Bud Freitas: Local Surfer, Teacher and Entrepreneur

At the end of 34th Avenue where it meets East Cliff Drive in Capitola lies Pleasure Point, one of the most popular surf spots in Santa Cruz. Everywhere you turn, people of all ages scurry barefoot in wetsuits with surf boards under their arms, getting ready to hit the water.

High above the newly renovated sea wall, you can look for miles along the beach line, feel the saltwater air blow in off the coast or watch surfers riding waves all day long. 

At the "Point," the community comes together to check the surf, meet for conversation, share stories about a particular wave or get ready to start the day.  Some are there for a casual paddle; others are there to just look and observe.

But a few come to get ready for competition and are serious about what they do and where their lives are headed. 

Bud Freitas is one of those guys. He's been surfing at the Point since he was a young boy. He is passionate about the sport and he's making it his career.

Freitas, 26, wants to make his mark in the world not only as an accomplished surfer but also as a businessperson and teacher. Balance, prosperity and peace are well within his grasp, but I think for any surfer success does not come easy.

On a blustery, rainy afternoon in November, I caught up with Freitas at The Santa Cruz Skate and Surf Shop in Capitola to chat about his life as a competitive surfer and what it takes to have sustainability in a challenging market. I found him to be one of the most sincere, humble and focused individuals, one who knows exactly what he wants and is making the most of the cards he has been dealt. 

Santa Cruz Patch: Tell us about your year, Bud. Where are you at right now, competitively and emotionally? 

Bud Freitas: This year, I started off signing with Fox Racing and feel great to be a part of their company.  I recently went up to Canada and entered the O'Neill Coldwater event there. But due to a hurt ankle that I injured this summer, I didn't do too well, and it has been haunting me ever since. As a result, I have stepped away for the time being competitive to film video and to get into photography. Now it's all about nursing the ankle, working through it and devoting time to other things. I also started the Santa Cruz Surf School and I'm very excited with everything that I am involved with. I feel like it is growing pretty quickly, and being out of the circuit has given me a chance to do other things. 

Patch: See if you can reach way back for us and talk about what surfing meant to you as a kid here in Santa Cruz. When did competitive surfing first enter your mind?

Freitas: I started surfing when I was 8 years old, but didn't get into it until four years later when I started to progress. By 14, I started winning every event, had a great run as a junior and then started receiving offers to get paid. It became clear to me that I could make a career out of it, something that I always wanted to be.  Growing up, everyone always dreams about being a pro surfer, traveling and living the lifestyle. I got away with it for a long time with great sponsors being able to compete not only nationally but also outside the country.

Patch: During the early years, where did you like to surf?  What were your spots?

Freitas: Well, I live two houses from Pleasure Point, so that is my all-time favorite. I grew up surfing there and have stuck with it. When you are that local, you get the waves you want and you end up at the top of the order. There's a great right-hand point-break, and it benefited my surfing tremendously; I got style from growing up there. 

Patch: Where do you like to surf south of Monterey Bay?

Freitas: Lower Trestles in Orange County is a great wave and I always had good luck competing there. Many of the events I participated in and my sponsors were located there, so it felt great. 

Patch: Where have you been outside the U.S.?

Freitas: I have been everywhere, it seems. This year, I was in Bali for four weeks in May and June. I have also surfed Australia, Europe, Brasil, Indonesia and Scotland.  I am really lucky to have been able to travel at such a young age.

Patch: What about 2011? Are you thinking ahead to the coming year? What's planned and where are we going to see you?

Freitas: I am definitely thinking about 2011 and know it will be a good year for me. In the past, I haven't stepped outside of the Pleasure Point comfort zone. But I have good sponsors, and we are working out the details right now to expand and get out there. It looks like I will step it up competitively after the ankle gets better. 

Patch: How do you think the world surfing community views Santa Cruz? What is the stigma and what does it mean if you are from this town?

Freitas: It's actually a good thing to be from Santa Cruz, because we have many ties with Hawaii and Australia. There are so many older surfers like Pete Mel, Anthony Rufo and Adam Replogle, among many others, who all made a killer mark for us around the world. Their surfing talents are so high and when you mention the name Santa Cruz you are looked at as one of the big dogs. 

Patch: Any pivotal moments in your life that stand out when you look back?

Freitas: There have been many, but winning certainly will not be forgotten. In the Cold Water Classic, I made the quarters and semifinals. I have won some big pro-am events too. In 2005, I had a major accident and lived through it. I put myself under, ended up in the hospital and lost a lot of memory. I was fortunate to have made it back all the way from that and thankful for who I have become as a result. It changed my life forever and I am happy to have experienced it.

Patch: Tell us about your surfing school; how is that going?

Freitas: It started this year because a lot of people want to learn out at Pleasure Point, and it's better to do that from someone qualified rather than someone random. I have a background where I can teach someone the rights and wrongs, and they can get better quickly. 

Patch: It seems like you have a good balance these days. You are in the water, competing with sponsors, and you have a surf school. Is there anything missing in your life right now or are you content?

Freitas: I am never going to be content, because I am a real go-getter. I will always want something better, and as I get older, I am pushing myself to have a career in the surfing world. I also want a family and a successful busines—not just to be a surfer. That's what I am shooting for and will work hard at in the coming years.