A gold chain hung around his neck. His eyes were sheltered by dark sunglasses, a trucker hat slouched low on his head, his braids peeking out the sides. Behind him, swarms of rabid fans sprinkled the beach as the world’s best surfers battled it out at the 2025 Lowers Pro, the 8th stop on the World Surf League’s 2025 Championship Tour. He was a fish out of water; and yet, Ernie was beaming.
“Man, this is a totally different world,” Ernie told me with a smile. (I never got his last name; plus, he prefers to go by his rap moniker, Ayeman100, which was emblazoned on the gold chain dangling across his chest.) “I come from South Central, from Compton. We don’t have surfing in the hood.”
Amidst the surfing extravaganza that was the Championship Tour’s return to a regular-season event at Lower Trestles, instead of conducting the typical, tired interviews with professional surfers about the conditions, the “skatepark” qualities of the Lowers wall, the the yellow jersey, yada yada, I decided to talk with Ernie. He was working security for the event. And he was downright hilarious.
Ernie and I chatted about the subjective nature of surf judging, the time he ran into Kelly Slater and had no idea who he was, and more. Keep reading for our interview, a quick break from the action going down in the water. (And while you’re at it, go check out Ayeman100’s music channel.)
Pat Nolan/World Surf League
How’d you get in this line of work?
My brother. He was like, ‘Hey man, you wanna work?’ I was like, ‘What do I gotta do?’ He was like, ‘We could do security.’ I was like, ‘For what?’ He was like, ‘Everything.’
What kind of events have you worked security for?
I’ve done every PGA Tour event in California for the most part. I’ve done Ohana Fest a grip of times. I’ve done the Newport Jazz Festival. I’ve done this [WSL events at Lowers] three or four times. I’ve done the Huntington Beach ones, the ones that Vans used to sponsor [the US Open of Surfing]. I’ve done everything. I’m everywhere.
Before you started doing security, what were you doing?
I was a struggling artist. I did music. But I got tired of struggling so I got a job.
” I didn’t really know too much about surfing before this. To me, it just looks like they’re just swerving on the wave…I wanna see tricks. The big stuff.”
How’s this event been so far?
You know what, I didn’t really know too much about surfing before this. To me, it just looks like they’re just swerving on the wave. I ain’t gonna lie, it’s kinda boring. But then I hear the announcers go crazy, so they must be doing something good. I didn’t know how the point system works. I was raised off Tony Hawk, so I wanna see tricks. The big stuff. When they do airs, that’s when it’s dope. Other than that, I have no idea what they’re doing. It looks the same.
Pat Nolan/World Surf League
Do you have a favorite surfer in the event?
I met Kelly Slater. I didn’t even know who he was. I was talking to him for, like, 10 minutes and we was just having a cool conversation. I asked him, ‘You in the competition?’ He was like, ‘Yeah.’ I’m like, ‘Are you an amateur or a pro?’ He’s like, ‘I’d be considered a pro.’ I said, ‘How long you been surfing?’ He said, ‘About 40 years.’ He looked young; he’s all bald headed; he’s fit; he’s all glistening. Then I said, ‘So you an OG?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah I guess so.’ And I was like, ‘If they made a surfing videogame, they’d put you in there…right?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, I did one for PS2.’ I was like, ‘Oh yeah, what’s your name?’ He’s like, ‘Kelly.’ And certain people surpass their sport. Even if you don’t know their face, you know they’re name. I knew he was the greatest surfer of all time, so when he told me his name it all clicked.
Also, Cole Houshmand came up and complimented me on my drip. He liked my hat and my gold chain. I see his cheetah print hair, and I was like, I see you. I see you surfing’s Dennis Rodman.
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What about any crazy shit you’ve seen go down?
The I-Sea party was cool, it got pretty wild. It’s funny seeing people who you typically know in their work life, then you see them at a party getting loose. Shoutout to I-Sea. They hooked me up with shades.
What’s your favorite part about working an event like this?
Meeting people. You make connections with people you would never meet in real life. I would never cross paths with these people in real life, but this brings us together. Worlds collide.
Kelsey Rosendale
Has watching all this, and being surrounded by the culture, made you interested in going surfing?
If they give me a life jacket, yeah. I ain’t even getting close to the ocean without a life jacket.
Related: Kelly Slater Reflects on Pro Surfing Debut…35 Years Later (Video)