It’s a Grom’s Life with Hunter Lysaught

It wasn’t too long ago when I was the trip grom, getting harassed, dead-armed, and poked fun of all day and night. I remember watching the Quik’ vid The Hole right before a trip and was absolutely traumatized by Tom Carroll’s antics with a young Taj Burrow. But as one ages, respect is earned and the role of grom abuser is passed on.
    The rook of the trip must remember that this should not be a deterrent from surf travel. The older guys can help you carve your way into manhood by offering advice, teaching you rules (often via hazing), and exemplifying a more seasoned surf style.
    La Jolla grommet Hunter Lysaught recently went on a Central American surf adventure with several older San Diego surfers and experienced first hand what life is like as the only grom on a trip. Hunter is a grom vet now and can offer advice to the budding grom who is apprehensive about surf travel. Here is what he had to say:
    “Check out Young Guns II. A surf trip with jet skis, helicopters, and an insane boat with your own room is hard to beat, especially if you’re a grom. I’d be stoked to go on a trip where you could take jet skis or a helicopter out to check the surf or just to play around. Most surf trips can't compete with Young Guns II. But even without the jet skis, or the helicopter, groms can still have fun on any surf trip.
     “I remember reading stories in Surfer years ago about surf trips and always remembered what they said about the grom on the trip. The grom would always be tied down and beaten by the older guys. On the trip to Concha Huita, being the youngest in the group, I definitely thought that this trip would follow suit. But I was stoked because I didn't get beat up once. A couple of times I had to do stuff for the guys. One time someone forgot to close the door to the room. I was the one who saw it was open, and they had me run back to the room and close it. It wasn't a big deal.
     “Being a grom on a surf trip isn't tough., but it isn’t the easiest either. Don't be a punk and respect the older guys. You have to realize that older surfers have been on more trips than you and know a lot more than you do.  I just tried to help out with whatever we were doing. Also, make sure you are organized, especially at the airport. You should have all your travel info. Don’t make everyone wait for you. Above all, just remember to be yourself and have fun.”