SurfWatch Surfer Series: Jus Strat

SurfWatch recently caught up with Jus Strat at his beautiful Fairhaven sim to talk about his new addiction to Second Life surfing.

SurfWatch (SW): I understand this is your second time in Second Life (SL).  What brought you into SL your first time?
Jus Strat (JS): I read something about SL online.  I came to check it out and see what it was all about.  Not sure I still know the answer to that, lol.
SW: (Laughs) I was going to ask you to enlighten me!  Why did you leave your first go-round?
JS: I owned a club back then and it just got to the point where I dreaded logging in.  So one day I decided to take a short break and that turned into 8 years.
SW: And so the follow up to that, what brought you back?
JS: I was on a 12 hour drive and listening to the audiobook, Ready Player One, which is set in a virtual world. I got the itch again, and I am having a lot more fun this time around.  I walked in the door and set up a new account immediately, lol.
SW: I just finished reading it yesterday, lol.  I loved it!
JS: It is awesome.
SW:  No club this time around?
JS:  I actually did open one because I am not really smart.  The drama owning one is stressful so I shut it down and Fairhaven was shortly after.

SW: Was it your intent to have a surfing sim originally when you first opened Fairhaven?
JS: Not at all.  I put the wave out because I liked to get on it and play is all.  I had no idea there was competitive surfing.
SW: How did you find out about competitive surfing?
JS: I was up working on the city one night and Solsty (Kismet), Kris (Marley) and that crew landed on my beach.  I came down to see what was happening and met the best people I know in the process.
SW: And the rest is history, lol.
JS: It is, lol.  Next I knew, I was adding more waves, then bought the second sim.
SW:  What did you think when you first started surfing?  Did you just grab a board or did someone have to show you?
JS: I had the Maoli Freestyle at my house and got a C-3 rezzer.  I just followed the instructions.  Granted I still didn't know what I was doing but I am getting a little better every day.
SW: I saw your name in the heats for the last comp.  What got you into competitive surfing?
JS: Solsty again.  She is a persistent little elf.  She asked me to sign up for the Bird's Surf Challenge.  It was so relaxed and fun, I decided to give the comp at Solace a go, and now I am hooked.
SW: (Laughs)  It's addicting.
JS: Lol, yes it is.

SW:  What's your favorite board if you have one?
JS: I really grew to love the LSD.
SW: What do you like about it?
JS: It is so fast and it seems it does what you tell it to do.  I am not good on it yet but it's really a fun surf.
SW: Do you have a favorite wave as well?
JS:  I love the Maoli Tahiti waves but usually whatever wave we practice on for a comp becomes my favorite for a month.

SW:  Do you know your current Second Life Surfing Association (SLSA) ranking?
JS: I am not sure.  They haven't posted it yet after LSD.  I was 13th after Solace and snuck a 5th in at Tai so I am guessing around 9th or so.
SW:  Nice climb!
JS:  I practiced the LSD a lot more than any sane person would.
SW: (Laughs)  Okay so now we know something important about you (winks).
JS:  (Laughs).
SW: Its fun to look back on some of these interviews years later and see what someone said way back when.  I don't know if you read our Legends series, but if I ask you your goals with surfing, or something driving you to continue surfing and what you're hoping to achieve, it's with that in mind, that years later we may be reading about Champion Jus Strat and seeing what he said when he first started, lol.
JS: I want to keep getting better of course and winning one of them would be great someday but to be totally honest, if I never see another podium, I am hooked.  And more so on the community than the actual surfing.  You know as well as I do that these are the best people on the grid and getting to hang out with them everyday has made my SL better.
SW: What else do you like to do in SL besides hitting the waves?
JS: I love the sim building things we have done on the sims. I don't want to do it over but it was a fun challenge and my designer would murder me if I suggested doing it again.

SW:  Anything else you'd like to mention or plug or shout out?
JS: We will be doing the SLSA SSi Longboard competion here April 28th at 1 PM SLT.  It should be a really fun day of surfing and hanging out.
SW:  Let me ask you about music and events. You have an event person helping with that?
JS: I do. I hired a manager last month to help me get things set up.
SW:  Let's give him or her a shout out.  Who is it?
JS: Bunni Kismet.  She has been a big help getting thing organized for me.
SW:  Can we also mention your partner who I'm sure is a very important part of your SL?
JS: Tatianna Diamond is my designer and, yes, Ladybug either keeps me sane or drives me nuts.
SW:  (Laughs)  Then it's love.
JS:  Lol, it is that.
SW: I know you do a lot of music events here.  How did you get involved with SL music?
JS: I used to go quite a bit to the live shows and really love the whole experience.  So we are going to bring a little of that to Fairhaven.
SW: You ever think you may want to play in here?  I know you play and sing as well.
JS: I don't think so.  Honestly, I already put more on my plate than I should, and I can't handle another addiction, lol.
SW:  (Laughs).

Fairhaven is located at:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Stratography%20East/48/60/23

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