“I grew up on Long Island and the beach was a regular place to find me... I was 41 when I taught myself [to surf]... One year (2011) I had lunch duty with Mr. Rowett. He spoke of surfing and it sparked an interest. So, every day I questioned him, and I decided, yes, this was what I needed to do. I read some books and that summer, after a couple days of trying, I caught my first wave and have been hooked ever since...the good and bad experiences all contribute to my love for surfing. My surf crew calls me ‘Captain’ and my Jeep is always stocked with accessories in case anyone needs something. I had made a bunch of shirts, stickers, and hats for me and my surf buddies with our surf crew name on it (Dilgo Surf). People would comment and compliment them and ask for them, so I decided to start a small business selling that and other surf accessories, like wax, leashes, fin parts, repair kits, etc. The business is an online store. Building it was fun, launching it was nerve-racking…an online store has its own challenges.”