Pribram Catches His Wave of Optimism

In 1989, James Pribram was a cocky young surfer many thought would go far as a professional.

But after spending seven years getting off and then back on the Bud Surf Tour, Pribram hasn’t exactly hit the big time. He is ranked No. 471 in the world and has never won a major event. Still, the Laguna Beach surfer says he’s never been more content.

“I’ve matured a lot since my younger days,” said Pribram, 25. “Some things have happened in my life, which have given me a new perspective. Surfing is still important, but there are more things to life.”

Considering that his brief career has included two injuries and a serious illness, it’s understandable that Pribram has mellowed. But he’s still trying to reach his surfing potential and is hoping to do well in the AirTouch championships that start Monday on the south side of the Huntington Beach Pier.

Pribram came out of Laguna Beach High a member of the National Scholastic Surf Assn. national team and raring to make his mark on the pro circuit.

“I was young and dumb,” he said. “I thought I really didn’t need to do anything else but surf and go to parties.

“That [national] team was just awesome. We beat up Australia in the finals, and they had a really good team. Back then, I felt I had a lot of natural talent. I thought I could beat 75% of the surfers out there.”

But Pribram learned quickly that his natural talent wasn’t enough. Instead of advancing to the final heats as most expected, Pribram often was eliminated early.

“I think it was mostly a mental thing for me,” he said. “I would worry a lot about surfing. And when I was competing, I just wouldn’t do that good. I remember thinking to myself that I was better than these guys. And start wondering about what was wrong with me.”

Pribram worried about his surfing, but he said the parties helped him take his mind off it.

“I definitely had some interest in the night life,” Pribram said. “I was young and there were lots of girls and parties. It was just the thing to do. Unfortunately, the parties were also very distracting.”

Ian Cairns, former world champion who is director of the North American Assn. of Surfing Professionals, coached Pribram, who knew Cairns was keeping an eye on him.

“I remember when I was surfing a mock heat and Ian was coaching me,” Pribram said. “I had a good heat and when I paddled back in, Ian said, ‘James, if you surfed like that all the time, you would make every final.’ ”

Cairns is glad Pribram wants to give it a go. But he warned him to keep both eyes open.

“Surfing is like any other sport. If you want to be good in it, you have to put the effort and time into it,” Cairns said. “If you drop out, then everyone is plodding along, passing you up. At that point, it takes an extra effort to make up that ground.”

In 1991, Pribram suffered his first injury while skim boarding. He tore some knee ligaments, which kept him out of the water for four months.

“Before that, I never thought about getting hurt,” Pribram said. “And then when I started to surf again, I was paranoid about my knee and getting hurt again.”

Pribram decided to sit out 1992 to fully recuperate. But 1993 was no better as Pribram suffered another injury. This time, he hurt an ankle playing basketball and was only able to surf part time. The year wasn’t a total loss. He enrolled in Irvine Valley College, and took some English and writing classes.

“It was one of the best moves I ever made,” Pribram said of returning to school. “I found out I had a talent for writing. And believe me, it’s paid off.”

In 1993, Pribram was asked by ESPN and Surfing Magazine to do a television special from Tahiti. “I got a lot of exposure from that trip and it was the rebirth of one side of my career,” Pribram said.

Besides writing about his excursions for Surfing Magazine, Pribram also landed a job as a surfing columnist for a Laguna Beach newspaper. But while the writing is taking him to different places, one trip to Ecuador in 1995 turned out to be a nightmare.

Not only did Pribram almost choke to death after swallowing a large piece of meat, he also caught a virus that confined him to his home for almost two months.

“It was the single worse thing that ever happened to me,” Pribram said. “The doctors didn’t know what I had. I not only deteriorated physically, but my mental attitude was even worse.”

Pribram said it got so bad that he never left the house. “Surfing was not a factor,” he said. “At this point, all I wanted to do was get better.”

After the fifth week, doctors told him he should start doing some exercise. “I couldn’t do three push-ups. And one day I tried to run on the beach. I was sweating buckets,” he said.

He even tried to surf, but wasn’t strong enough to paddle out.

“Things started to get better about the sixth week,” he said. “And as I got better, I started to realize how important life is. I would wake up in the morning and want to go outside and hug the world.”

Pribram has been surfing every day, working out in the gym and playing volleyball and running. He knows the AirTouch will be the big test. But he also knows if he doesn’t do as well as he hopes, the world won’t come to an end.

“Back when I was 19 and 20, if I didn’t do that good, it was like my dog died,” Pribram said. “Now, I’m just happy to have the experience.”

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Surfing Championships

* What: AirTouch Surfing Championships.

* Where: Huntington Beach Pier (south side) near the corner of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway.

* When: Monday (July 29) through Sunday (Aug. 4). Qualifying heats begin at 7 a.m.

* Cost: Admission is free.

* Format: Assn. of Surfing Professionals-sanctioned, four-man format.

* Internet: Bud Surf Tour web page can be found at https://www.budsurf.com

* Surf forecast: This week’s waves will be a hard act to follow, according to Sean Collins of the Surfline/WaveTrak in Huntington Beach, but about head-high surf should be here for the tournament.