Writer, journalist, and former professional surfer Jamie Brisick talks about the many phases of his life in surfing. He starts by telling the story of his entrance to the sport, growing up in Los Angeles in the Valley and earning his spot in the lineup at Malibu, using surfing as the way to escape suburban mediocrity, competing as an amateur, and having big dreams to pursue surfing as a career. He details his experiences as a pro surfer, discovering the very real delineation between amateur and pro, traveling to new places around the world, enjoying the characters at the fringe of the sport, seeing the difference between pro surfers then and now, and working through the challenges of life after the tour. Finally, he discusses his long career as a writer and journalist, how he finds inspiration and creativity, filling the void left by surfing with writing, studying youth culture in Japan on a Fulbright Scholarship, processing tragedy through writing, and his upcoming film "Becoming Westerly."
