May 18, 2026

How to Improve at Surfing Working 80 Hours a Week w/ Lucas Hildreth

1 hour 1 minute

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Lucas Hildreth (@lucashildreth5692) is a second-year E.R. resident and aspiring big wave surfer from New York who has somehow managed to surf Mavericks, Iceland, Chile, and Portugal in between brutal stretches of 80-hour work weeks. In this episode, we get into how he stays strategic with his limited time off, how he approaches improving his surfing technically; from dialing in his cutback to breaking down the mechanics of a proper snap, and what it actually takes to prepare for big surf when you don’t live by the ocean. Beyond the technical stuff, we also talk about crowd navigation, adventure surfing in cold and remote locations, and the mindset that drives someone to chase serious waves while wearing scrubs five days a week.

Chapters

0:02:06 Introducing Lucas: ER Resident & Big Wave Surfer

0:02:52 ER Doctors and Extreme Sports

0:03:31 Growing Up Surfing in New York

0:05:34 Getting Serious: Driving to Montauk

0:07:36 Choosing College Away from the Coast

0:09:29 Learning Without Coaching: Uncle's One Rule

0:11:25 Watching Surf Clips to Improve

0:14:07 How Filming Himself Transformed His Surfing

0:18:33 Going Vertical: The Hardest Skill in Surfing

0:25:06 Life as an ER Resident: The Real Schedule

0:27:18 Surfing the World Between Shifts

0:33:14 Paddle Training: What Actually Works

0:41:32 Navigating Crowds in Santa Cruz

0:50:40 Adventure Surfing: Iceland, Chile & Beyond

0:59:49 Rapid Fire: Advice, Intentions & Deserted Island Board

Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!

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