Scott Valor

Name: Scott Valor

Year Started Surfing: 1981

Regular or goofy (surf stance only): Regular

What’s your surfboard of choice?
5-8 Kane Garden keelfin fish

Grew up surfing where/home break(s)?
Santa Cruz: Moss Landing, Four Mile, Ano Nuevo

What break do you call home now and why?
MB, south of the pier, because I live on 10th Street.

Favorite type of wave?
A-frame beach break, about head high.

Favorite spot?
Depends on swell, size, and conditions—can’t name just one.

		Scott always wanted to live in a shack in Mexico. Valor chasing the dream!

When confronted by a big, thick closeout barrel do you straighten out or pull in and enjoy the view?
It’s all about the view, baby.

How often do you get in the water?
4-7 days per week.

What do you do for a living?
Lawyer/Environmental Consultant

Marital status?
Single, but happily attached.

What qualifies you to judge the waves for the rest of us?
Experience, research, and I’m not prone to unnecessary exaggeration.

What do you like about doing the report (aside from the obvious fame and fortune)?
Being able to see daily changes, the support I get from elporto.com users, and the groupies. Well, two out of three isn’t bad.

What possesses you to get up at dawn every morning and do a surf report for free?
I do it anyway, so I might as well share the info.

What makes your surf reports better than those of our competitors?
I actually look at the surf, rather than a 2 inch computer screen, so I don’t have to guess.

Do you ever wake up late and hungover and just make something up.
Oh no. I never do that! It is against the surf reporter’s code of ethics. Plus, I hold my liquor pretty well, so it’s usually not a problem.

Any words of advice for someone who is just learning to surf?
Don’t start, unless you are my girlfriend, then it’s cool. If you insist, go somewhere where you won’t get hurt and/or endanger others.

Other than surfing what are your hobbies?
Are there other hobbies? Beach volleyball.

Any surf destination you haven’t been to that you’d like to check out?
Fiji, Ecuador

What’s the biggest wave you ever rode?
Solid 12 foot faces at Grajagan and Swift Street in Santa Cruz. That was harder because I was in a full suit and it was cold.

Have you ever been in a fight out in the water?
Physical, no. Verbal, sure. I grew up surfing in Santa Cruz and that’s standard operating procedure.

If you had to choose only 1 who would it be? Marrianne, Ginger or Gilligan.
Marianne.

Last book you read?
Surfers’ Guide to Baja.

Favorite movie?
Siesta and Olas

Favorite band?
Too many to name.

Any parting thoughts or philosophical statements?
Do what you enjoy so that you can say you enjoy what you do.