He describes himself in interviews, vlogs and social media as a "soul surfer," or freesurfer,.

[citation needed] Machado portrayed "himself" in the 2007 animated picture, Surf's Up, as well as playing himself in the art film "Kingshighway - Rob Machado and Joel Tudor" by Paulo Carvalho (Kid Rio) and Danny Camp.

Machado also starred in his own feature film released in the late 90s titled "Drifting".

[7] On December 31, 2019, Machado announced he would no longer be associated with Hurley International after having been sponsored by the surf company for nearly 20 years, due to the new ownership group's desire to cut spending.

[citation needed] He regularly surfs in San Diego, where he has gained prominence.