Today we’d like to introduce you to Hunter Jones.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m a professional surfer & filmmaker from the South Bay of Los Angeles. Fueled by nature, adrenaline & self-expression, I’ve always stayed true to my passions.
I grew up as a lover of the ocean & action sports and always had the dream of becoming a pro surfer. My journey to going pro is a unique one.
I didn’t come from a surfing background, I just surfed because I loved it and I was willing to do whatever it took to make surfing my job. I worked in the surf industry as a video editor and ended up quitting my full-time job to truly take on my dream of becoming a pro surfer. I continued freelance video editing and modeling for a couple of years before landing my first sponsor & and a couple of years or so after that, I’m fortunate to say surfing is my job.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I didn’t really have many mentors in the surf space. I kinda had to figure it out on my own in a way. I pulled a lot of inspiration from the local pros that came out of the South Bay. But for the most part, I would watch videos on YouTube and study how the best guys were surfing and would try to mimic them. I didn’t grow up in a household where my parents were trying to force me to become this “pro surfer” like some kids now. Surfing was just my passion. For me, I first fell in love with the ocean, then I fell in love with surfing and me being the competitive person that I am, I just wanted to be the best I could be. As a kid growing up, I was typically the only surfer of color in the water on any given session. Now, it’s becoming a lot more common to see a person of color in the water and overall I think there’s a push within the community to expose surfing to more and more people. At least for me, if I can be a part of inspiring the next generation of surfers, that makes me feel like I’m doing my part.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
In addition to surfing, I have a passion for filmmaking and storytelling. I’m super fortunate to be working on video projects for all of my sponsors and I get to combine both of my passions into one.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
When you’re just starting out, I think there’s so many things that can run through your head and cause doubt if you’ll be able to achieve your goals and dreams. One thing I’ve always stuck to is “controlling the controllable”. There’s so many factors that can be completely out of your hands and for me, I’ve always tried to focus on things I could handle and put 100% of my effort into. For me it was becoming the best surfer I could possibly be, building my social media channels, creating meaningful connections with everyone I come in contact with and staying consistent. I think if you do those things, you can’t fail.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunterjoness/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hunterjoness
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hunterjones_
Image Credits
Julian Martin, Blake Vigil, Rick Briggs, Michael Costa, Michael Paul
