A Natural Extension of Skating

“I was surfing north of Scripps Pier, and I saw two little girls pretty far out,” says Jeff, a San Diego native. “They were probably seven or eight. I realized that they had been sucked out with the tide and knew that there was no lifeguard on duty, so I caught a little wave over there and helped pull them in. They were really scared because they couldn’t touch the bottom of the ocean anymore.”

Walker, a surfer for six years now, sees surfing as a natural extension of skating.

“I had been skateboarding for 20 years and realized that I had gotten as good as I ever would. I basically leveled out, so I took up surfing. With surfing, I can always improve and I feel like there is room for me to grow.”

Those years of skating taught Jeff how to deal with pain. Since he began surfing, he’s applied that experience to marine mishaps. In La Jolla once, a stingray stung Jeff and gave him “the worst pain I have ever felt.”

Another encounter with marine life in La Jolla: “I saw one of those huge bubble-headed jellyfish,” he says, holding his hands up to show the size of it. “I pulled my feet up onto my board and paddled in. There was no way I was going to fall in.”

One aspect of surfing Jeff enjoys more than skating: “Concrete is a lot harder than water when you crash.”

Name: Jeff Walker
Age: 35
Lives In: Mission Valley
Surfing: Grandview
Pre-Surf Music: Slightly Stoopid
Post-Surf Food: Carne asada burrito