Date of Birth: 5/28/1981

Hometown: Grew up in Hermosa, currently in Joshua Tree

Local Break: 22nd Street Hermosa. . .as a kid

Favorite Wave: Somewhere far, far North. In short, anywhere with large peaks or long points

Stance: Natural. . .depending on the day

Quiver: "Log, Fish, Thruster, Gun" plus ever changing variations of long ans short

Sponsors: Un. . .

Favorite Moves: Tubes, trims and fades

Began Surfing: In the womb. . .or age 6

Top Contest Finishes: Non-competitor

Education: BA Films Studies UCSB

Surfing Influences: My Dad, Duke, Tom Blake, Bob Simmons, Skip Frye, Landon SMith, Wayne Lynch, Derek Hynd, Andrew Kidman, Chris Del MOro, Oliver Hazard, Gabe Kelly, Dustin Smith

Current Job: FIlmaker, Assistant Location Manager

Past Trips: Mexico, Hawaii, Caribbean, Costa Rica, California, Oregon

Future Trips: South America, New Zealand, Australia, Europe. . .any where with waves please

Music: Anyone strumming a guitar or playing from the heart. . .Jazz, Bob Marley, Gabor Szabo, The Bay Area Dream Band - "The Perro Tapes", My Mornin Jacket, Dream Band

Favorite Quote: "Every man has a dream. To follow that dream, though it may be difficult, is the quickest way to true happiness. TO watch that dream slowly fade away is a most certainand painful death, though your heart may still be beating. . . follow your dream." - J.P.S.

"For God has not given us the spirit of fear: but of power (strength), an of love, and of a sound mind. - 2 Timothy 1:7

"O Praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord." - Psalm 117

Why ride for Jacobs Surfboards?: I consider Hap my third grandfather. When I was 13 I started hanging around his shop down at 717 Valley Dr. dreaming of the day I could ride his boards and eventually be a part of his team. Around the time I turned 15, after sweeping his shaping room for the umpteenth time, that dream came true. . . My first board was a beautifully handcrafted yellow classic nose-rider. It had a 9.5" black glass on fin, with an inch and a half basla/spruce tail block and a 3 foot defined concave spoon. Any kids dream. Boy I was a fool to get rid of that thing.

Well that did it. I made the team and didn't look back. I have ridden many different shapes by many different shapers and till this day I still feel strongly that Hap has always known how to make a great board that works well in multiple conditions. More than 20 bords and ten years later, I feel lucky to have been one of the few to work with him to fine tune his designs, both new and tried and true. It's great to see that Matt is picking up where Hap left off, carrying on the spirit of Hap's drive for constant innovation.