A Virtual Reality Headset Into The Mind Of A Starving Twenty-Something Fighting For Their Life On The Changas

Every coach has a star pupil. For Mickey Goldmill, it was Rocky Balboa. For Mr. Miyagi, it was the Karate Kid. And for Matt Myers, we think it’s Levi Slawson.

But Matt doesn’t pick favorites, even when we prodded him…

“I’m not falling for that one,” Matt laughed, “two of my pupils are former CT’ers who deserve to be back on tour, Nat Young and Alyssa Spencer. And Nolan Rapoza has been knocking on the door the past 3 seasons and has never looked better, Levi Slawson’s trajectory is sky high at the moment. Plus, look out for Sanoa Depfle-Olin, who’s gonna have a stellar career”

But, at least in this clip, Levi has the strongest showing — in terms pure surf electricity and in his numeric result (equal 9th).

This vlog (let’s call it what is) takes the viewer through the training regiment and comp life of five surfers hunting for a spot on Tour. Matt says he was inspired to do something similar to what SnakeTales does, but for the scrappier Challenger Series.

Matt Myers is a former pro surfer who eventually hung up the singlet and worked at various jobs within the surf industry until creating Matt Myers Surf Mentorship four years ago. We actually did a full story on Matt in 2022 that you can read here.

“My coaching philosophy is very personal. I want to know how you’re feeling and what’s going on with your mind. If we can connect mentally and be on the same page, it’ll be way easier to succeed,” Matt told Stab. “It all comes down to pre-heat prep, but I even do a little mid-heat coaching with my surfers like signaling (why I wear the neon hat) and communicating with them in real time.”

Hence Matt sprinting up and down the beach with his surfers in the video breaking down scores.

Also, look below, coach can surf:

Surf Thriller ft. Matt Myers from Pedro Delbrey on Vimeo.

I then asked Matt what the hardest part of being a surf coach is. “By far the most difficult part is dealing with losses. I’m competitive AF, and also very emotional and empathetic,” Matt admits. “But I realize that we are all so lucky to be in these positions in life, to have a career in riding a piece of foam on a wave created by wind halfway across the world, it’s a dream job. But when my surfers miss qualifying by one heat, or the judges have an off-day, or the waves go flat, it breaks my heart. These Challenger Series surfers invest a lot mentally, physically, financially, so the losses are tough. But, that’s why we just prepare for the next opportunity that comes.”

Oh, and I had to ask Matt what the Wet Shoulder League means. “The ultimate goal is to be chaired up the beach at the end of the event. And when you chair someone, obviously you end up with a wet shoulder,” Matt explained. “We always joke about scoring a wet shoulder. We are a team, and if you’re not on top of the chair, you want to be carrying up your teammate.”