April 27, 2009

Sea Walk in a Nutshell


Yazzy Photo

Hi,

My name's Christian Wach, I'm 19 years old, and I'm from San Clemente, California. I just graduated high school in June of 2008 and I feel like my life has finally just started considering I felt like I should have been outta there a long time ago with all the traveling I've been doing. Basically, my life consists of surfing on all types of boards from longboards to shortboards, even wooden planks! I love going to new and remote places to surf and writing articles on my trips. I've been writing about these funny little adventures I've been experiencing and the instances that occur between people and I in other parts of the world. I've had five published writings in the last year in domestic and international magazines including my first and most prestegious in Surfer's Journal out of Southern California, two articles in a Japanese magazine called On The Board, One article in the UK in a magazine called Drift AND they ran my portrait on the cover, one article in a New Zealand magazine called Slide, and one in an Australian magazine called Australian
Longboarding.

Life is really, really good at the moment. I've been really fortunate to do what I love to do on a regular basis instead of following the norm like most people in my peer group. For example, a buddy and I just went up to Northeastern Canada to go surf! It was my third time there so I pretty much knew what to expect, however, on my first trip there, I somehow got talked into going during the middle of winter by the photographer who lives there named Yazzy. Boy, was that a mistake. I got there and started thinking, "What did I sign up for?" haha I wasn't really expecting a blizzard right off the plane! I had to go surf in below freezing water too, but hey, it paid off and I ended up getting a six page spread in Surfer magazine about the trip, surfing in the snow!

I've never really been too into writing until recently, but my Mom was always a really talented writer.Her writings were so inspiring to me growing up. She loved to write songs and poems and all sorts of neat little writings, and maybe that's where I got somewhat of a love for it. I don't know. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2007 after taking her own life due to severe mental and physical depression. I figured I could take one of two roads in my life. It was either let her decision to do that affect, and ruin my life, or use it as a positive way to stay motivated and focused on what she would have loved to see me accomplish in my life. Which is in effect, professional surfing, traveling, writing, song writing, modeling, movie making, all these wonderful creative outlets God has blessed me with that I've been fortunate enough to build upon since. I give her credit for all of my success. She really was an amazing mother even despite the rocky road towards the end.

It wasn't until last February of 2007 that I became motivated to write articles when I got home and just wrote a little 800 word piece and sent it into Surfer's Journal. Sure enough, the surf industry's highest acclaimed magazine, found a home for it and published my first piece of writing, in their magazine along with a two page action shot of me. I was SO stoked! I consider that one of my biggest accomplishments thus far in my surfing career. That really encouraged me and gave me the confidence to go yah, I can do anything I want in this world as long as I do it well and to the best of my capability! You just don't know what's going to happen in this crazy thing called life do you? I'm also in a modeling agency out of Los Angeles, called Otto Models, I play guitar, sing and record songs, and I also do a lot of freelance artwork and design on Illustrator. I paint as well. You can check out my music on my music page,http://www.myspace.com/christiansebastianwach The recordings aren't spectacular because they have been done on GarageBand, but I have fun doing it anyways and maybe someday I will record them in-studio.

My father Lawrence, my older brother Steve, and little brother Carson are also huge inspirations to me. My Dad is so supportive of my career and he's into everything I'm into which keeps our relationship very close. It isn't surprising to him when I tell him I'm off to some exotic place. Heck, I don't even think he'd mind even if I were going to North Korea as long as I kept in contact and scored a life experience. I know our love for playing guitar, surfing, and design have all been influenced by him and I owe my success to him in everything I've accomplished. I love him very dearly and I look up to him in so many ways. I also owe a lot to my older brother Steve. Although he is my half brother, I consider him not only a brother, but also the biggest stimulation for most of the interests I've acquired today. Growing up he was always artistically savvy and also a great musician himself. He always rode single fins and wore beaver tails and listened to groovy music. I just always thought he was so fuckin' rad. Today Steve lives in Laguna Beach near Victoria which is an attractive area to raise a family, he has a beautiful wife and two lovely Children. I'm so proud of everything he has accomplished. On the other hand, my younger brother Carson is the radest brother I could ever ask for. It's funny how I look up to him in a lot of ways. We've always been really tight. He is so incredibly talented. Carson started out as an apprentice but after spreading his charm throughout the Hurley factory, he started working for Hurley doing webisodes as the "Youth Face of Hurley." It's a job they made specially for him and his best friend Blake. They put a smile on anyone's face because they're such funny characters. He also designs clothing patterns on Illustrator and sews his own jeans, boardshorts, and even bikinis for girls! Carson is also an amazing musician. He's in a killer band called Dead Beat or... something like that. He writes some of the best songs I've ever heard. A lot better than myself, but we Jam little shows here and there. It's fun. Life is fun! That's all there is to it, and if you're not having fun, you better start somewhere!

Christian Wach

2 comments:

Jamie Welsh Watson said...

Christian, you are quite an inspiration to young people everywhere, and all ages of people for that matter. Keep the stoke - it will be a real delight to follow your passion for life.

El Hefe said...

Keep gettin after it and never settle for a desk job. Your shit's too rad.