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In 2004, Santa Cruz local James Sclar enlisted in the US Marine Corps. This decision was rooted in his desire to fund his dream of becoming a stunt man in Hollywood. However, when he got there, he found a toxic culture completely at odds with his family’s supportive upbringing, complete with relentless hazing and abusive leadership.

Despite his disappointment, Sclar was locked into his contract, and had no choice but to serve out his term. After four oppressive years of service, in 2008, he was finally discharged.

After he came home, Sclar had an extremely hard time adjusting. The trauma he endured left a lasting mark, and he was left searching for a way to process everything. Finally, after a few profoundly healing psychedelic journeys, Sclar made it his mission to utilize a wide array of plant medicines to help him heal his mind, body, and spirit.

After a transformative experience with the visionary psychedelic brew Ayahuasca, Sclar knew he was on to something. Dimethyltryptamine, better known as DMT, is the primary visionary component found in Ayahuasca. When vaporized, this molecule brings upon a short, yet intense high, with users reporting highly positive, transformative experiences, something, through experimentation, Sclar found out for himself.

Recently, a new treatment, known as DMT X, or Extended State DMT, became available to the public in Colorado, where DMT is legal. In this therapy, participants are hooked up to an IV line, where a constant drip of DMT is administered via an anesthesia pump. Earlier this year, Sclar signed up to participate in this revolutionary treatment.

In this podcast, we discussed the details of Sclar’s experience, as well as the circumstances that led him there in the first place. We also delved into his passion for Kung Fu, surfing, and coparenting his ten year old son, Wesley. In telling his story, Sclar hopes that he can inspire other vets dealing with military trauma.

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For many Santa Cruz surfers, the giant, perilous waves that break at Mavericks, located off Pillar Point in Half Moon Bay, hold a certain charm. Every Winter, the break produces waves that regularly reach the heights of large buildings, that, when ridden successfully, provide a shot of adrenaline unrivaled in any other aspect of the sport. The qualities required to be a successful Mavericks surfer include, but are not limited to: superhuman strength and balance, a healthy set of lungs, and, of course, the ability to stay calm under extreme duress.

When forty-four year-old Santa Cruz local Ryan Augenstein reached his late teens, it became apparent that, not only did he posses these qualities in spades, but that he had the determination and grit needed to test his skills at the hallowed break located just an hours drive up the coast.

So, at the young age of eighteen, Augenstein began the slow process of familiarizing himself with the iconic big-wave arena. After a handful of seasons paying his dues, the toe-headed Pleasure Point regular-foot found himself quickly ascending the ranks of big-wave hellions who descended upon the break every time it bared his fangs.

This led to a number of respectable showings, including a 3rd place overall finish, at the yearly Mavericks Invitational events—events that brought the best big-wave athletes from around the world together for a day of heavy water spills and thrills. Fast forward twenty years, and the soft-spoken charger is still at it, routinely sending it on any swell that awakens the break from its slumber.

Not only is Augentstein an accomplished Mavericks surfer, he’s also a standout in the smaller stuff. On any given swell, he can be found out at Pleasure Point, slicing, dicing, and weaving his way through wave after wave, drawing upon seemingly endless reserves of energy. In between swells, he supports himself as an instructor at Surf School Santa Cruz, sharing his passion for surfing with newbies of all ages.

In this episode of the Split Peak Soup Podcast, I was able to ask Augenstein about his introduction to and approach to surfing Mavericks, his experience competing there against the world’s best big wave surfers, falling in love, the ups and downs of being a sponsored professional surfer, and how he deals with violent wipeouts, both physically and mentally.

In the process, I gained insight into the mind of a soft-spoken charger who just clearly loves to surf.

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Sixty-one year-old filmmaker and photographer Tony Roberts is a true original, a trailblazer who never felt content to follow the crowd. He's dedicated his entire life to chasing those fleeting moments we all wish we could preserve forever...the hum of surfboard fins tracking through a vicious carve, the sight of a tropical rainbow arcing over a vibrant jungle, the haunting chorus of a soulful reggae tune, or the click of a high speed shutter as it captures a surfer burying their rail on an overhead screamer.

Tony grew up in Capitola, California, a stones throw from the water in the iconic Venetian Court. He was part of a surf/skate crew who came of age in the 1970's, ruling the waves at First Jetty and owning the cement at spots such as Skatepark Soquel. It wasn't long before the talented teen got his hands on a camera in which he began snapping shots of his friends disturbing the peace.

It wasn't long before this hobby morphed into an obsession, and from there into a way of life. Even at the height of his own surfing and skating career, Tony made the decision to devote his to producing films and images of his talented friends, starting with the Santa Cruz classic, "Surf/Skate". In the early 90's, as his work garnered acclaim, he spent more time working the "SC Rat Pack," an upcoming crew of young local surfers such as Peter Mel, Nate Acker, Darryl "Flea" Virostko, Josh Loya, Jason "Ratboy" Collins, and Shawn "Barney" Barron.

Tony and his crew would set the surf industry on fire with their skate-influced fisheye water shots, bringing tons of media exposure and lucrative contracts to the sleepy surf town. Despite the momentum, in the mid 90's, Tony made a shocking decision--to pack everything up and move to Central America.

It was here, in Costa Rica that Tony fell back in love with surfing, discovering breaks, experimenting with boards, and refining his technique--a lifestyle that he'd sampled during his world travels, yet found lacking in Santa Cruz.

Thirty years later, he's still living the dream, only now based out of the Dominican Republic. I was super stoked to have Tony, a longtime friend, on the podcast, where we talked at length about the early days in Capitola, his early rise as a surf/skate prodigy, Pleasure Point in the 80's, his love for Punk, Reggae, and Ska, working in the O'Neill Art Department, scouring the coast for surf, politics in the mags, and his rationale for bailing SC for Central America.

We also chatted at length about what it takes to surf at a high level going into one's golden years, including Tony's dedication to fitness, yoga, meditation, and diet.

TR is the man, so this is an episode you should definitely watch in full!