Last week in an interview with Popdecay Editor in Chief Desiree Washington, actor Bodie Olmos from the criticially acclaimed cable series Battlestar Galactica and son of Edward James Olmos, shared his passion for the ocean. He spoke with Desiree about surf breaks and injuries, his love of surfing, and how the surfer’s lifestyle connects him to the earth.
A surfer for most of his life, Olmos finds meaning where the sand touches the water.
Desiree Washington: I understand you’ve been surfing for about 20 years.
Bodie Olmos: Yeah, kind of. Off and on. I started pretty young.
Desiree Washington: Was it your experience as a triathlete that led you to surfing?
Bodie Olmos: No. I was comfortable in the water. I [also] found this talent for running at a pretty young age. In the 5th grade, there was school run. I entered it and did fairly well. The coach saw me and quickly put me on the team. He did triathlons, and it just sort of went from there.
Desiree Washington: As early as 5th grade?
Bodie Olmos: Yeah. In 6th grade, I joined the cross-country team and ended up heading the varsity team by 7th grade.
For the unaware, Olmos, native to Southern California, still maintains a regiment of running to stay in shape.
Desiree Washington: So are you out there surfing as a hobby, or are you kicking butt like the pros on 25ft. waves?
Bodie Olmos: No, it’s definitely a hobby. I never really competed or reached the competitive level, but I was good enough to hang with some of the guys. [Surfing is] how I start my day. I’ve been pretty fortunate.
Desiree Washington: What kind of board do you have? Do you like to use a long or short board?
Bodie Olmos: I’ve got a couple. My favorites are “fishes”. They’re short. They range from 5ft. 4in. to 6ft.
Short boards are less than seven feet long, very light, fast in the water, and very maneuverable. For surfing and tricks, like aerials, off-the lip, floaters, etc., short boards are the modus operandi. In contrast, long boards, popular in the 60s, are about 10 ft. long and heavy. They are more for cruising and “hanging ten”, slang for standing at the front of the board with all toes dangling from the edge.
Desiree Washington: What maneuvers do you prefer or are good at?
Bodie Olmos: I’m goofy foot and I’m more comfortable surfing backside. …There’s something great about riding backside and there’s nothing like a good bottom turn off a backside.
Desiree Washington: So are you a leftie then?
Bodie Olmos: No. I’m right handed. I guess when I first stood up on a board, I put my right foot forward and it just stuck.
Desiree Washington: Since you own two short boards, I take it you have a preference for speed?
Bodie Olmos: I grew up riding short boards. They say ‘learn on long boards’, and I completely agree. I wish I had. It makes you a better surfer. …There’s something about having to move an object that’s bigger than you.
Desiree Washington: It requires more discipline than the short board.
Bodie Olmos: Yeah, you have to be a little more disciplined…I definitely enjoy riding short boards because of the agility and speed. But, I’ve been riding long boards for the past couple of days and it’s so much fun.
Desiree Washington: Do you have a preference for the kind of material your boards are made of? Do they even make wooden boards now?
Bodie Olmos: There are a couple of guys making wooden boards, but most are made of fiberglass or polyurethane. There is a new type of board made of epoxy, which I’m not into. Epoxy boards are a lot lighter, and a lot of the guys like them for that. But I like more weight to my boards, so I’m stuck with the polyurethane boards. […N]ot great for the environment.
Desiree Washington: What’s the coolest place you’ve surfed?
Bodie Olmos: Probably here in Southern California. I’ve yet to walk on snow to get to the water and I’m in no hurry to do that. We traveled to Baja, which is a little warmer. You still need wet suits. I’ve gone to El Salvador, which has been really cool. They’ve got a couple of great spots there. And it’s all warm.
Desiree Washington: Warm is better?
Bodie Olmos: Well, it’s just a different experience. There’s something about winter in Southern California. When it gets cold for us, it’s kind of interesting. There’s a bond that happens between the guys in the water. You have to gear up and it’s 48 degrees in the air and 52 in the water. [We have] a different mentality…it’s not a day for the beach…but there is something that drives us to get undressed and put on a wet wetsuit in that temperature.
Desiree Washington: How does the surf in El Salvador compare to the surf here in Southern California?
Bodie Olmos: Well, we didn’t get the best swells when I went. El Salvador wasn’t big. But from what I have heard, people can go there and ride a little bit bigger and feel safe. It’s very playful. You still have to mind your Ps and Qs, as they say, and respect the water. As long as you do that, you can enjoy your time.
Desiree Washington: Do you use surf forecasting or do you take the time to learn the condition of the seabed and waves the old fashion way before you go out?
Bodie Olmos: A little bit of both. Once you get there, you try to read what’s going on in the water as best you can, [like] where the best place to paddle out is. And you can kind of get that from watching the locals, [and] seeing where they walk out. But technology has opened up a whole new way of gauging [the surf]. You can say, ‘Okay, if I book my plane ticket now, in a week there’s going to be a nice sized swell there.’ That’s what a lot of the pro surfers do. [That technology has] just opened up a whole new perspective on the sport.
Desiree Washington: The new technology has substantially changed the sport from what it was like in the 1800s with the Polynesians and their wooden long boards, hasn’t it?
Bodie Olmos: I talked to a friend of mine, an older man, and he said ‘You know, we used to just look up at the sky and if there was a ring around the moon, that meant we’d be getting waves soon.’ They’d observe the weather patterns or the winds… It was a more intuitive [process]. New school guys turn on the computer and check it out instead of actually going down to the beach and seeing what’s happening with the water. Also, the invention of the leash changed the sport. Before [the leash], the line up [the surfers’ position in the water] would rotate a lot faster. But, I was talking with a friend who said that when they came out with the leash, it screwed up the rotation. Now guys don’t have to swim to the beach to get their boards. They’re paddling right back out…and all the Internet forecasting makes the beaches more crowded because everyone knows swells are coming.
Desiree Washington: I imagine the spiritual aspect has changed a bit because the forecasting is mechanical now.
Bodie Olmos: A little, but you can’t take the soul out of it. There’s a connection that happens. There’s a saying that “only a surfer knows the feeling.” If you’ve done it, and it didn’t stick to you, that’s fine. But if you [surf], and something moves inside…you have to be careful because the bug’ll bite you, and it can consume your entire lifestyle.
Olmos’ lifestyle not only includes a daily dose of salt water, but also forays in music and theatre. He is an accomplished drummer with an inclination toward traditional blues, though his listening tastes are more eclectic and vast. In live theatre, Bodie performed in a revival of the play “Zoot Suit” at the El Teatro Campesino in San Juan Bautista.
Desiree Washington: I imagine you made the decision early on to set aside surfing for school and acting.
Bodie Olmos: Well, even as a kid you want to be at the beach rather than in class. You learn there’s a time for everything. You just sacrifice. Life’s about sacrifice. Sometimes you just can’t go to the beach… It hurts, you know. It does. There’s nothing worse than having to work when your friends are catching the swell of the year. That never goes away. I talk to guys in their 60’s who say “There’s nothing that irks me more than when I have to be somewhere else when the swell is perfect.” You find that balance and hope you catch some good days.
Desiree Washington: Do you have any horror stories to share about your surfing experiences?
Bodie Olmos: I’ve been pretty fortunate. I’ve spent lots of time in the water, and I haven’t seen any sharks. I’ve had a couple of injuries. But for the amount of time I’ve been surfing, I’m pretty lucky. I did have one experience where I wiped out. I came out of the water, and I couldn’t find my board. I didn’t feel a tug on my leash, and my head was out of the water. …[L]ooking for my board…out of the corner of my eye, I saw this movement in the water and by that time it was too late. My board had been submerged under some white water. Once the water released it, the board just kind of harpooned back at my face. The butt of the board knocked me dead center in my face. The first thing I did, funny enough, was I opened my eyes and I’m like “ok, I can still see…I’m conscious…ok I didn’t lose an eye.” Then, I checked my teeth because I’d just recently put in retainers. I was like “fuck, did I screw up my teeth”… You know, I’m so vain!!
Desiree Washington: Well, you know, it’s LA, so…
Bodie Olmos: It is, isn’t it? And then I thought I broke my nose because there was a lot of blood. You can’t really tell what’s going on. Luckily, I always surf with people, and I was with a few friends who saw me. My nose wasn’t broken, but I took a little slice in it and almost fractured my right orbital eye socket.
Desiree Washington: Have you done any surfing in Vancouver? What are the waves like?
Bodie Olmos: I hear the waves are great. I haven’t been able to check it out yet. Vancouver Island is a pretty popular surf destination, and the other islands get some nice surf.
Desiree Washington: Have you had an opportunity to do any surfing with your buddies from Battlestar Galactica?
Bodie Olmos: No. A couple of them dabble in it, and they’ve been trying to get me up to Vancouver Island. It’s a weekend trip, and I don’t take my gear up there. There’s one catering guy who was working on the show; he’s not with us anymore. He was a big surfer. We were going to take a trip down to Oregon …to a beach called Oceanside. Beautiful beach. Shark infested waters. Cold as hell. I said “Sure. Let’s go!” But the swell wasn’t up, so we decided not to go.
Desiree Washington: So the temperatures are drastically different up north?
Bodie Olmos: Yeah… The thing is, it’s so cold. It’s a different experience. It takes a different type of guy. If you have the right gear, you’re covered, but the question is do you want to wear all that gear… And we complain about it being cold in Southern California!