Know Your Commentator…Strider Wasilewski

Posted on April 5, 2017 by nealdude85

In an ongoing Split Peak Soup feature, which I’ll now dub, “Know Your Commentator”, I’ve been fortunate enough to pick the brains of the World Surf League commentating squad. I’ve spoken with the dapper and daring Peter Mel, the stoked Brazilian Andre Giorenelli, and the ageless Kaipo Guerrero.

Now, the spray has settled since Owen Wright’s win at Snapper, a spectacular return to competition after a head injury that had him sidelined for fourteen months. Next up is finals day at stop number two, The Drug Aware Pro (I know, it doesn’t make sense), located in Margarets River. So far, the venues have been solid yet tricky, the surfing tame and repetitive, overall. I’m a surf fan goddamnit so I’m gonna be watchin’ anyways!

Of all the commentators, a man named Strider Wasilewski gets the best view in the house. Usually during important heats the camera will pan to the “Wazz” as they call him, either stradling a surfboard or ski raft, mic in hand, calling the shots from the water. Strider spends a bit of time on land as well, and his seemingly uncontrollable, ageless froth is fully evident during exciting moments.

Who is Strider you ask? Well, the California kid cut his teeth rushing giant Pipeline, and was able to travel the world as a Quiksilver athlete, with some of his most memorable moments inside mutated monsters at Teahopoo in Tahiti. I was fortunate to have tolerant parents who let me watch …Lost’s What’s Really Goin On/Wrong movies religiously at a ten year old. Strider had some mental clips at Pipee and a mean holwler monkey impersonation that awed me then and to this day. I tracked the Wazz down before the comp to ask him about his job, and his surfing.

Strider, mic in hand, calling the shots in Fiji

You grew up in Los Angeles. Can you remember your first experience surfing? What was the LA surf scene like back then?

My first surf was out in front of our apartment in Santa Monica. It was in the late 70’s. My brother and I would wait for people to loose their boards, snake ’em and ride them until they figured out we were riding them! (Laughs).

The surf scene was super localized, you surfed where you lived, that was that.

Baby Wazz

You rose to legend status with your efforts at Pipe. How does a kid from LA show up and just rush the joint. Can you tell me about your first, favorite, and worst tube/hardcore beatings out there?

I think you dream big and big things will happen. It’s a little easier to avoid a beatdown because of phones and everything getting out in social media– localism has slowed down a lot. When I first got to the North Shore it wasn’t just in the water, it was everywhere! I couldn’t even go to Food Land without getting verbally abused! Man if the kids visiting Hawaii now only knew what it was like…

Pipe, a mutant of a wave that put Strider on the map

Tell me about your relationship with Pipeline

I surf Pipe as much as possible, it’s a place that calls to you. It always has, I think my love of the tube is why I was first drawn to Pipe.

Strider standing tall at Pipe

What was your first gig behind the mic? Did you think you’d follow that path, or was it a one off thing? How did you get on the WSL’s radar?

I worked at a contest in Brazil about 5 years ago. I went because I always wanted to try it out. I surfed for Quiksilver and had asked them to do one of their events for years but the producer would never let me even give it a try! Then when the WSL took over I asked again, and they gave me a chance. We have a great relationship that’s mutually beneficial.

The Wazz and longtime friend/coworker, Pete Mel

Did broadcasting come natural to you, or did you have to work on your delivery over the years?

Doing this new job was pretty natural but there is a learning curve. I’m still learning and all the people I work with help me every event. I’m pretty much the rookie of the group, but I’m getting better…

It seems like the entire surf industry comes to play during events. How hectic do the line ups get with all the pros, commentators, locals, visitors, nutritionist/hypnotist/coaches/nail clippers all trying to satiate their own surf appetite?How do you guys avoid such tensions?

The tour surfers are all really cool; they mostly respect each other in and out of the water. Sometimes the lineups get a little crowded and it gets a little edgy. Our crew usually finds other places to surf, or find other times to surf when everyone has finished warming up. Its definitely something we think about and try and give the tour surfers the respect and space they deserve.

RUSHING maxed out Chopes

Describe what it’s like being in the water commentating with the current caliber of surfing? I notice you get pretty frothed. Is the energy of the heat contagious?

I get super frothed while I’m in the water; I love surfing and the level of surfing these guys are doing is crazy high! I get pumped from all the energy around an event: the waves, the heat, the athletes… I’m so close to them I hear and see a lot, some stuff good, some bad(laughs). I’ve had to learn to calm my self down a little and better compose my information. I still get over frothed but I’m getting better at my delivery.

THE GRIND…W/ NIC H’DEZ

Posted on April 10, 2015 by nealdude85

H’Dez, in White

Pikachu, aka Nic H’Dez, is on a tear right now. The lanky regularfoot scored the last cover of Santa Cruz Waves, had a two page spread/profile in Surfing Magazine, and just made his first WQS final in Argentina of all places. This is part of a reoccurring series, “The Grind”, where I follow Nic’s year chasing qualifying points in a bid to build his seed, and eventually, join his mentor Nat Young on the elite World Surf League tour. Here’s what he had to say about his trip…

Flaring

What was the name of the comp, and where was it held?

It was called the Ripcurl Argentina Pro and it was held at Mar Del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

How many points were on offer and how many did you make? Will that help you get into more events?

It was WQS 1500, so the winner got 1500pts, and I got 1125pts for runner-up. It will definitely help when they re-seed the ratings halfway through the year

Making it count in the small stuff

How was the surf down there? How did you put it together during the small waves? Strategy, mojo, or both?

The surf was pretty bad, everyday was kind of the same. 1-3ft brown water, mushy, yet kinda closed out lefts at this beach break with a right-hander that would come up on the inside.

I went into every heat just telling myself that everyone had to deal with the same conditions and I personally thought who ever got on the two best waves of the heat was gonna make it, so that’s what i focused on doing.

Argentina is known for having some of the hottest females on Earth. Poor lil Pikachu!!

How is Argentina? Food? People? Chicks?

Argentina is pretty sick, I’m sure there was much radder spots there than where I was, so I wish I got to sample more of the good surf. The Argentinian BBQ steak was bomb digitty. People were super friendly but there weren’t that many women around. Probably because it was cold as fuck where the comp was! Maybe even colder than home!

Is there potential for good surf down there?

I see potential for surf down there for sure, and I’ve heard of some sick point breaks north of where I was. I’d be psyched to score ‘em someday f’sure.

Who were you travelling with and how was their support helpful with your result?

I was just traveling with my mom, her support is always the best support I could ever ask for, she always dials everything in so I just have to surf, she’s the best!

Where’s the next stop? Any secret moves or magic boards you’re working on beforehand?

The next stop is QS 3000 at San Martinique in the Caribbean, so that should be an interesting one with some more points on offer! (side note: The runner-up finish I just got is equivalent to a 5th place in this next one). Got a magic 5’10.5″ Channel Islands Fred Whip right now too that I’m pretty hyped on!

PETER MEL, ROVING REPORTER

Posted on March 12, 2015 by nealdude85

Big Pete

I’ve known Peter Mel since I was twelve years old, when I was rinsing the piss out of the wetsuits that Freeline Design (a surf shop on Santa Cruz’s Eastside owned by the Mel family) rented out to tourists and beginning surfers. Not only was this my first job, it was my first sponsor, and the Mel family did a lot for me over the years, from shaping me surfboards, to paying for contests and chipping in for trips to Hawaii. Of course big Pete has always appeared larger than life, and with his yearly accomplishments at places like Maverick’s, I was always nervous talking to him as a grom– he was on his way to legend status. As we get older of course, our idols become more human and approachable. I’ve always loved chatting with Pete on everything surf related, and I recently pinned him down outside Freeline Design to chat about his role on the new World Surf League’s commentary team.

Big Pete close to home

I wanna get some thoughts from you on this new career you’ve made for yourself. Briefly tell me how you stepped into the fray as a webcast announcer?

It originally started, in the very first few events that were ever broadcasted. I’m trying to think what the very first event was, but anyways, the opportunity came from a guy named Jay Johnson, who was with “Surfing Live”. He gave me that first gig. You know, you’re doing the first live webcast for a pro event in California, the first webcasts to be broadcasted ever actually, so it’s all very new territory. So I had my chance, someone gave me an opportunity to sit, and that was the start of that. Then, through my affiliation with Quiksilver, more gigs came my way. I was doing webcasts throughout those early days, stuff like NSSA’s, Surfing America comps, and other little pro events.

I basically went to the big leagues with the Quiksilver Pro’s, which was the Gold Coast and France. Quiksilver produced them and hired me. So I finally made the ‘CT (laughs). I started interviewing all those guys and getting familiar with all the characters. So it started locally, and grew internationally, more or less. All of that work translated when the new WSL took over producing all of the events. Last year, I was picked to be a part of the roster of a team who’d travel with the tour throughout the year.

Was there any type of interview process involved in getting the job? Were you vying with other guys to get the spot, or how did that all come about?

There were basically try-outs, more or less…I mean there were times when we’d come into work, and he gave us try-outs. Literally, we all went in and did our thing, did some staged Pipe announcing, and tried to impress the group that was making the choices. So yeah, try-outs, but you could really call them auditions…yes there were auditions (laughs).

No guts, no glory. Pete in his element

You’re a very thoughtful and articulate speaker, especially in interviews and stuff like that. Did you find that there was a bit of a learning curve—being live and having that pressure of maybe even thinking about what you’re saying, while you’re saying it? Did your act become more polished with time?

Yeah, practice makes perfect with anything right? Ultimately, my goal has always been to educate everyone, whether it be the newcomer, who’s never watching surfing before, or the guy that’s been watching every single webcast since their inception. I’ve been able to try to educate them and so you have to talk in ways that allow people who have absolutely no clue to learn something, as well as someone who, like I said, is a thirty year surfing veteran. So it can be hard to straddle that fence, ya know?

At work-your humbe roving reporter

Ultimately, I’m just being myself, and I think I learned that skill working in the surf shop (laughs). That’s just what it is, ‘cause here at Freeline Design, I’ve had to talk to customers and educate customers who have no clue, as well as guys who have been surfing their entire lives—to be able to communicate with all of them and that has always been my goal. So it’s definitely prepared me for this new line of work. The live part, you know, at times, yeah I my have been a little nervous and bobbled a few times, but like I said before, practice makes perfect. I’ve just kept at it, and now it just comes more naturally. I perform better when it’s live, rather than knowing that I can take a few takes (laughs)!

Board Talk

I really dig the board talk you do during the events. You’ve really grown into that role and I like that the powers that be have given you that opportunity, as you and your father both shape surfboards. Is that part of the job special to you?

Well, it’s comfortable. It’s what I know. I feel like I can bring that knowledge to the general public. Surfboard design is always changing, so there’s always something new to talk about. The competition side, generally speaking, it’s a slow change there. Whereas design, I think, everyone is always looking for a little extra something out of their racecar. I’m trying to find that little extra something and show it to the public.

The historic JJF/Slater heat

Right, and I think a lot of people dig it. So, switching gears a little here, what has been the highlight of your tenure as a member of the commentary team thus far? Was it sitting in the channel for that legendary John John Florence vs. Slater heat out at Chopes?

Yeah, for sure. The ability to be sitting in the water with those guys was pretty magical. With that event, a lot of things happened—first of all it was the first time I’d gotten on a surfboard with a camera in the water. All of the other times I reported from the water I’d be sitting on the sled of a jet ski. That was the first time the audience literally got a front row ticket straight into the channel. And, obviously, it worked out well–being in Tahiti, with the waves being as gigantic and perfect as they were with this blue, beautiful water—nothing could have topped it. It was just the most perfect scenario, and for everything to come together like that was a trip.

For that historic John John and Kelly heat, all the stars aligned, so yes, that was the highlight. The funny thing is, it just happened, it really did. It wasn’t something that was forced, and that’s how I’d like it to be every time. It’s like a life principle—you enjoy what you are doing and enjoyable things happen around you. Ultimately, that’s the goal, and everything seemed to click that day. When you start trying to force stuff, it doesn’t work out and when you don’t put your best foot forward, it doesn’t work either. You have to just know what you know, do what you do, and enjoy it. I’ve got the best part, for me at least. I don’t have to have to be in the booth all the time, where you are more opt to say the same things over and over again. I kinda sit in a really neat position. I just get to bring you little blips of happiness, I’m not sitting in the booth for an hour and a half straight. I have done that, and I think I still could, but for right now the position that I’ve been put in…you know I get to do beach interviews to bring you little tid bits.

You’re on “the “beat” more or less.

Yup, I’m on “the beat”—roving reporter (laughs).

Finally, the Quiksilver Pro is coming up. I’m excited to see Dane Reynolds as a wildcard. Who are you most looking forward to see really push the envelope this year? Who are you most excited to watch?

Well, we’re always excited to see what Dane brings to the table…I mean I know that is one things I know for sure I’ll be excited about. There’s a couple new kids on the block this year. You’ve got Keanu Asing and guys like that. I’ve always liked seeing the new additions, and we’ve got several of them this year, which is rare. The last couple of years we’ve had only one or two new additions, and now we’ve got five. So with that, you’re going to see a whole new crop of these kids bringing fresh looks to Snapper Rocks, and I love seeing that. They’re going to be up against hard seeds so the veterans are going to have to change up their game too. That’s why I always love this first event at Snapper, which is a very high performance wave. The sandbar is really good right now, so were not worried about the sand being lame. I’m just hoping we get some good swell!