Ryan Seelbach

Although I never liked cold weather, rainy days or urban lifestyles in my teenage years, I have somehow taken a liking to this cold, foggy place we call The City.  I moved to the Avenues to start a career as an environmental consultant after completing a Masters at UC Santa Cruz.  As my career unfolded in the 90s, I began to embrace city life, big Ocean Beach and giant Maverick. For a guy who thought California didn't have a “big wave”, Maverick’s was the ultimate challenge.

 
I discovered an incredibly unique and motivated community at Mavericks that now spans the globe. With leaders like Greg Long and Grant Twiggy Baker, many of us are just trying to follow in their foot steps. They have shown experience, training, gear, and perseverance are essential ingredients; no to mention Patagonia for the advent and distribution of inflatable vests; Al Merrick, Stretch, and Jeff Clark for shaping epic big wave guns; Xcel wetsuits and Aqua who graciously helps me with my surf accessories.
As for our ocean, it’s in dire straits. I feel we, as surfers, need to set an example and be leaders in coastal preservation and protection. I currently volunteer my spare time as a Board Member for Save The Waves Coalition, an ocean minded, non-profit organization focused on protecting our coastal resources worldwide. We need to be asking ourselves, how can I help restore our oceans? It's not too late!