Rising Stars: Meet Jason Latham

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Latham.

Hi Jason, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
It all started with catching my first wave in Cocoa Beach, Florida when I was 12. From that first glide of being pushed along by Mother Nature’s energy, it hooked me! From that point on, it’s all I wanted to do is go surf! Growing up in South Georgia over abhor away from the beach made it a bit tougher to be an avid surfer but I didn’t let it stop me.

I surfed every chance I got from the time I started and chased my endless summer to the Pacific Islands after high school. I went back to my birthplace (American Samoa) directly after high school and surfed beautiful, powerful waves every day. During that time, I also spent time learning about my Polynesian culture and heritage, staying with my Samoan family (Aiga), and getting in touch with my roots!

After completing Jr. College in American Samoa, I decided to chase my big wave dreams to the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. This is the place where I fell in love with sharing the “stoke” or passion for surfing. I lucked up and got a job teaching surfing lessons at the Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu’s Famous North Shore. The job fits me perfectly as I could teach a few lessons every day, earn some money, and surf around my lessons. During this time (2011), I also saw a new sport beginning to emerge. They were hosting a Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) race at Turtle Bay with the best SUP athletes at this time racing paddleboards and also catching waves on them. I decided to give it a shot and ended up loving it. I also began teaching SUP shortly after this and added a new discipline to my forever-growing love for the ocean.

After a few years of living on the North Shore, I decided to move back home to the family I missed and the girlfriend I loved back in South Georgia. It didn’t take long before realizing that I saw a lot of opportunities to pursue SUP Surfing professionally. I started competing and did pretty well in a run of events regionally and nationally. After winning an East Coast Championship in 2015, I began to acquire sponsorships to compete and market their brands through content (pictures/videos). I also started working at a local Surf Shop on St Simons Island offering Surfing lessons and SUP Tours. After a few years, the shop eventually closed down and that opened a new door for me to start my own business so that is when J.LAY SUP LLC was born!

I started my business in 2018 and feel like I have really found my niche as tourism has been booming on the Georgia Coastline more each year. There are a few other great outfitters in the area offering paddleboarding/kayaking, but I am the only business focused solely on Surfing, SUP Surfing, and flatwater paddleboarding. I also offer paddleboard fishing and hydrofoil surfing. In addition to online and word-of-mouth clients, I also have a partnership with the Westin Hotel on Jekyll Island where I offer paddleboarding to guests of the hotel.

My SUP tours are basically an eco-tour of the marshes and creeks on Jekyll Island where I teach the basics and get people on the water to provide a unique perspective of the place we call, “The Golden Isles”. We often see dolphins, birds, and even manatees which always offer guests a special experience in addition to the natural beauty.

My surfing lessons typically take place on St. Simons Island and also North Florida. (I don’t disclose specifics as that is a rule of code in surfing to keep your spots to yourself in respect to locals 😉 ) I teach a 4 step system to stand up on the board that I learned from one of the best Surf Schools in the world and proven to work over 95% of the time. My surf lesson comes with basic techniques, safety, and surfing etiquette.

I provide everything we need; the board, leash, top-notch instruction, and GoPro video for my clients to take home some memories of themselves surfing! The Stoke is real!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
No. The whole process has been a tough journey but one of my favorite sayings is, “it’s all about the journey because every moment is the destination”. In other words, in each moment, good or “bad”, there is always something to be learned and gained. Most of the time, when something seemingly “bad” happens, that’s usually when the best lessons or wisdom are gained.

I’ve learned to embrace negativity and turn it into something positive. I think that’s also what the ocean teaches very well. How to adapt and go with the ebbs and flows. Learning to fully enjoy the ups and downs.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Right now I’m focused on my business/ sharing stoke with others and taking advantage of my time right now as Georgia/Samoa’s first Professional SUP Surfer. I am Georgia/Samoa’s first Professional SUP Surfer. I often see my surfing as art, basically riding waves is like drawing our own lines on the water. Every surfer has their own style and approach to how they ride a wave in the fashion that they do.

It is truly a beautiful art form. I think overall, I’ve heard many good surfers/other respectable professionals in my field mention that I have good style while riding a wave. I think to me, that’s one of the best compliments I could ever receive. I also love the combination of putting surf videos together in video production.

Editing video of surfing/lifestyle/music is another one of my favorite forms of art and that’s something I do for myself that I would also love to do more of in the future for others.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
My wife (Jesy Johns Latham) has always been my biggest supporter and believed in me from day one and is still the rock that keeps me going forward in the best possible direction. My parents for raising me right and loving me the way they do. My friends, supporters, doubters, and family all around the world for all the love and support!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jlaysup912.com
• Instagram: @jlay_stoked (personal) | @jlaysup_912 (business)
• Facebook: J.LAY SUP
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm7ekiOYaN4lqkGWI-8wzIw 

Image Credits
Jim Mowatt, Sam Ghioto, and Laura Ragland