In many ways, Fallbrook local Aaron Lieber’s first and highly acclaimed surf movie, “The Pursuit” mimics his sudden rise to the surfing industry spotlight. The first surf movie to be released in high definition Blu-Ray, The Pursuit is the story of up and coming surfers and their struggle to make a name for themselves in the industry. Bearing witness to such young, raw talent taking surfing to the next level is as inspiring as the story of Aaron who, at the age of 19, began filming on the yet to be named project. Aaron has been quoted as wanting to be “the next Taylor Steele” and according to some; this is one pursuit he may very well attain.



Tribal Surf had the privilege of spending some time with the budding filmmaker and getting an idea behind what went into The Pursuit and what’s in store for Lieber Vision, his production company.

Tribal Surf (TS): You surfed for the CSULB surf team during college. What made you decide to get into film rather than embark on a professional surfing career?

Aaron Lieber (AL): Well I grew up in Fallbrook, California, which is about 25 minutes from the beach, so I was involved in a lot of sports. But more than that, I always liked filming or taking pictures of my friends skating, snowboarding, or surfing. So from a young age I just took to the other side. I mean I always loved doing the activities too, but I never saw myself having the natural talent to be a pro. I definitely have the work ethic for success, but if you don’t have the “x” factor you just don’t have it.

TS: Before The Pursuit had even been named, you managed to score a session at a firing Teahupo'o in early 2006. How insane must that have been?

AL: Yeah, I started the project without a title because I wanted the title to come from the journey...

Surf. Yoga. Charity. If there was ever the trifecta of good karma, Santa Monica local Monique Evans may have hit the mark when she founded SYRV, a non-profit outfit that organizes trips to the Jiquilillo & San Juan Del Sur regions of Nicaragua, where surfing, yoga, and community involvement form the itinerary.

The typical SYRV trip spans one week where participants surf, do yoga, and go on local excursions. What defines these trips however is that the afternoons are set aside for getting involved in the local community. These activities can range from building water purifiers, feeding families that live at a dump yard, teaching local kids how to surf, teaching the community how to speak English, and most importantly getting involved in significant infrastructure projects.

Barely a year into operation, SYRV has already garnered the attention of some big names in the sporting goods industry. In addition to the generous support from the Santa Monica community, companies including Adidas, RVCA, LSpace, Sanuk, and Easton Sports all donated a combined 750 pounds of clothing, shoes, sports equipment, and food totaling $25,000. They also raised the needed $1,500 to purchase a water purifier, filters, and the building materials used for an eco friendly water shelter designed by local Venice, California, LEED certified architect, Lara Hoad.

Looking beyond the epic surf and pristine beaches, Nicaragua is a country in dire straits. Much of the Central American country’s infrastructure was destroyed in the 1980s amid the conflict between the U.S.-backed Contras and the elected government of the Sandinistas. Still recovering from a U.S. embargo lasting five years, the country now ranks as the second poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. According to the United Nations Development...

When the Surfrider Foundation set out to look for the fifth heir to its environmental throne in 2004, they tossed out the green rule-book and hired a tech entrepreneur. James Moriarty, a Solana Beach local, would provide the unconventional leadership Surfrider needed. Jim was among numerous candidates selected by a D.C.-based recruiter specializing in finding unconventional leaders for nonprofits. Despite lacking in either nonprofit or environmental activism experience, Surfrider’s Board of Directors was impressed by Jim’s creativity and technological vision for the organization. He had founded a number of technology startups and held executive roles at multinational organizations including SAP, Pandesic, and One Touch. With over 15 years of managerial experience and expertise in the areas of e-learning, e-commerce, and infrastructure software, Jim was the clear choice in evaluating the organization’s structure and taking Surfrider to the next level.

The New Environmentalism

Surfrider is no stranger to paradigm shifts. Established in 1984 by a group of local Malibu surfers, including founders Glenn Hening, Lance Carson and Tom Pratte presumed that funding would come easily from the surfing industry. Although Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard was quick to respond with a hefty donation, the rest of the industry turned a blind eye viewing Surfrider, in Glenn’s words, “like a charity of convenience.” In 1991, then president Dr. Gordon LaBedz took a cue from his involvement with the Sierra Club and transformed Surfrider from a staff-driven fundraising organization to a volunteer, grassroots based group. And thus emerged the first local Surfrider chapters. Coinciding with a $5.8 million landmark victory against Humboldt County pulp mills, Surfrider quickly grew from five to 45 chapters. The victory would thrust Surfrider into the grassroots...

Ironically, had Sean Collins knew what he was getting into when he started the venerable surf forecasting operation bearing this motto, we may never have had the benefit of his invaluable predictions. Before Surfline, there were no forecasts precise enough to rely on for surfing. Today, Surfline’s forecasting data covers regions around the globe accurately predicting swells well into the future. Surfline’s reports are relied upon by surfers the world over as well as state agencies, militaries, and movie producers.

What Sean didn’t know was that getting Surfline to where it is today would prove to be no mean feat. Despite Sean’s expertise in surf forecasting which continues to be unmatched, the business of forecasting profitably proved elusive. Surfline’s rise in popularity also epitomized the winner’s curse with purists decrying its sometimes too precise forecasts as anathema to the adventurous spirit of surfing. When he first decided to study meteorology and oceanography, all Sean knew was that there had to be a better way to predict surf.

Out of Necessity

Sean’s invention would be born out of a necessity we all can relate to: finding epic surf. Born in Pasadena and raised in Seal Beach, he was exposed to the sea under the influence of his father. A former Navy lieutenant, the two would spend a lot of time in a 50-foot sailboat. Sean would sail all around California and co-skip races to Mexico and Hawaii. Although he loved to sail, his favorite part was returning home when he could take his time exploring the Baja California coastline for uncharted surf spots.

Taking up odd restaurant and photography jobs that allowed him the leisure time needed to pursue his passion, he found himself exploring increasingly remote regions of Baja. He also found himself increasingly frustrated at particularly stubborn...

Remember that sense of accomplishment you had catching your first wave? Remember that sense of fear you overcame dropping in on that first overhead day? Stoked Mentoring, a non-profit organization founded in January 2005, brings these values to "at-risk" youth who would otherwise not get the chance to experience what we have all come to love – surfing.

The idea for Stoked Mentoring started in 2004 in the Canadian slopes when Founder and Executive Director, Steve Larosiliere, decided to harness his passion for snowboarding to benefit at-risk youth through a unique mentoring program. The following year, the newly created "Snow Mentor" quickly gained support and before the end of the year, had partners which included Burton Snowboards, Zoo York, Forum Snowboards, and Sal Masekela, then the host of ESPN's X-Games. Programs focusing on skateboarding and surfing were subsequently launched.

Surf Mentor was launched in New York City in 2006 with the help of Surfrider NYC. Surf Mentor in Los Angeles was launched the following year. During the summer, both New York and Los Angeles surf programs include 12 mentoring pairs. To date, Stoked has earned the support from familiar surfing brands including Quiksilver, DC Shoes, Planet Earth, Da Kine, and Flow.



Tribal Surf had the opportunity to chat with Steve and Stoked Mentoring's Los Angeles Head Volunteer Surf Instructor, Peter Paris.

Tribal Surf (TS): Thank you both for everything that you do! Tell us a little bit about the communities you target. What exactly does "at-risk" youth mean?

Steve Larosiliere (SL): In Los Angeles and New York we work with youth who are in under-served communities. The majority of our kids come from single-parent house-holds and lack any type of guidance and/or...