13/06/2026
Brighton Rock
The South Coast Scene with Jock Paterson – From Kerb to Coast
Some might argue that Brighton was Britain’s original street-culture city. Long before the term existed, Brighton was mixing skateboarding, surfing, fashion and seaside rebellion into something completely its own.
Jock came of age during an era shaped by subcultures. Mods and Rockers, scooters, music, fashion and a generation determined to do things their own way all left their mark on Britain’s coastal towns. Few places embodied that spirit more than Brighton.
The roots of surfing in Brighton stretch back much further than many people realise. While the city was never blessed with the most consistent swell, surfers have been finding waves along the South Coast since the 1950s.
What makes Brighton different is that surfing never really stood on its own. It grew alongside skateboarding. When the waves were flat, people skated. When the swell arrived, they surfed. Simple as that.
From the outside looking in, Brighton’s surf and skate scene has always seemed to carry a slightly rebellious streak. Not in a destructive sense, just in the way it has always done things differently. The piers, the seafront, the street culture, the skateboarding and the surfing all combine to create something that feels uniquely Brighton.
There are plenty of Brighton surfers, skaters and watermen whose stories deserve to be told. This is just one of them.
Jock Paterson.
One thing becomes obvious pretty quickly when talking to Jock. He’s a remarkably humble bloke. Despite a lifetime packed with adventures, he rarely talks about himself for long. Instead he’ll be talking about the characters, the friendships and the people who helped shape the scene around him.
The stoke is still there too. Whether he’s talking about something that happened last week or fifty years ago, he tells the story with the same enthusiasm, as though it happened yesterday.
From Kerb to Coast
Unlike many people who discovered surfing through skateboarding, Jock’s first love was the sea.
Surfing came first.
The ocean would go on to shape much of his life. Surfing, swimming, competing, paddling and pretty much anything that involved being in the water seemed to appeal.
Skateboarding was exploding at the same time and, in Brighton, the crossover felt completely natural. When the surf was flat, the skateboards came out. When the swell arrived, everyone headed for the sea. One discipline fed the other and before long Jock was as comfortable on four wheels as he was on a surfboard.
There is also a daredevil streak running through many of his stories. Long before modern downhill skateboards, specialist trucks and full-face helmets, Jock was already pushing the limits of what was possible. One story that has become part of Brighton folklore involves him pointing a skateboard down a huge hill and reaching speeds of around 60 miles per hour.
Looking back, it sounds completely bonkers.
But that was Jock.
No story about his skateboarding years would be complete without mentioning Pig City. Born in Brighton in 1976, Pig City would become one of the most important names in British skateboarding. Jock was right there in the thick of it. Alongside fellow Brighton legends such as Mark Baker, he helped put Brighton skateboarding firmly on the map and even travelled to California representing Pig City during the formative years of the sport.
Just as Brighton helped shape Jock, Jock helped shape Brighton.
Of course, skating was only one chapter. Surfing remained the constant. Competition surfing became part of the journey, helping sharpen skills, build friendships and create memories that would last a lifetime.
Away from the water, Jock also built a long and respected career within the surf industry, working with brands such as Quiksilver and Oxbow during a period when surfing was experiencing huge growth across Europe. Many people help shape surfing without ever standing on a podium.
Jock is one of them.
Then came another chapter.
Stand-up paddleboarding.
True to form, he didn’t do it by half.
While many people saw SUP as a gentle paddle on flat water, Jock saw something different. Bigger adventures, bigger challenges and bigger waves. Before long he was taking his paddleboard into serious conditions and continuing a pattern that had followed him throughout life — always pushing a little further than most people thought sensible.
The bloke who pointed a skateboard down a hill at around 60 miles per hour was hardly likely to spend his later years paddling around in circles.
Perhaps that’s what ties the whole story together.
Surfer, skater, competitor, swimmer, paddler and waterman.
Whatever the discipline, the common thread has always been a love of adventure and a refusal to stand still.
Where Is Jock Now?
Today, Jock Paterson has firmly cemented his place as one of the godfathers of Brighton’s surf and skate scene. Some would argue his influence reaches far beyond Brighton and across the South Coast. Others might say he’s one of the godfathers of British surfing itself.
It’s hard to argue otherwise.
What strikes you most about Jock isn’t the list of things he’s done, impressive though that is.
It’s the respect he shows for others.
At a very youthful 69, Jock shows little sign of slowing down. He may not be hurtling downhill on a skateboard anymore, but you’ll still find him cruising the seafront, riding a longboard, surfing, paddling and continuing to push the boundaries on a SUP.
The years may have passed, but the stoke is still very much alive.
In many ways, Jock’s story mirrors Brighton itself. Independent, creative, slightly rebellious and always looking towards the next adventure.
More than anything, Jock remains a living reminder that surfing has never just been about waves. It’s about people, friendships, stories, adventures and a lifetime of stoke.
For everything he has contributed to Brighton, the South Coast and British surfing as a whole, we salute you, Jock.
And the story doesn’t end there. Like many of the characters featured in our Best of British series, Jock’s story forms part of a much bigger picture. British surfing wasn’t built by one person, one beach or one generation. It was built by characters, people who pushed boundaries, inspired others and helped create the culture we enjoy today.
If stories like Jock’s spark something in you, why not pop into the Museum of British Surfing and discover a few more?
You never know whose story you’ll uncover next.
With thanks to Jules River for the photographs.
