Matt Becker
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Born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, Matt Becker is a consummate waterman and outdoorsman. The son of an Abalone diver, small boat commercial fisherman, and long time surfer; Matt grew up fishing, surfing, diving, and paddling in and around the Central Coast and the Channel Islands. More recently he has picked up a passion for backcountry snowboarding and the big mountains of Alaska.
At age 15 he began racing and surfing competitively in stand up paddling events around the world, and went on to become one of the top athletes in the sport. After competing in that world for several years he went on to leave the competitive circuit to focus on his passion for surfing big waves, and Mavericks in particular. At 24 years old he is 6 year veteran of the spot, and has progressed to become one of the hardest charging surfers in that lineup. Most recently he was invited to be one of 24 competitors in the world to compete in the 2018-2019 Big Wave Tour Mavericks Challenge. Along with big wave surfing, Matt Becker has a deep passion for snowboarding and spending time in the mountains, and his day job as a commercial fisherman. He fishes for the elusive California Spiny Lobster at the Santa Barbara Channel Islands, trolls for California King salmon in his boat in the waters of Northern California, and harvests sockeye salmon for two months out of the year in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Three of the most sustainable, and environmentally friendly fisheries on the planet. As a recently added member of the Big Wave Risk Assessment Group instructors team, he is knowledgeable in ocean risk management, first aid, life saving techniques, and Jet Ski assisted ocean rescues. Now that he is spending more time in the backcountry snowboarding, he is looking forward to learning new safety techniques in that environment, and continuing up the ladder by acquiring his avalanche safety certifications. You can follow his journey on his Instagram page : @_mattbecker Sponsors : Hurley International, 805 Beer, Pro-lite International, and Futures Fin Systems |
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