Jack of All Trades

Jack Akrop is a man on a mission. Over the past several years, he’s been consistently putting himself deeper and deeper into the Bowl at Mavericks, and his determination and bravery are really starting to pay off. He’s sticking air drops on 25 footers, backdooring mutant lefts, and just generally giving Hell to deadly big-wave reef break in Half Moon Bay whenever it’s showing it’s teeth.  

His efforts have earned him a ton of respect from his peers, and lately, some accolades. Earlier this year, he was nominated for Ride Of The Year at the Maverick’s Awards and was featured in in the HBO series 100 Foot Wave on HBO. He’s also paying it forward to the youth, educating youngsters on ocean safety with his Central Coast Watermen ocean academy. When he’s not risking his life surfing big waves, he’s out there saving them as a seasonal lifeguard.

What’s fascinating about Jack, is that despite joining Junior Lifeguards and bodyboarding from a young age, he didn’t stand up on a surfboard until he was a Senior in high school! Most big wave surfers have been surfing as long as they’ve been potty-trained, so that fact that he’s doing what he does now after starting his stand-up surfing career at such a late stage in his adolescents is truly impressive.

The tall, blonde, and wide smiling goofy-footer may not have a ton of high-profile sponsors, but he’s doing everything in his power to position himself to be where the biggest and meanest waves are breaking, all over the globe. Anyone working so hard all year long training and punching their time card to chase their dreams without substantial financial backing like Akrop are clearly doing it for the love of the sport. 

I recently sat down with the inspiring 33 year-old to discuss his love for the big stuff, what he learned being a bodyboarder, his passion for giving back to the youth, and just what it takes to follow through on such an ambitious dream, especially after coming so late to the party.

Let’s start with you introduction to surfing. I know you started a bit later than most, and that you were primarily a bodyboarder. When did you start surfing and what prompted you to start at such a late age?

I started boogie boarding at around five or six years old when I met my best friend Quinn. I was always super timid and scared of the ocean but he helped me get past that fear. I had the opportunity to start surfing when a friend Matt Meyers offered to sell me a board at the hook when I was about 12 years old, but I declined. I think I was just nervous of being a beginner and as a kid growing up in Santa Cruz at that time it was pretty intimidating to get into surfing.

One of my favorite things about boogie boarding or body boarding whatever you want to call it was that the lineups were typically less crowded because we were searching out dumpy wedges, and close outs that most surfers didn’t want to surf. I was super into skateboarding and snowboarding, so at a certain point, it just felt natural to start standing up on a surfboard.

My first wave was a head high second jetty left and I remember being able to make the section which was hard on the boogie and the light bulb went off that this is what I wanted to do. So, to answer your question I guess I just wasn’t ready to be a surfer until I was a senior in High School.

Did you do Junior Lifeguards growing up? How did that prepare you for a career revolved around ocean safety and heavy water surfing?

Yes, Junior Guards was my life during the Summer for 11 years. Quinn used to call it Junior Sea Weenies (haha) and to be honest I used to hate missing all those good morning boogie sessions in the Summer when I was at guards but looking back Junior Guards was the best thing ever! I would say that it really just shaped my entire life and I was always searching for ways to be a forever Junior Guard. It taught me perseverance, discipline, teamwork and cultivated a love for not just surfing but for being a Waterman and enjoying the Ocean  as a whole.

There is something so beautiful about waking up in the early morning fog and going down to the beach, dreading whatever workout the instructors thought up for that day (typically it was a long swim on cold days or a long run on hot days) but making it through and really enjoying that burrito at the end of the day. It taught me how to push through difficulty and complete hard tasks which is essential for success in life.

How did the transition to stand-up surfing go? Where you a natural, or did it take a lot of practice and determination? How did your time bodyboarding help you in this endeavor?

I feel like I have always been naturally gifted at sports but to be honest, surfing kicked my butt for so many years and still does to this day. It’s got to be one of the hardest things to master because it is constantly changing and no two waves are the same. I spent a lot of time in the water especially in those early days of surfing just trying to figure it out. It was crazy because it was this thing that I was so passionate about and what I wanted to make my career and yet I always had this doubt in the back of my mind because I had started so late and always felt like I was trying to catch up to everyone. I spent 4-6 hours daily in the water just trying to figure it out every available second of the day really.

Looking back, I think bodyboarding was the best thing I could have done in those early years especially with the direction I’ve decided to take my surfing. It’s a very intimate experience being low in the water on a bodyboard, more like a seal or a dolphin navigating the waves and being in the water. It taught me wave positioning and especially how to make really steep and critical drops which is the pinnacle of what boogies look for. You’re constantly looking for the heaviest slabs, biggest barrels and you begin to understand waves in a different way then on a surfboard.

When did you start getting a thirst for the bigger stuff? Have you always been an adrenaline junkie?

I think I always had a thirst for the bigger stuff but it didn’t come right away. Quinn Sandberg was the king of the first jetty groms. He would sit so deep behind the rocks almost at main beach and thread the craziest tubes and I remember just watching and wanting to emulate what he was doing. I’ve always been a very calculated and cautious person. I’m not one to just throw caution to the wind and send it until I’m 100 percent sure I can make the waves so for me it was a very slow and calculated approach. Studying the tides, how the currents moved and how water interacted with rocks, always trying to be as safe as possible yet still pushing my boundaries.

My dad used to watch us at first jetty and he noticed this approach and how I would sit on the shoulder studying each and every wave almost in a scientific way, just easing my way in day after day until I built up the courage to go deeper. From first jetty we moved to 26 ave and then beyond. I feel like Santa Cruz has an incredible ladder or stepping stone of waves from easy to intermediate to eventually waves like middle peak at the lane and mavericks.

How did you work your way up to surfing maxing Mavs? What breaks helped prepare you for the brutal reality of putting it all on the line at Mavs?

Again, it was just a very slow and calculated approach. Definitely getting comfortable at waves like “It’s” beach was a huge help. That beach break is so dangerous and heavy and people have broken their backs and necks out there so getting comfortable out there was the first step! From there it was getting comfortable at waves like sewers left which actually resembles the left at Mavericks which has become a focal point for my Big Wave Endeavors.

Tell me about your first session at Mavs. How did that go? What lessons or revelations did you learn after that first experience?  

The first time I surfed Mavericks I only just paddled out and watched. My two biggest inspirations in riding big waves were Pat Shaughnessy and Tyler Conroy, who are both legends out at Mavericks and all-around Watermen from Santa Cruz. They were the first two to start mentioning about mavericks because they had been surfing it along with Pats sister Savannah. On a medium size winter swell with a really low tide, Tyler invited me to go up there and gave me a 7’8” board to ride. We met with one of his mentors at the time, and he kind of gave me the whole history and spiritual side to riding big waves, especially at mavericks. We said a small prayer, and away we went out into the ocean

. Looking back it was a really good first impression of the wave and having that moment of awe and respect for such a powerful place. I can remember paddling out to the lineup and sitting on the bowl, where the wave has the most amount of energy. It felt like the whole ocean was just moving with so much power and I felt way undergunned hahaha but it was definitely an incredible experience and motivated me to get more fit and ready for when the right time came to ride it! That wave definitely demands a ton of respect and should not be taken lightly.

Tell me about your first solid, critical wave at Mavs. How would you describe the feeling of that experience to someone who’s never experienced it?

My first real critical wave at Mavericks was the third time I surfed it. You know in the beginning you’re sort of hopping the shoulder as they say. The Bowl at Mavericks is very intimidating especially when you first see the wave! I was taking that cautious approach and easing my way into the bowl, which is a very critical and steep section of the wave. After catching numerous rides on the shoulder and watching other people taking these really steep and critical drops, I knew it was a matter of just going for it. Like most things in life, the only way to know is to go.

At that moment a large set came and shifted wide of the rest of the pack. It was still a proper wave on the bowl, but caught all the people that were sitting deeper than me out of position. It was one of those waves where you’re paddling up the face and you turn and take two strokes and send yourself over the ledge. I did just that, and after free falling to the bottom, I felt what a proper wave at  mavericks was like as well as the beating. To be totally honest with you it’s pretty hard to describe the feeling to someone who hasnt experienced it. For me when the wave comes there’s a moment where you almost black out, thought dissolves, and action takes place. Total in the moment presence and concentration on the task at hand is how I would describe the ride. It’s like jumping off the cliff before the cliff topples over onto you. That’s the best way I’ve heard big wave surfing described.

How important is safety to you out there? What do you do in between swells/ off season to ensure that you’ll come back from a heavy session with the least amount of damage to your body/psyche?

I think safety is 100% the most important part of Big Wave Surfing. In the off-season, I work as an ocean, lifeguard for State Parks, and I use that time to train and to better my understanding of preparedness in general. We have several trainings that we partake in during the year whether it’s rescue water craft operation, CPR and first aid training, or working with the other agencies, harbor Patrol and the fire departments to better understand how to respond in emergencies.

For me that’s a really important part of the journey especially when we start looking at places like Nazare where teams that are sponsored by Mercedes, Red Bull, and so on have their own lifeguards and paramedics on the beach. I don’t currently have that, so I am the lifeguard and rescue personnel. I don’t mind it though. To me, that’s a very exciting and thrilling part of riding giants, understanding how it all fits together. I find joy in Lifeguarding as well as riding Big Waves and the two fit together very well. 98% of the time you are going to be ok in Big Waves but it’s that 2% when shit really hits the fan that you better know what the fuck your doing and be an asset not a hazard.

I know you’re involved with helping other youngsters prepare themselves for heavy water situations. Can you tell me about your program? What does it entail and what are you hoping to instill in the youth regarding ocean readiness and safety?

Yeah, I started an organization called Central Coast Watermen after visiting my friend Jay Wild in Lake Tahoe. He has one called Tahoe Watermen, and I remember being so inspired by what he was doing, that I wanted to create my own. At the time, I was a junior guard instructor as well as program coordinator and I always wanted to do my own thing. Like most things in life, the wheel is never reinvented. New ideas and concepts are created from old ideas and I saw a niche and an opportunity to create something that didn’t currently exist. Central Coast Watermen or CCW is an ocean academy that takes students who are water safe and teaches them how to navigate the ocean. It’s similar to Junior Guards in that we teach ocean safety, awareness, and basic first-aid concepts.

It’s also similar to a surf camp in that we teach kids how to surf. It differs from both of those in that we teach the waterman lifestyle first and foremost. When the waves are good we surf but we are not limited to getting in the ocean only when the waves are good. A waterman looks at the ocean as an infinite playground. If the waves are flat and the wind is up, they go downwind paddling. When it’s flat, they go spearfishing. When the waves are big they surf and when the waves are small they surf. Over time I’ve taken a liking to this sort of lifestyle because the reality is, the waves aren’t always great and but there is always something fun to do in the ocean!

Other than Mavs, where else have you put your big wave surfing skills to the test around the world. What other big wave is your favorite? And why? 

So far, Nazare, Peahi, Outer Reefs Oahu, Puerto Escondido, and Teahupoo. It’s really hard to say which one is my favorite. All big waves have their own unique characteristics, and are very much different. For example, I love the technical aspect of riding a wave like Nazare. It’s a shifty beach break that breaks erratically and it puts all of your water skills to the test. You can paddle from the beach, but you need to be able to time the paddle out and find the right rip current to pull you out. For paddling it’s best to have a JetSki for safety and to get back out through the endless whitewaters. For me it has been a lot of fun to learn how to operate a JetSki and run safety for my friends while they paddle and then they run safety for me while I paddle. It allows me to practice multiple skills and hone in on different areas.

A wave like Teahupoo, where they just held the Olympics, is fun for a different reason. It’s a fast, hollow tube ride with a huge channel so you aren’t as worried about getting cleaned up by sneaker sets as you are about just making a very technical drop and surviving an incredibly shallow and dangerous reef break. The reward is the biggest most intense barrel of your life which is the best feeling a surfer can have in my opinion. A wave like Puerto Escondido has the fast and hollow aspect of a wave like Teahupoo, with the shiftiness and unpredictability of Nazare. You have to navigate heavy backwash and rip currents that hold you in the impact zone. The only jet skis allowed are lifeguards and they may or may not come save you. I like waves like that where you have to be very self reliant and use your skills as a waterman and test yourself against Mother Nature. To answer your question, I don’t think I really have a favorite. All of these waves have a special place in my heart along with the people that live in these areas around the world. That’s got to be my favorite part of the whole journey is the people you meet and family you create around the world.

What do the next 20 years look like to Jack Akrop? Do you have any advice for youngsters hoping to take their surfing to the next level?

I would say the next 20 years look similar to the last 6 or so years for me as far as professionally. I see myself running multiple businesses, working as a seasonal lifeguard and chasing swells around the globe. I’d like to put out a few movie parts and grow my personal brand. I’d like to transition to surfing, racing and snowboarding full time really. I see myself as a Jack of All Trades and I just want to continue pushing myself in water and snow sports and inspire the next generation. I definitely see myself continuing on my coaching journey as well.

Even if I had the opportunity to just solely surf and snowboard, I would still continue coaching because I get a lot of value out of doing it. I truly believe one of my purposes in life is to elevate the level of action sports in Santa Cruz for years to come. We have such an incredible pool of talent here in Santa Cruz, even for such a small town. Areas like San Clemente are pumping out world title contenders daily but that’s just because their city backs these sports and really pushes them. One of my goals in the next 3-5 years is to open a high performance Ocean Sports facility that focuses on training elite athletes (surfing, paddling, etc.). I think we have enough interest and its just a matter of getting the city to back the idea.

My advice to youngsters out there is to follow their passions and have fun along the journey. I would also say to just trust the process and put in the work daily because it’s not going to come easy. Taking your surfing to the next level doesn’t have to look like getting sponsored by the coolest brands. That’s a great option those who have the opportunity but in my case I didn’t take not being paid as a “no” but as motivation to make it happen for myself. I really like what Ken “Skindog” Collins said recently on his Instagram about how you don’t need to be sponsored to be a score lord. There’s plenty of great careers out there like firefighting, surf coaching, entrepreneurship, you name it, that allow you the freedom and flexibility to “chase the dream”, so to speak, and score waves. Obviously, surfing professionally is the ultimate goal for everyone but the reality is that it’s extremely competitive and not everyone gets to do it so consider going to college or building life skills that can allow you to enjoy surfing forever.

Follow Jack’s exploits on his Instagram page @jackakrop19