Conversation with High Riser Josh Mulcoy

Here at Rise Bar, we’ve done a lot of profiles on individuals, but taking some time away to contemplate the beauty of nature around you and the vastness of it all can be a good way to restore your energy as well. And nature is exactly what our next High Riser, surfer Josh Mulcoy, focuses on when he’s taking to the waves. Growing up by the beach in Santa Cruz, California, Josh had the opportunity to appreciate the green Redwood trees on land as well as the surf spots away from the crowd in the sea.

Surfing runs in the family for this California native. “My dad was a surfer and had me in the water at a very young age,” Josh told us. Living on the California coastline definitely has its advantages. Josh always had an affinity for the water, but he credits his father for giving him the appreciation and enthusiasm in order to really explore the wonders of the sea and what it has in store. “I have always been a water person, so I loved to go surfing with my dad.”

In fact, Josh’s father taught him the importance of getting away from it all sometimes. “He always would take me to surf spots away from the crowds to more remote spots. I thank him all the time, he raised me to think outside the box. I have seen so many amazing places without surfers around because of this.” Other than regular surfing, Josh kitesurfs, wakesurfs, waterskis, and also focuses on his hobby of photography.

What gives him the motivation to keep on rising? He explained to Rise Bar that it’s the simple joys of daily pleasures. “Just life every day is a new adventure, and there is always something enjoyable to do,” he explained. After over 20 years of traveling the globe, Josh definitely knows where to go for adventure. His most recent venture is a new business, appropriately called Mulcoy Travel. His company books different surf camps across the globe, ranging from Canada to the islands of Indonesia. His business is his primary goal at the moment: “my main goal is to create a successful business,” he told us.

Josh is on his way towards his goals. He was recently featured on the cover of Surfer magazine, and he humbly told us that the photograph “was from the best trip I have ever been on and such an incredible picture, not because of anything I was doing.” Instead, in line with his philosophy on nature, Josh was enthralled by the snowcapped volcano in the backdrop of the cover photo. Josh’s favorite part about adventuring is finding new areas. Josh enjoys “finding a new surf spot that maybe no one has ever seen or surfed before.” And when he’s not busy in the water, Josh’s guilty pleasures are “chocolate and sweet things, it’s impossible for me to kick.” We’re sure a little bit of chocolate won’t hurt after all that adventuring!