His father an olympic diver from Hungary and his mother a professional water skier, Brad Gerlach drew inspiration and drive from his parents’ athletic accomplishments and competitive mentality. He gripped professional surfing by the horns in 1985, when, as a rookie on the tour, he took out some of surfing’s major players to emerge victorious at that year’s Stubbies Pro. Victories continued to color Gerlach’s early career, culminating in his finishing second in the world in 1991. He eventually grew disillusioned with competitive surfing and focused his efforts on big-wave surfing and chasing swells around the globe. He also turned to music and art, where he saw more fruitful possibilities for personal growth and self-expression. Recently, he has worked as an actor, teacher, and coach. In this episode, Gerlach sits down with Jamie Brisick to talk about the road to realizing one’s dreams, unlocking potential, his proudest year, and Wave Ki and his fitness philosophy.

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Produced by Jonathan Shifflett.
Music by Farmer Dave & the Wizards of the West.
Feature image by Tom Servais.