Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson

Scott Hulet: Reading + Writing + Surfing + Fishing + Traveling

Jan 10, 2025

01:08:37

Scott Hulet is a legendary writer, editor, and current Creative Director at The Surfer’s Journal. He also has a new book titled Flow Violento: A Scott Hulet Omnibus, which is a compilation of more than thirty years of his writing about surfing, fishing, travel, food, music, and more. If you subscribe to my book recommendations email, then you’ll already know how much I loved the book– Scott brings to life the cultures, waves, and landscapes of Latin America using his unique blend of insights, humor, and perfectly crafted prose. If you’re a fan of travelogues, adventure tales, and cultural immersion, I know you’ll enjoy “Flow Violento.”

Scott was born and raised in southern California, and he’s been writing for longer than he can even remember. Skating and surfing entered his life very early, as did travel to Mexico for surf trips. Through a deep commitment to the craft of writing and surfing, he’s been able to build a successful career that combines both. But for all his success, there have also been some speedbumps along the way, including a string of health scares during his fifties that culminated with a very serious stroke. But after a ton of hard work and help from some inspiring medical professionals, Scott was able to make a full recovery– and refocus his efforts on writing, traveling, and surfing.

I’ve been a huge fan of The Surfer’s Journal and Scott for many, many years, so I was honored that he took the time to chat with me about his life, work, and the new book. I caught him just a few days before he took off to the Colombian Amazon for a fishing and research trip, and we had a fun chat about reading, writing, surfing, traveling, and more. Some of the topics include: his “hunting and gathering” approach to reading: some of his favorite childhood books; his first foundational surfing and traveling experiences; moving to Hawaii after high school; becoming a professional writer; the importance of approaching new cultures with respect; his health scares and lessons learned; his surprising thoughts on social media; rules for travel; and much more.

A big thanks to Scott for the conversation and his decades of important work. And another big thanks to you for listening. Enjoy!

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Flow Violento: A Scott Hulet Omnibus
The Surfer’s Journal
Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
Ed's book recs
Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/scott-hulet/

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

3:30 - Scott’s “hunting and gathering” approach to reading
5:30 - Scott’s father’s influence on his reading
7:00 - Favorite childhood books
8:15 - A brief family history
9:35 - Childhood activities in San Diego
11:45 - First three foundational surfing experiences
16:00 - First adventure in Mexico
20:30 - Approaching new cultures and locations with respect… or else
24:00 - Heading to university
25:45 - Writing: from avocation to vocation
28:00 - Mentors
34:30 - How TSJ has maintained such a loyal following in the changing world of print media
36:45 - A surprisingly positive take on Twitter/X
39:45 - The importance of knowing a wide range of people with wide ranges of ideas
44:45 - The art of editing
47:15 - Courting the Muse
49:30 - Lessons learned from several super-intense health trials
53:30 - Pre-stroke Scott vs post-stroke Scott
55:45 - How to stand out from the crowd as a creative
57:15 - There are still unknown, off-the-map places to discover
59:00 - Rules for thinking traveler
1:01:00 - Important books
1:05:00 - Parting words of wisdom