The Life and Legacy of Jay Moriarity: Surfer, Athlete, Legend

On June 15, 2001, the world lost a surfing icon. Jay Moriarity was only 22 years old when he died in a diving accident, but his legacy continues to inspire athletes and surfers all over the world. Moriarity was more than just a surfer – he was an athlete and a legend. He is remembered for his bravery in the water and his passion for surfing. In this blog post, we will take a closer look at the life and legacy of Jay Moriarity.

Jay Moriarity’s Early Life

Jay Moriarity was born in Augusta, Georgia on June 16, 1978, but his family moved to Santa Cruz, California when Jay was young. Because his father was an army ranger, he traveled a lot and wasn’t home often. Jay started surfing at Sewer Peak when he was just nine years old.

He quickly became interested in Mavericks, a famous surf spot north of Santa Cruz in Half Moon Bay. If you’ve seen the movie, Chasing Mavericks, you might think that Jay met Frosty (his mentor) after Frosty saved his life. That’s not the case in real life. Jay first met Frosty in 1990 when he was 12. He approached Frosty at his van at Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz to ask him to teach Jay about surfing.

After intense physical and mental training with his master and close friend Frosty Hesson, Jay began surfing Mavericks at just 15 years old. Jay’s accomplishments as a youngster led him to become a respected regular in the line-up.

Jay continued to surf throughout his life, and he quickly made a name for himself in the surfing world. He won multiple competitions and was even featured in movies and

How Moriarity Became a Surfer

Although Jay was born in Augusta, Georgia, his family moved to Santa Cruz, California when he was just a baby. His father was in the army, so the family moved around a lot. His father initially introduced Jay to surfing when he was nine years old. He started surfing at Sewer Peak at this point and was hooked. He quickly started winning a number of junior competitions.

Jay quickly mastered all things surfing. He became a strong paddler and swimmer and an even stronger longboarder and extremely talented on the shortboard.

As a teen, he developed an obsession with big waves and Mavericks especially.

“I remember overhearing a conversation between Frosty and Terry Simms,” explained Jay Moriarity.

“They were talking about big waves, and Frosty was talking about Mavericks. From that day forward, I just pretty much went berserk about it.“

“I was always trying to figure where it was. Every day that’s all I could talk about, and I hadn’t even surfed the place or seen it.“

Who Was The Real Rick “Frosty” Hesson?

Rick “Frosty” Hesson met Jay Moriarity when the latter was only 12; at that time, Frosty was 45 and had plenty of experience surfing Mavericks. Immediately after they met, Frosty Hesson became a teacher for jay, starting with a two-year program that was hundreds of miles of swimming and many hours spent paddling in the water. Part of this training also included over 55 essays on surfing and how to visualize success.

Jay wasn’t Frosty’s only mentee though, as it appears in the movie. Frosty Hesson had worked with dozens and dozens of young people. He taught them how to become great people along with becoming great surfers. Frosty didn’t treat just anyone to train for Mavericks though.

“If not for his passion and eagerness to do the work,” writes Frosty, “I would never have let the kid anywhere near Mavericks.” -Making Mavericks

Rick Frosty Hesson felt it was his job to challenge and prepare Jay so that Jay would be able to take on Mavericks with success. By pushing Jay and forcing him out of his comfort zone, Rick prepared him for the difficulty of the wave. It would be four years until Frost Hesson would allow Jay to surf Mavericks. Talk about being patient for a goal, am I right?

Before that, Frosty Hesson trained Jay for two years, not even allowing him to paddle out into Half Moon Bay for almost a year and a half.

FUN FACT: Rick Frosty Hesson was on set during the making of “Chasing Mavericks,” teaching actor Jonny Weston how to ride a longboard.

The Wipeout at Mavericks that Made Him Famous

On December 19, 1994, Jay made history when he rode one of the biggest waves ever surfed at Mavericks. His wipeout was caught on film and made the cover of Surfer magazine. The photo quickly became iconic, and Jay became a household name.

Date: December 19, 1994

Place: Maverick’s, Half Moon Bay, California

The Moment: Sixteen-year-old Jay Moriarity drops 35 feet from the lip of a Maverick’s behemoth, lands the cover of Surfer magazine, and, establishes himself as a fixture of big-wave surfing and asserts Maverick’s authority in the process.

Here is a video of that moment:

The Legacy of Jay Moriarity

Moriarity died a day before his 23rd birthday on Friday, June 15, 2001, in the Indian Ocean off the coast of the island Lohifushi in the Maldives, drowning in a freediving accident. Moriarity disappeared after going free-diving alone during an O’Neill photo shoot in Lohifushi. His body was found late Friday night, following a search that had started the previous day. The late Moriarity is survived by his wife Kim, mother Kristy, father Doug, sister Daniela, brother Sean, and five nephews and nieces.

Pictured from left to right. Brenda Hesson, Rick “Frosty” Hesson,Jay Moriarity, Kim Moriarity

In 2001, Moriarity co-authored a book with Chris Gallagher entitled The Ultimate Guide to Surfing.

A film directed by Curtis Hanson and chronicling Jay’s life, Chasing Mavericks, was released on October 26, 2012 with Jonny Weston playing the role of Moriarity. Frosty was played by Gerard Butler.

If you haven’t watched the movie, take a look at the trailer here.

Although he passed away tragically at just 22 years old, Jay Moriarity left behind a lasting legacy. He is remembered as a talented surfer, waterman, and adventurer. Jay’s story continues to inspire people all over the world.