Trestles was hot and glassy on a Saturday afternoon. Hans Hagen, ultra cool ripping surfer and soul master of Laguna Beach Surf Mafia origins, met us in the state park's now $15-per-day parking lot. He is a STW surf ambassador and all-around very cool cat. We walked down to the beach and Hans told me of his first surf trips to Trestles as a tiny grom: as soon as his arm was long enough to reach around his board and carry it, his dad brought him along on dawn patrols to Trestles. We went for a surf after a film interview for a PSA spot. I borrowed his short board bonzer while he destroyed epic Trestles on a Xanadu shortboard. Lots of spray was seen by all.
Hans is the ultimate free surfer, a father of two, a very stylish rider of all strange wave craft, and a man who looks like Jesus (long scraggly hair and short unkempt beard). He is an elegant surf bum to the highest degree.
A golden quote from a golden Californian, Hans Hagen:
"Surf's been so good lately - so much swell - I haven't gotten anything done. My kids are hungry, house is a mess, work and meetings pushed back another week. I ask myself, is this meeting really that important? Are we actually doing business here or is it just another meeting talking about things? It can probably wait until next week... I'd rather stay poor and happy." - Hans on work lately.
Coming soon: Lost Prophets, a surf film about Hans, Reef, Rasta, Chris, Brian and others surfing perfect waves and waxing philosophically as only surfers can.
