One of the craziest waves I’ve ever caught at Cloudbreak in Fiji. It was right after a big rainstorm and the waves just turned on. This wave was a swing wide nugget down by :OPZORHIVIZ[OH[^LU[PUZPKLV\[(\N\Z[d; H[HNLc; Photo: Russell Hoover PASSION Looking back, I have no regrets. I feel lucky to have been a part of the Volcom journey. I’m stoked for the company, and I’m excited to watch it continue to evolve. The biggest thing I’ve learned is when picking a path in life, go with what you’re passionate about and what your heart’s telling you because passion gets you through everything. There’s something inside of you that is a driving force—maybe you’re good at math or writing or art or film. If you choose to follow that, it’s going to be a great ride. I look at my own passion, and it started at my grandma’s house. At 7, 8, 9 years old, the stuff that was grabbing my attention is still here right now, stronger than ever. It’s what’s driving me. It’s what stokes me out. Today, when we went surfing, that was it—there’s nothing more that’s going to cleanse me or wake me up or help me when I’ve had a bad day. I walk down the beach, I paddle out. I go to the mountain, I strap in—that’s it. And everybody has something like that. If your job aligns with your passion, you’re stoked. If you want to be successful at whatever it is, it’s going to become a big part of your life. If you like something and you’re passionate about it, focus on it and commit to it. You’ve got to commit for a solid pe-riod of time, then it’ll start to give back to you. It doesn’t matter how much money you’re making. You’ll get by, you’ll figure it out. And who knows, you might become really successful at it. RICHARD WOOLCOTT 085
The Snowboarder's Journal frequency 17.4: Page 87
