On Surfing
I think there is and will always be some challenge and fear when it comes to surfing scary conditions. I grew up in Hawaii, so I am pretty comfortable in difficult situations in the ocean, meaning if the waves are big and the current’s strong. But that’s really just what surfing is, and that’s what makes it fun. You get scared and doubt yourself, and then you catch one wave and it makes your day. It’s a good feeling.
I would say the best feeling is traveling to a place that you’ve wanted to surf your whole life and scoring amazing waves. It feels like you did something right. Because trust me; you don’t always show up somewhere with good waves. You never know what you’re going to get.
Well, I’ve been able to live my dream because of surfing. I’ve been able to travel the world and meet some incredible people. And because of Vans, they’ve let me live my dream of being a professional surfer. I am very very grateful.
I can go maybe two weeks and then I get a little crazy. If I’m in a cold place where I need a thick wetsuit, I have a harder time going surfing. When I’m in the tropics, I won’t miss a day of surfing.
I grew up on Kauai so there isn’t much else to do other than surfing. My dad would take me and my friends everyday after school to surf when I was about 7. We all loved it. We would surf until dark, go to bed, wake up, go to school and then surf again. I’ve done that my entire life.
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Michael is a writer and photographer born in Florida as a first-generation American to Austrian and South African parents. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Bitter Southerner, and The Surfer’s Journal among other magazines.
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