Core Surfer, Core Brand: The Story Behind Rob Kelly Joining Jetty

Sea smoke is the phenomenon when the air gets so much colder than a body of water that the water steams with the temperature difference. It happens most frequently in December or January on the East Coast when the ocean maintains an ambient temperature and the air temp drops radically.

Photo courtesy Ryan Simalchik

But imagine what the air temperature is if the sea is steaming at 34 degrees.

That was the case on Rob Kelly’s winter strike mission. The air was –8F and the water looked to be smoking.

Kelly thrives on these trips, or as much as anyone can possibly enjoy water that cold. As a brand ambassador, his sponsors want to see him out in the elements –navigating icy rocks and pulling in under cold, dense lips. In November, Rob made the decision to join Jetty, one of the emerging brands looking to fill a vacuum that has been created by the implosion of the global conglomerates that dictated surf culture for decades. This particular mission fit perfectly with his new sponsor’s aim to be the core brand representing surfers who deal with brutal conditions and fickle swells.

“I love chasing swells up north. It’s so rugged and raw up there. You don’t have to travel that far but it feels like you’re in another world. It’s not easy to score waves and that challenge gets magnified when you throw snow and ice in the mix, which is usually the case with the winter storms that generate swell and travel,” said Kelly who was claiming the coldest he’s ever surfed.

Photo courtesy Jetty

“This trip was one of the wildest when it comes to weather conditions. With temperatures in the single digits and windchills well below zero, the ocean was literally smoking and the inside was starting to freeze before our eyes as we paddled out. The waves were fun though and there’s something special about surfing in what looks and feels like a snow globe,” he laughed.

 Though he’s a New Jersey surf hero, Kelly is originally from Pennsylvania. As kids, he and his brother, Chris got a surf bug for surf and boardwalk pizza, so much so that their parents moved to Ocean City, NJ. From there, the Kelly boys progressed. And anything involving a jersey and heats usually meant another trophy back to the Kelly home. He would go on to win huge victories at the 2017 Monster Belmar Pro, 2017 Sweetwater Pro, and 2018 Water Brothers Pro. In 2021, he took Northeast Wave of the Winter. He aced the prestigious Garden State Grudge Match in 2022 and 2023.

Yet it was more than just contests. Kelly traveled and grew confidence in sizable stuff. Most importantly, he learned to ride the barrel. He had a few major sponsors and then did a 16-year stint with Billabong. His value was getting the shot in the heaviest pit of any given swell, northeast storms that get tons of eyeballs.

And in addition, he grew a social media following by documenting it all and partnering  with brands that made sense.

He was also tapped by Perfect Swell as both a test pilot and wave tech assistant, helping dial in their wave pool settings. Most recently he helped engineer the McFly air section that has become the most high profile launch ramp in surfing this year.

But Kelly felt it was time to switch things up. He and his wife had their second son last year. He was looking to ensure longevity to his career and start a new chapter.

After initial talks with the Long Beach Island-based surf and outdoor company, Jetty, he decided to go with a brand that was from New Jersey. So far, it’s been a near perfect match. 

“I set out on my journey to create a living for myself through surfing around the same time Jetty did. I was working with Billabong - traveling and learning the ins and out of the industry from one of the ‘big brands’ while Jetty was making t-shirts out of a garage. I remember being in Farias Surf and Sport doing a movie tour with Billabong and the head of sales asking me what I knew about this local brand. He was impressed with the product and little build out 4-way and nesting table.”

The Billabong brass took photos of the Jetty display and noted that the little brand had a good esthetic. 

“As a Jersey surfer, I was proud of the Jetty guys, knowing they stuck to their vision and are now being validated by the leaders of our industry. Fast forward a couple more years and now they are literally taking over the big brand sections at a lot of the most core retail surf shops all around the country. I’m grateful and beyond stoked to be working together with them now in this unique time in the surf industry. But I’ve been a fan of Jetty since they started.”

Kelly returned from a family trip to Hawaii and posted the news to his social media account: “One thing that was always important in my career was being able to stay in New Jersey, to always travel but be rooted here… to push surfing in the Northeast to new levels and raise my family here, to have a true hometown.Today, I am beyond stoked to announce that I will be joining @thejettylife family. I first learned about Jetty when they were just a brand out of the garage. Throughout my entire surf career, I have watched them grow. We’ve been on different paths, but going the same direction, flying that East Coast flag.”

Photo courtesy Jay Rutkownski

It wasn’t a full industry bombshell considering the ramifications of everything happening with boardsport stalwarts now tangled in the Authentic Brands Group mess with Liberated Brands, but it was a worthy sidenote. 

But here’s the thing - while Bong was cutting riders, they were actually offering to renew Kelly’s contract.

But the move showed that brands like Jetty were now in the mix and an East Coast surfer could ride for an East Coast brand. 

Kelly scored exciting swells at Jetty’s homebreaks in November and December and then headed down to Surf Expo in Orlando with the Jetty crew. He’s also now Firewire’s marquis guy on the East Coast. Not only were the Liberated brands not present, but none of the big brands were showing either. In fact, the talk of the show was how Jetty and other emerging brands – Katin, Dark Seas, Salty Crew, Rhythm, Roark, Former, Seager and VISSLA are actually working together to reclaim the surf industry from the international conglomerates – an industry run by surfers that is still attached to surf culture. 

Kelly was in the midst of all of it, his authentic demeanor aligning perfectly with Jetty’s. He is settling in at the new brand. But he’s not just taking off from behind the peak and getting the deepest tubes. He’s actually adding insight and helping Jetty to tell the story from the stepchild coast. 

“I’ve obviously been aware and noticing the shift that’s happening in the surf industry. But being at Surf Expo this year really puts things into perspective. All the energy was focused on the smaller surfer-owned-and-operated brands ... And man that energy was such a good energy,” he said. A lot of the emerging brands got together to throw a ‘New Wave” party together and filled the venue way beyond capacity. A couple key surf industry leaders spoke like Paul Nade, Ryan Hitzel, and alongside them was Cory Higgins, one of the founders of Jetty. That was another moment that made me think back at where Jetty started and the road that they’ve been on trying to make an impact in the industry while still maintaining their East Coast roots”

Of anyone, Kelly understands what that means.

“I know how hard that is because that was a similar path that I’ve been on. Knowing where they are now, seeing Jetty and Cory center stage speaking to the entire surf industry alongside titans in the surf world was awesome. I couldn’t be more grateful to be on the next stage of their journey. The time is now for brands like Jetty to really make a big impact and elevate themselves and I’m excited to jump on board. I’m really motivated to do everything I can to help them on the journey.”

Photo courtesy Ryan Simalchick

Because here’s the thing about the top-down surf industry – If brands stop footing the bill for pro contests; if the owner of the tour thinks it’s not worth the investment; if the conglomerates stop paying surfers, they will still go surfing. 

We will still surf.

You will still surf.

It will become bottom-up, the way it started.

It could create a world where Mom and Pop retailers work with brands to tell new stories, ones that more of us can relate to.