Cannabis, for Quintal, was a vital tool in navigating these challenges. “Cannabis helped me reset and move from one thing to the next relatively seamlessly,” he reflects. “Fortunately now surfing is my profession and I get to do what I love every day. I wouldn’t have it any other way, but there are times when it is still extremely stressful, painful and exhausting and because of that my relationship with cannabis serves the same purpose. The difference is now I have a medicinal marijuana license prescribed by a doctor and the products and ability to use strain specifically have got much better.”
A significant chapter in Quintal’s life was marked by his father’s battle with cancer. He recounts, “In 2011 my father was diagnosed with a squamous cell tumor under his left cheek. They had to remove the tumor, part of his cheekbone, replace part of the bone with titanium and he had to undergo 60 treatments of radiation therapy. He was prescribed oxycontin, oxycodone, hydrocodone and a hydrocodone liquid – intended to relieve the pain in his throat from ulcers due to the radiation before eating. At the time I had recently purchased a Volcano Vaporizer, which I ended up giving to my father for his recovery. The …