Hi surfers and friends,
Please meet Kevin. He’s a NYC native and a multi-media producer and director. When he's not in the ocean, you might find him playing basketball, cooking, and almost certainly listening to music.
I met Kevin when we were both living in Costa Rica. Years later, when I moved to New York, he was also back in the city. His passion for surfing encouraged me to keep getting into the ocean as the water became colder and the waves heavier, for which I am very grateful.
Please enjoy Kevin’s Surf Story.
Kevin Kushner
Home break
I tend to make the short drive out to Rockaway Beach these days. I recently moved from there after living by the beach for seven years to Brooklyn to be a more present and consistent partner to my lady and a father figure to her 10-year-old daughter.
Quiver
Oh man, I'm embarrassed by the sheer quantity of boards in my quiver. The issue is that I love surfing all kinds of boards and am always trying to tweak and change elements of different boards to suit my approach and experience better. I feel like the more time I spend working on my equipment with the different shapers I know, the more my experience in the water evolves.
Lately my favorite boards are an 11'1 Chopwood Surfboards Glider, a 5'6 Pinder Surfboards Lis Fish, a 5'6 Justin Internes Dark Arts custom groveler shape, Joe Falcone 5'8 80/90's twin fin, and a Tokoro 6'2 4 Channel Bottom step up.
Dream wave
It's hard to say. I really like the top-to-bottom elements of strong and fun beach breaks on my forehand, but I just recently got a couple of surfs in on a work trip to El Salvador, and I had so much fun on the right-hand point breaks, going fast on my backside and pushing into the walls.
What was your introduction to surfing?
My brother was a surfer, and he, along with some childhood friends, got me introduced to the fickle outer sand bars of Fire Island. I feel like my introduction was perfect to instill a lifelong passion for surfing. Fire Island rarely gets good waves, but when they do, they are incredible. Not to mention, I lived most of the year in Manhattan, so I didn't have much surf access. That meant that I always thought about surfing and always wanted to be in the ocean, so when I finally had the freedom to be where I wanted, I took advantage of it and never took surfing for granted.
Describe a memorable experience you had in the ocean.
One of my favorite moments in the ocean was in San Diego at 14th St in Del Mar. I was visiting my friend Michael Cunningham and was borrowing his dad's 10'0 Hansen 50/50. I'll never forget this session because the wind was perfect, it was about an hour or two until dark so the light was beautiful and the waves were 2-4ft and perfect. I caught a fun clean left and went to make a bottom turn and I looked behind me and at that moment a massive porpoise jumped out of the water right behind the tail of the board. I could see right into its eye. The colors were so vibrant in the pre-dusk light; an unforgettable moment.
Why do you continue to surf?
Surfing grounds me, surfing keeps me even-keeled, surfing keeps my depression in check. Surfing keeps me motivated to be in shape and stretch and be limber. I couldn't imagine a life that doesn't involve surfing.
Anyone you love to surf with?
I love to surf with old friends; people who I've surfed with for years that understand the importance of sharing and get as stoked for me as I do for them when they catch a good one!
What’s a life lesson you’ve learned from the ocean?
When I surf bigger waves in New York and all over the world, I am reminded of my insignificance in the greater picture of the world. This ego check that the ocean provides consistently inspires me to keep my thought processes further from my needs and closer to the needs of others and the greater good.
Any embarrassing or humbling surfing moments?
Oh, too many to count. I surfed New Jersey the other day and was getting my ass kicked in 6-8ft heavy fast waves. It was so cold.
Do you have a favorite surf hack?
I'd say my biggest surf hack is having a really big board for summer. It makes all the tiny micro waves so fun!
How can we identify you in the water?
If it's summer time, I usually surf with a green trucker hat. I don't know why, but all my surf truckers are always green.
Thank you for reading!
Yea Kev !!!