etnies

***UPDATED INTERVIEW - 1/30/07***

Favorite Surfers of all-time?
Jason Frazier, Tom Curren, Tom Mobley, Shane Dorian, Bruce Irons

What surf spot do you call your "home break"?
Emma wood. We used to surf there every day in the summer when we were little grommets. We didn't even know there were better waves just down the road.

Any travel tips you can pass along to fellow surfers?
Yes, travel light and simple. You should always be able to run with all of your gear.

Describe your all-around everyday surfboard (dimensions etc.) and why or what makes it your favorite shred stick?
I don't have an all-arounder. I do have a couple great boards right now. 6'0" fletch, a 5'10" Danny Hess, and a 5'10" Mandala...I like boards that are fast and loose.

Tell us where/when have you caught the best wave of your life?
I got whipped into one last year in Indo that was probably the best barrel I have ever got. I'm sure glad I made it, otherwise I would have done a face plant on the reef. My best wave ever was in Hawaii out surfing at a place that I would get killed if I told you about. It was a good one.

Future plans/goals?
Get up early, make my bed, hang out with friends and family and surf if the waves are good.

Curren, Slater, Occy, Pottz, Archy, or Buttons?
Occy at bell and Curren anywhere else.

Do you have a website or a profile on myspace?
Did you say liespace?

Any shout outs or thanks?
No, but I will say to the grommets...only where a leash when you absolutely have to...you end up learning lots of cool stuff when you have to swim in the ocean.

***OLDER INTERVIEW***

Where are you originally from?
Ojai, California.

Where do you live now?
Ventura, California.

How and when did you start surfing?
I started when I probably four or five years old. My dad and brothers pushed me into the waves.

Who were some early influences on your surfing?
My friend Vaughn, and Tom Curren.

Who do you usually surf with now, and where?
It just depends on where I am in the world. I meet new people every week.

Do you enjoy surfing in contests?
Once per year.

(Laughs) How could contests be improved?
I don't know. I'm not even sure.

What is good about being a pro surfer?
I get to surf a lot and travel the world.

What is bad about being a pro surfer?
I don't get to see my friends and family very often.

Name your favorite surf movies.
My favorite surf movie right now would be called Sunshine Sea.

I've never even heard of that.
I know. I just barely saw it the other day, but it's epic.

What kind of boards do you ride?
Al Merrick.

How long are they?
Usually, the normal shred stick-type of boards, like a 6' 4".

How did you get on etnies?
Hanging out with Brandon at parties.

What do you like about etnies?
They let me do exactly what I want.

That's the way it should be.
Yeah, that's it. You know, it's epic.

What is good about surfing in general?
The ocean.

What is bad about surfing in general?
There are not too many things that are bad about surfing, but I guess one bad thing about surfing in general is that people are selfish.

Have you ever been bit or stung in the water?
Yeah, I got stung by a jellyfish and a Portuguese man-of-war in Japan. It was hectic, it wasn't good. I'm trying to think of other things. I feel like there were others, but that thing stung the crap out of me.

Have you have ever been the subject or perpetrator of localism?
Let's see can I tell a little story?

Sure.
This one time when we were little kids, these guys pulled up at this spot we all surfed everyday. They paddled out and were just being total dicks for no reason, like, super-lame. They didn't know it was kind of like a big crew of us. When they came in, they were talking smack super bad, and a bunch of us were standing there. Then they went back out for another session, and I saw where they hid their car keys. Me and my friend went over there, got their keys, got a big surf sticker, stuck their keys right in the middle of it, taped them to the inside windshield, locked the whole car up and took off, cuz we were just little grommets and they were big guys.

That's pretty good.
It was epic. They came in--we were watching from way up on the hill--and their keys were just right inside the window and there was nothing they could do about it. We left them a little note, too, that said, "Split!"

Where is a good place to eat?
Cafe© Haleiwa.

Where on Earth are the best waves?
Emma Woods State Beach.

Who are your favorite surfers of all time?
Um, my favorite surfer of all time, uh.

Mike Malloy
Yeah, you can answer that one for me.

What have been the highlights of your surfing career?
I don't know, these last couple of years.

What do you enjoy besides surfing?
Not a whole lot.

What are your future goals in surfing, and in general?
My future goals in surfing are to not get fired, and, in general, to work on films with Chris.