Two Montauk Groms Interview Pro Surfer and WSL Gladiator, Sebastian Zietz

Photo: Shawn Parkin

When Whalebone Magazine asked us to pick one person we could interview we picked Seabass AKA Sebastian Zietz because, to us, he’s the best surfer on the planet. Enough said.

Chas Weimar: What do you think of Pokémon Go?

Seabass: Pokémon Go? I don’t have it, but I liked Pokémon when I was a kid. I liked the GameBoy version. I don’t know. I think it’s pretty distracting and a lot people are on their phones too much these days. Just another distraction.

Chase Lieder: What’s your favorite surf trick?

Seabass: Favorite surf trick would have to be a barrel, just because you can’t get a barrel every day. A lot of those places around the world you might not even get a barrel once in your life. When a barrel does come around, it’s pretty cool. The noise it makes inside the barrel… you can’t describe it. You would just have to actually get one to know what a it feels like.

Get high, but stay low! ? @russhennings

A photo posted by Sebastian Zietz (@seabassz) on

Chas Weimar: That’s cool. What’s your favorite type of food?

Seabass: Favorite type of food would have to be fish, any kind of fish. Living in Hawaii you go fishing a lot. There’s an abundance of it. I have a ton of friends who are fishermen. Probably like a fish burrito. Something like that. I’m sponsored by Kilauea Fish Market, so I like to go there. Anything they make is pretty dope.

Chas Weimar: How long can you hold your breath?

Seabass: I haven’t tried to hold my breath in a long time. I think my record is maybe two and a half minutes, but I haven’t actually tried in, I don’t know how long. There’re a lot of guys going around teaching breathing classes. I’d like to take one and see how long I can actually hold my breath. I know my friends took it and they can hold their breath for like five minutes.

Chas Weimar: What?!

Seabass: Luckily, I haven’t had to hold my breath that long because I haven’t ever had a two-wave hold down or anything like that, but yeah when that does happen I guess I’ll see how long I can hold it.

Some fun waves in the free surfs before and after the comp @mysurftv @lachlanmckinnon

A video posted by Sebastian Zietz (@seabassz) on

Chase Lieder: What are the dimensions of your surfboard?

Seabass: My dimensions are 6’0″, 18 7/8”, 2 5/16”. I ride the CI Proton, usually my favorite model.

Chas Weimar: What’s your favorite football team?

Seabass: Football? I like the Dallas Cowboys because my dad’s from Texas and my brothers are all born there. I don’t know, I didn’t really get that into football, but I remember my dad being super into it and screaming at the TV. We are Dallas Cowboys fans, so we always hated the 49ers because they devour us. I still kind of hate the 49ers and go for the Cowboys.

Chas Weimar: Have you ever surfed Jaws?

Seabass: No, I’ve never surfed Jaws. I’ve kind of been wussing out. Everyone seems to be going over there, so I’m going to have to man up, get myself a blow vest and get over there and charge it, but I don’t know. I just feel like everyone’s going to psycho on the big rig stuff that it doesn’t even really matter if you go out there and catch a wave, but it’ll be cool just to do it for myself.

Better put me on your fantasy team! I’m looking agile! ? @lachlanmckinnon

A video posted by Sebastian Zietz (@seabassz) on

Chas Weimar: What’s the biggest wave you’ve ever surfed?

Seabass: Biggest wave I’ve ever surfed would have to be in the Pychally’s, it was my first surf trip I ever did. I was 18 and I was with Brian Conley and we were doing step offs and he got me in, I don’t know what it was, it was like a 20-footer, but it was pretty nice for my first trip out of the country to surf waves like that.

Chas Weimar: What’s your favorite wave in Kauai?

Seabass: It’s a secret, you know that. My favorite wave in Kauai would have to be Pine Trees just because it’s every different kind of wave in one. It can be a left, can be a right, can be a reform, can be a barrel, can be a mush burger, so it’s kind of good training for contest surfing and stuff like that.

Chas Weimar/Chase Lieder: Thank you!!

Seabass: Right on. Nailed it boys. Hopefully, we’ll see you back over here. Thanks so much.

Chas Weimar/Chase Lieder: Bye.

Stay in the loop with Sebass and the boys on their Instagrams:

Thanks guys!