For this month's Crossover Interview Tyler caught up with surf pro Matt Beacham!

PanicRev: Matt, where and when did your surfing career first take place? How did it all start?
Matt Beacham: I started surfing at age 9 in Duck, North Carolina. I wound up finishing college at UNC Wilmington before starting a professional career.  

PRev: Did you grow up surfing in any competitions?
MB: No one surfed in front of our house in Duck, so the first heat I had in a contest was the first time I surfed with anyone besides my brother and my dad.  I was pretty nervous, but I wound up winning and I started doing contests after that.  In my pro career, I've never had that competitive fire and focus on video, TV, and magazine projects.

PRev: I always hear of surfers going to other countries to surf. Any stories we should hear about?
MB: I was going to speak at some video premieres in Scotland once.  It took me 3 days to get there with delays, and then there was a mix-up when I got there, so I turned around and headed back after nearly 5 days of living in airports.  After that trip, routine travel delays are no big deal at all.  On the positive side, there have been some times in my travels that I have had some awesome conversations with God because of the beautiful scenery and people that I'm witnessing.

PRev: Motocrossers are pretty foreign when it comes to surfing. Can you give us some background on what it takes to get to the top of your game like you have done in the surfing world?
MB: The hardest part about surfing is figuring out waves and the movement of the ocean, but that's the fun part too.  

PRev: Have you felt the presence of God standing with you in your journey through surfing?
MB: Jesus has been Lord of my heart since I was a kid.  He has always reminded me that He is right there so many times.  Every time I think I have this great idea of doing life my way, God always reminds me that His ways are better.  When it comes to surfing, I'm happy that some friends and I have been able to use it to reach people's hearts.

PRev: What are some of your highlights so far in your career?
MB: I always had the most fun filming for movies, videos, and TV projects.  The camera lies sometimes, but video doesn't.  I have so much fun with Fuel TV and our kid athlete show called "New Pollution."

PRev: How is it filming "New Pollution" on Fuel TV? What’s that like?
MB: I go to the hometown of 36 young athlete's a season.  In the FMX world, we have featured Lance Coury, Gage Woods, and Jackson Strong.  I just try to be real with each kid and look for the entertaining moments. 

PRev: What’s the future looking like for you in the sport?
MB: I don't think there is an end in sight in Moto as far as creativity.  The same is true for surfing, but surfing will always have huge base of "soul surfers" who want to ride waves the way they used to be ridden.  I think it's great to have both directions.

PRev: Would you rather surf a 50 foot wave or jump a 60 foot jump?
MB: That's a tough question.  I just watched Brian Deegan and Jackson Strong hitting a 75 foot jump last week at Deegan's house.  Their buddy tried a back flip to dirt that day for the first time and my heart was pounding out of my chest just watching him go for it.  When he crashed, I realized its about equal to the commitment level of deciding to paddle into a giant wave at Mavericks.  I've haven't done either, so I'll just shut up and go back to working on my airs.

PRev: When it comes to dirt biking, there are obstacles on the track like ruts, whoops, jumps and turns. Besides sharks, what are the different obstacles and things to look out for when surfing the waves?
MB: People always want to know about sharks.  Although I know several people who have real horror stories, I try to view it like this:  Who was the last golfer you met who doesn't play golf because of lightning?  Seriously, you head out on a course in Florida with overcast skies holding a metal lightning rod carrying a case full of lightning rods.  I try to realize that weird stuff always happens, and whenever I hear the "Jaws" music in my head, I just start having the old "Daniel in the lion's den" talk with God.

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