Chapters: Scott Hulet and his Omnibus Flow Violento

I met "Mace" about 20 years ago or so. I had heard of him the previous 10 years before that. The stylish wordsmith had written some of my favorite articles in Longboard Magazine and The Surfers Journal. The way in which Hulet can spin a yarn is among the most appreciated in all of surf literature. It's as if he made a huge mistake in committing his life to surfing instead of writing about things that really "matter."

But that’s how we all end up here, isn’t it? We could have all become something the world at large would consider beneficial or important, but instead we chose saltwater sunburns and Baja point breaks over commerce and common sense. I've never regretted my surfing decisions—not once. The real-life stuff, well, I have boatloads of regrets and longing for do-overs, but therapy and surfing help me cope with those ghosts.

I digress.

I received a call a few years ago from Scott asking for some assistance in getting Skip Frye to commit to an article they had planned for The Surfers Journal. I was honored to help out, as three of my heroes were involved in the project: Skip, Chris Ahrens, and Scott Hulet. The article came out great and has become a widely loved feature.

When I heard Hulet was working on a book a few years ago, I was super excited. As I read the book, Scott's use of language and ability to build the texture of the scene is pure mastery. This work belongs in a higher realm, but it’s not; it’s meant for us.

So, on the day of this recording, I drove up to meet Hulet at The Journal offices. As he does, we jumped in his car, got some bánh mì sandwiches, and drove down to the San Clemente campground. Every time I've met Scott up there, he has this great routine of getting out of the office to soak up some sun and enjoy quality time off-campus. We sat in the sand, talked about health, body-surfed a few waves, and then lay in the warm summer sand, being in the moment just a hundred yards away from the old Nixon "Western White House." A great hang indeed.

So with that, here is Chapters Vol. 2 with Scott Hulet. His new book, Flow Violento, is available online and in select surf shops now.