Name: Joseph Colwell

Year Started Surfing: 2004

Regular or goofy (surf stance only): Regular

What’s your surfboard of choice? 6’ Al Merrick

Grew up surfing where/home break(s)? Grew up in Torrance, my parents always took me to the beach when I was younger. I started surfing at Hermosa down on 16th street though.

What break do you call home now and why? El Porto. By far the best spot in the South Bay during the winter. It gets good over there sometimes.

Favorite type of wave? A kinda mushy pointbreak that’s really long and about head high. Something I can really hack apart, or at least attempt to hack apart.

Favorite spot? When ever I go to Hawaii, I surf this spot called Threes. Great longboarding over there.

When confronted by a big, thick closeout barrel do you straighten out or pull in and enjoy the view? Pull in, enjoy the view, then go through the spin cycle.

How often do you get in the water? Once a week, twice or more in the summer.

What do you do for a living? Full time student.

Marital status? Dating.

What qualifies you to judge the waves for the rest of us? My lack of sugarcoating and exaggeration. But other than that, I’m pretty new to this. If I blow, let me know.

What do you like about doing the report (aside from the obvious fame and fortune)? Getting to see the sunrise when its not cloudy and being able to help out fellow surfer not waste their time checking the surf. You also really get to see the progression of the surf and how it changes on different conditions and swells. You really can learn a lot from that.

What possesses you to get up at dawn every morning and do a surf report? It helps me start my day. I get to do something I like to do before I have to go to school or something like that. But some days it’s so good, I get jealous of those privileged few who got to go surfing while I have to go to school.

What makes your surf reports better than those of our competitors? Local knowledge. We are out there everyday snapping pics and see the surf every morning. Were not some guy sitting behind a computer checking a live feed.

Any words of advice for someone who is just learning to surf? Respect the locals and never give up. I know it sounds cliché but it’s true. So many people take it as a fad and don’t stay with it. It could change your life and you outlook on it. Also, when that big double over head set looms on the horizon, don’t forget to sack up!

Other than surfing what are your hobbies? Photography, skateboarding, hanging with my friends, and my girlfriend.

Any surf destination you haven’t been to that you’d like to check out? Mexico or the east coast.

Where was your best surf trip ever? Hawaii last year on the south shore

What’s the biggest wave you’ve ever ridden? Two or three feet overhead.

Have you ever been in a fight out in the water? Nope.

If you had to choose only 1 who would it be? Marrianne, Ginger or Gilligan. Gilligan
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Last book you read? A Tale of Two Cites for English class. “It was the best of times it was the worst of times…”

Favorite movie? Currently Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Favorite band? The Distillers.

Any parting thoughts or philosophical statements? Confucius say: “Baseball wrong. Man with four balls can not walk.”