Coming at you with another CSC profile! This month it’s Kevin Roberts. Kev started working with us in January 2019 and has come miles in his surfing since then. Instead of writing more, I’ll just cut to the interview and let Kevin tell you his surfing story in his own words.
D: Where are you from? What was growing up there like?
K: I spent my early years in Queens, NY. My family moved to Wantagh, on the south shore of LI when I was about 8. I didn’t think so at the time, but Wantagh was a pretty rad place to grow up. It is on the bay so I was able to ride my bike to go fishing and swimming during the summer. It’s also about a 7 minute drive to Jones beach. My dad got me into fishing at a really young age, so I developed a relationship with the ocean early on.
D: What do you do for a living? How is your schedule for surfing?
K: I‘m currently employed by NYC Department of Sanitation as a stationary engineer. I’ve worked all sorts of weird shifts. Now, they have me on a 6am-2pm schedule. I miss out on dawn patrol during the week, but if conditions are right, after work sessions are what it’s all about. I find the crowds to generally be thin at that time as well. Oh, and weekend dawn patrol too since I’m so used to waking up at 430 am. No one else likes to get up early on their days off.
Showing Kevin how to lean into right hip to go down the line in prone position before our second session in NJ, January 2019.
D: How long have you been surfing? Why did you get into it?
K: I’ve been surfing for about 3 years. Growing up not too far from the beach, I had some friends that surfed. I always had an interest but it wasn't until later in life that I decided to finally try. I was taught to ski at a pretty young age, which eventually transitioned to snowboarding. Surf and snow culture are very similar. Without surfing, there is no snowboarding. I think that is what really drew me to it.
D: What lead you to CSC/how did you find out about me/us?
K: So when I first started learning to surf I had been taking lessons with a traditional “push you into a wave” surf school. I had moved to Rockaway with my then girlfriend to be closer to the ocean. Even though we were living at the beach, my surfing was not progressing at all. I really didn’t want to be pushed into waves and I found myself becoming continually frustrated. I had read a New York Times article that Conatus was featured in, and decided to do a little bit of Instagram stalking. The content that you were posting really stood out to me, and I decided to eventually reach out.
D: What were some of the big surprises you had when you first started working with me?
K: I was surprised by a few things really. You were able to recognize what I was doing wrong on the most basic level and were able to effectively communicate how to fix those problems. Also, I realized quickly that this was much more than just a surf lesson. It was like full on immersion into a new language.
D: What has surfing progress been like for you? What are some things that came easier for you to apply more quickly and what are some that you're still struggling with?
Kev in the front, me behind, January 2019.
K: Since I’ve been surfing with you, I’ve had good sessions and bad sessions but progress has definitely been on an incline. I feel that reading the ocean has come a bit easier to me. Which wave is a right, left, avoiding closeouts, etc. As far as struggles go, the best example I can think of is my tendency to pop up into a parallel stance. It's earned me the nickname “the frog prince”, as I look like a frog riding a surfboard. The frog prince is almost dead, but on the occasional NJ right he will make an appearance. As a goofy foot surfer, I still have less confidence going right.
D: What have you been doing during this whole Corona Virus outbreak? Where was your last session? How have you been coping with less surfing?
K: As an essential employee, I am still going into work everyday, fully clad in PPE. We’ve been staying with family in NJ as our Brooklyn apartment is the size of a walk-in closet and we have a large, drooling dog. My last session was in Asbury Park, NJ. Not surfing as much has been difficult. I am totally prone to aggravation and feeling generally down when I’m not surfing as often as I'd like. I've been able to supplement not surfing with fly fishing locally and tying flies. It helps with the mental health aspect. I continue to check surf reports, buoy data, and winds, everyday. I do this even if I know that I cant surf. Watching an old surf flick here and there and reading surf books helps as well. I have old Surfers Journal mags that I love flipping through. I recently revisited all of our session videos from the beginning. That was interesting to say the least.
D: What's your plan for when we ease up on lockdown? How do you see yourself transitioning back to more surfing?
K: Ideally, I’d like to be able to travel a bit farther again once things start to ease up. My honeymoon to Hawaii was cancelled due to the pandemic so I'm definitely chomping at the bit. I’d love to get back up to New England. However, I think the responsible thing to do for a while is to just stay local. Get more time in the water as close as possible to home. I think easing into surfing home breaks more often is the best course of action.
D: Tell us about your quiver. What size of boards do you have and what kinds of waves you plan to surf them on?
K: I am currently surfing 3 boards. A 7’8” CSC/ Barahona, an 8’6” CSC/ Barahona, and a 9’4” Harbour log. I surf the 7'8” on days where there's a bit more size or energy in the water. It's also better for sticking drops on steeper waves. My 8'6” is my go to board on most days. Plenty of float for weaker wind swell which is the norm here at home. I really love that board. My 9'4” is my summer wave board, perfect for small mushy waves. I think that board would really shine at a long point break.
Kev’s quiver from left to right: 9’4” Harbour, 8’6” CSC x Barahona, 7’8” CSC x Barahona.
D: What are some of your goals for your surfing?
K: My main goal is to just surf confidently with style and grace. To surf with respect for the ocean and fellow surfers. I think that’s what drew me to CSC in the first place. I think better forecasting is important too, I am going to make it a point to attend the next zoom class. Making it out of a tube one day would be pretty great as well.
D: Favorite memories of waves you've ridden or aha moments in your surfing?
K: There have been quite a few over the passed year and a half or so. Two that stand out are from our CSC retreat last year in Costa Rica. I think it was day three at about 5am, and on the drive to the beach you were describing to me how I need to take more time during my pop ups. Up until that point, I had been rushing to get to my feet. For some reason it just clicked for me that morning, and my pop up drastically improved. A few days later, I pulled into a few closeout barrels at Dominical. Even though they were closeouts, I’ll never forget the view.
Said Dominical closeouts. We could have surfed an easier wave this morning, but we knew Kev was game for some of his first tube visions.
D: Any tips for people starting out or plateauing in their practice?
K: I think fear is a huge factor that can hold us back. The ocean is so powerful and dynamic. I think it’s super important to safely push yourself. We all take an ass beating out there sometimes. Taking a few waves on the head makes you realize that you aren’t made of glass. Also, surf on days when conditions aren’t ideal. Struggling in shitty conditions will make the perfect days easier.
D: Love it. Favorite surf movies or websites?
K: Oh man, some that pop out in my mind are Morning of the Earth, The Endless Summer, North of Nowhere, Under an Arctic Sky, Psychic Migrations. The new Pilgrim film Self Discovery for Social Survival is really good too — I love the music. For websites I like Matt Warshaw's Encyclopedia of Surfing, NOAA, windy.com, and Surfline.
D: What does an ideal surf day post pandemic look like for you? Do you go out to eat after your session or are you still going to be cautious and bring snacks, etc?
K: I'm thinking maybe a clean sleeper session in Long Beach, so much better than the hyped up days where everyone shows up. I'll bring my own coffee but a much needed stop at Dough Hut after is in order!
D: Yes! Can’t beat the Dough Hut! Thanks Kevin!
See below for some of Kevin’s session vids including the full length edit from Costa Rica. If you want to see more vids of any CSCer just type their name into the search mechanism on our Vimeo Channel.