A desert sunrise helped everything make sense for surfer Kassia Meador
- Text by Huck HQ / Alex King
- Photography by Kassia Meador and Dane Peterson
#30 – Kassia Meador
Kassia picked up a longboard for the first time in Malibu, aged fourteen, and quickly established a name for herself by winning her first-ever contest, the Roxy Wahine Classic at San Onofre, California in 1997. Having just turned thirty-three, she can now look back on a glittering surfing career; her effortless cross-stepping and nose-riding have won her respect and admiration as one of the best longboarders, male or female, in the history of the sport. Six or seven years ago, Kassia remembers hitting a big brick wall. Surfing and travelling weren’t fulfilling her anymore.
Meador wrestled with herself, but one pivotal trip to the desert helped it all make sense. It was New Year’s Eve and she was with her brother and her two best friends at a house party in Oceanside, California. After just drinking coffee all night, at 4am she persuaded them to jump in the car and drove them out into the desert. They hiked their way past wind caves to the summit of the tallest peak in sight.
“The sun was starting to rise on one side, the moon was setting and we were watching both of them. I just had that moment when I knew there was so much more out there. It really was a defining moment which put me on the path to where I am today. I will always be a surfer, it’s inspired so much of my life, but that’s when I really started to push all my other inspirations and realised I shouldn’t feel guilty about not surfing all day, every day.”
“Some people just really put their head into one thing, but I know now I’m not that kind of person. I feel like having all my passions leaves me more inspired. Surfing, photography, design, travel… all those parts make me who I am. Exploring things in other ways made surfing that much more vibrant to me, you know. All those things contribute to making everything else that much more powerful and that much more beautiful. You’re creating all these different experiences and everything becomes three dimensional, rather than one dimensional.”
This is just a short excerpt from Huck’s Fiftieth Special, a collection of fifty personal stories from fifty inspiring lives.
Grab a copy now to read all fifty stories in full. Subscribe to make sure you don’t miss another issue.
You might like
The art of paying attention: How Austria’s Alps reward slowing down
Lebensgefühl — With a growing movement of art and music rooted in the area’s mountains, trees and waterfalls, the region is showcasing the importance of the human relationship to nature.
Written by: Sophie Lou Wilson
Grainy, yearning memories of Europe’s ’90s free rave heyday
Never Alone — A new photobook from Cheyenne Clementi and Valentina Morandi presents pictures they made over seven years while touring the continent as part of the Tekno Mobil Squad soundsystem crew. It archives parties, people and a lifestyle largely consigned to the past.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Queer resistance & sun-soaked solidarity at the world’s largest trans pride march
Our Future, Our Fight — Over the weekend, over 150,000 people marched at the London Trans+ Pride, with the parade ending at Trafalgar Square for the first time in history.
Written by: Ella Glossop
In photos: Black Texas life since emancipation
Kinship & Community — A new photobook and exhibition showcases the rich culture, history and community of African American folks in the Lone Star State, whose existence in the region predates colonial Britain.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Youthful joy & end-of-era poignancy at a London school prom
Leavers — For several years, Lewis Khan documented young people as they celebrated the last of their school days and the completion of their exams. The series is now collated in a new self-published photobook and short film.
Written by: Zoe Whitfield
Harry Gruyaert’s vintage, kaleidoscopic scenes of New York
A Sense of Place — For 50 years, the Belgian photographer and Magnum Photos member has been capturing NYC’s colourful chaos. A new photobook and exhibition showcase his unique, technicolour view of the city.
Written by: Miss Rosen
