LIAM HESSION
Birthdate: October 11th, 1995
How did you start surfing/ how long have you been?
I started surfing around 5 years old at 38th. My dad would take my out on the front of his board and we’d catch waves together. My first board was a blue Doyle soft top. My dad would push me in right in front of Jack’s house.(I could probably find pictures if you want)
Shortboard? Longboard? Both?
Both. I’m a big fan of riding everything. While long boarding is my favorite, short boarding has its perks too as do finless boards and boogie boards. I think it really helps with burnout if you can switch it up and ride something different.
Favorite band/artist/ genre?
I am all over the board. There is no one genre I like more than the other. The Black Lips are probably my favorite band right now. Soft rock wise, I like Ben Howard, Jack Johnson, Bon Iver, Bahamas.. I’m also kind of on a reggae kick listening to old classic artists like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Jimmy Cliff. Sometimes I’m into rap like Andre Nickatina or RBL Posse. Also, you can’t go wrong with some Black Flag, Misfits, Fugazi or Dead Kennedys to fire you up to go rip.
Hobbies besides surfing?
This is a hard one. I feel like I don’t do anything other than surf. This is kind of boring but I enjoy researching the stock market. I’m also pretty into digital marketing. It’s what I do for work so just learning new things about that fascinates me. I just got a didgeridoo from Australia. I’m still learning how to play it.
Favorite board? Favorite fin?
Source Surfboards Sponson. I got my first Sponson like 8 or 9 years ago and it improved by nose riding 10 fold. Nick Palandrani is the shaper behind Source Surfboards. I highly recommend ordering a board from him for anyone looking to step their surfing up a notch.
Favorite surfer(s)?
I have a few. CJ Nelson in his prime is tough to beat. I still consider him the King of logging. His ability to nose ride switch was next to none. Unreal.
For an all around surfer, I like Bryce Young. He can hop on anything and rip it with style.
I also like John John Florence because of his attitude. Most guys on the tour take it so seriously, training for hours a day, while John just loves surfing because its fun. His training is free surfing all day.
My favorite local surfer is Collin Jones. He is so quiet and humble yet he is the best logger in Santa Cruz. He also pushes all of us to surf better. We all want to hang more heels than he can. One can dream..
How often do you surf?
I’d say 4-5 times a week. Surfing is so dependent on conditions and such that it really varies week to week. I do think about surfing everyday if that counts for anything.
Dream surf trip/ dream set up?
My dream surf trip is an extended boat trip to the Mentawais. It would be so sick to go for like a month. My dream set up would be to have a little house on a secluded beach somewhere in Central America with an empty wave right out front. I think it would be awesome to live a minimalist lifestyle and just surf all the time. That’s my dream.
What gets you out in the water?
Surfing with friends, improving my surfing, and having fun. Everyone knows that feeling when you catch a great wave and can’t help but whoop about it. There is no other activity that even comes close to that feeling when surfing so I’m always chasing that I suppose. I also love surfing with friends and pushing each other to be better. It’s fun to have some friendly competition.