Behind the Scenes With Creative Geniuses Mason Ho and Rory Pringle

Mason Ho, a well-known surfer, shared how much it means to him when locals or families in his town approach him with compliments about his videos.

 

He especially loves when parents tell him that their kids are enjoying his content. “I’ll be like, seriously? I didn’t think your kids were watching my videos,” he said with a smile.

This kind of feedback motivates him to create more, especially to keep younger viewers excited and inspired.

In an episode of “Meet the Vloggers,” part of SURFER’s video series that gives a behind-the-scenes look at popular surfing content, Mason and his long-time cameraman and friend, Rory Pringle, discuss their work on the YouTube channel, @BarrelKilla. Their videos often feature raw footage that captures Mason’s creative and unique approach to surfing.

 

For this episode, Mason himself takes the camera, sharing insights into the music selection for his videos (“We want my mom to be all stoked on it”) and recalling some of his favorite surfing sessions, including Brazilian backwash, Pipeline, and surfing sketchy reefs on the west side of Oahu. He also humorously recounts the origins of the “Ding Report,” a recurring segment in his videos.

 

Mason explained that people would often assume his surfboards were frequently damaged, a misconception that bothered him. “I was always offended because I wouldn’t ruin my boards, usually. I usually get away with it,” he said with a laugh.

 

Mason and Rory have transitioned from earlier platforms like Vimeo, where they released the “License To Chill” series in 2016. The series gained widespread acclaim, winning Best Series at the 2016 Surfer Poll Awards.

 

Now, their focus is entirely on YouTube, where they’ve built a strong following with nearly 91,000 subscribers and over 30 million views.

Their videos showcase everything from Mason’s adventurous surfing in unique locations like Scotland’s dry-reef slabs to jamming with fellow surf legend Tom Curren on the streets of San Francisco. Mason’s innovative approach and Rory’s filming continue to make their channel a standout in the surfing community.