This is the first (hopefully not the last) in a reoccuring series of interviews with my surf buds. Together they are my support group in the water, and my inspiration to surf bigger, further, deeper. A major source of stoke.

The Astro Man has been a surf bud of mine for several years. We've surfed many sessions together, in different and varied breaks. AM is largely a weekend warrior, spending lots of Saturday and Sunday dawn sessions at a break called Decoys. He is a barefoot regular-foot surfer in a land of bootie-wearers. He loves to travel and camp while surfing, and has a hands-on and spiritual approach to his sport and hobby. Above all AM is a family man with a loving wife and two young and beautiful kidz. He works hard for his precious time in the water.

DM: Tell me about the pic at the top of this column.

AM: Well, it was taken during a dawn sess at Decoys, one of my favorite breaks. One day I took some pics of the guyz surfing before I paddled out. A surfer named Sam was so impressed that he brought his own camera the next week, and took some pix of me to return the favor.

DM: Let's go back to the beginning. What is your earliest memory of surfing?

AM: During my early teens I was a salt water beach fisherman at OB and Pacifica. I watched the surfers in the lineup while fishing, thereÊ weren't a lot of them in the water. The few surfers in my high school seemed cool. Over the years the fish died off, making it harder to catch dinner. I was into skateboarding and snowboarding and already spending most of my free time at the beach, so the progression from fishing to surfing was a natural for me.

DM: You are on a surf retro kick these dayz, how did that start?

AM: Well, first of all, the talk of me in a beavertail wetsuit is just a joke! It kinda goes with the boards, but it'll never happen. I like to shape my own board designs from the past, partly because you can't easily buy them these dayz. If you want to ride it you have to make it yourself. Pretty much anyone can ride a 6'6" thruster, but it's a real challenge to ride some of the styles from the past. It's mostly about breaking out of the norm and trying something original.

I've always built things; made my own lures and poles when I was fishing. One day, like many people, I noticed an old dysfunctional surf board laying around. I stripped the glass, and shaped a 6'6" fish from it. Got it glassed, and paddled out on it. It rode fairly well. From then on I was hooked on shaping my own boards, and exploring the differences between the store-bought designs, and my own retro shapes. I sold all my store bought boards and now only ride my own. Also I love seeing friends riding boards I've shaped for them.

My two favorite sticks are shapes from the past: One is a 5'10" twin-fin Steve Lis-type fish I shaped about a year ago. He originated the fish in the '70's. The other board I just finished shaping and painting, a 7'2" yellow lightning bolt single fin. I left the lightning bolt off the airbrush, but it's got everything else. Surfed overhead Middle Peak last Sunday and did well. It's pretty much the opposite of the fish.

DM: On another topic now, what is your idea of an exotic surf trip?

AM: Maldives without a doubt. Good friend went there as part of a larger trip a few years back. he said it was way better than anywhere else. (Note from DM: OK Steve, you win! Let's book a Maldives trip NOW!!!!!)

DM: What was the scariest experience you've had surfing?

AM: There's a few: Surfing Impossibles in Indo. I'd only been surfing for about three years. My buds and I paddled out to double overhead Impossibles. The lineup had a few full-on helmet Aussies, and they were charging! The waves were makeable, but out of my league. Just being out there was scary.

Another day at OB was also scary. I made an ez paddle out thru the a channel to the lineup. Then the swell built from head high to double O out of nowhere! Huge sets poured thru from every direction. All the surfers in the lineup were getting their clocks cleaned. I finally picked off a 'tweener and make it back to shore. (Note from DM: Yup, been there. Done that. Hope not to do it again!)

DM: OK, what was the most amazing thing you've seen surfing?

AM: There have been so many, but one that always comes in mind is that session we did together a while back at Septembers. You know, just you and me and two other guyz out? We were playing cool, sitting on the shoulder, catching a few safe ones. But those other two surfers: sitting so deep, taking off so late, getting barreled so deep. And they did it wave after wave. You know, there are so many guyz like that; low profile, underground, surfing for the love of it. No one knows their names, nobody sponsers them, and they surf as good or better than many pros. It's an amazing thing to see.

DM: Let's get some flaming email coming at us. What's the most perfect break in our backyard?

AM: When all the conditions are in place the Hook is probably the best wave in Santa Cruz.

But you know, there are so many great waves North of the Gate. It's a step back in time. I can't believe places like that still exist in California.

DM: What about your kidz?

AM: Oh, they are interested in surfing, I'm always taking them to the beach. My son will be four in January, and he already wants to surf, but I'll never pressure either of them into it. I want to take them on a trip to New Zealand when they get older. Maybe drive around in an RV for a month or more. My whole family snowboarding, surfing, relaxing.....

DM: Anything else you wanna say?

AM: I wish people would respect the full-on waterman aspect of our sport and lifestye. It's not about going out and getting as many waves as you can get. I'd like to see more respect for people who have dedicated their whole life around the ocean: fishing, diving, surfing, shaping. Guys like Pat Curren, Billy Hamilton and Dick Keating. Also I've got tons of respect for all the underground guys out there who charge and rip, but never get any respect from the media.

DM: OK, one last shot for this interview. What do you wish to say in conclusion?

AM: Surfing has given me tons of great memories: Camping out at remote breaks up north, traveling to lots of foreign places, and lots of unreal sessions at home. But for me, the best part of surfing has been all the friends I've made over the years dawn patrolling in North SC County. Getting to know them and hearing their life stories has been great.

And that's it, wordz from AstroMan, one of my surf buds.

CU Out There,

DogMan