PUNK GLOBE:
Max, thanks so much for the interview. Can you give us some background on yourself?
Max Hodges:
5th generation Californian, grew up surfing and skating in Santa Cruz. Traveled the world quite a bit. Spent the last 12 years working in Television, including TMZ since its inception.
PUNK GLOBE:
Tell us about growing up in Santa Cruz?
Max Hodges:
Epic place to grow up. Amazing surf. The skate scene is amazing too, but I grew up back in the days when skateboarding was a crime so there was lots of searching for spots and running from cops. Really good punk scene too. SC can get kinda dark too, its kinda a pit, a lotta people never leave. Went home for Christmas this year and for the first time in a long time I felt like its become way less of a bubble, like more positive, more girls, more good spots to go out...prob all the Internets fault.
"Epic place to grow up. Amazing surf."
PUNK GLOBE:
That is called Silicon Valley Max! Did you go to shows at The Vets Hall and The Catalyst?
Max Hodges:
Oh yeah, pretty much weekly $7 vets hall punk shows. The Catalyst had a lotta different stuff but mostly it wasn't all ages from what I remember, the vets hall was it for us. Saw everybody I felt like.
PUNK GLOBE:
People best know you as the hot blonde surfer dude on TMZ... But you actually were a surfer and a model right?
Max Hodges:
Yeah I mean, everyone is Santa Cruz basically surfs and skates. But surfing was def my passion from early on, oddly nobody else in my family surfs. I modeled too yeah, lots of catalog stuff up in SF during high school. Lived in NY for a bit but once I was out of school and kinda a man I didn't really see it as a real mans job, ha guess I was still kinda in that Santa Cruz mindset.
PUNK GLOBE:
How old were you when you first started hitting the waves?
Max Hodges:
12, I bought a $22 homemade board and some beat wetsuit at the flea market at the drive in, which is gone now but it was the best Flea ever!.
PUNK GLOBE:
Did you or have you ever been a pro surfer? Say like Kelly Slater.
Max Hodges:
No, I'm not the most competitive guy. Plus I didn't want something I like to do to become a chore, or work.
PUNK GLOBE:
Where are some of your favorite beaches to surf?
Max Hodges:
Ha! I'm not gonna tell you...kidding.. Sewer peak and pleasure point were my daily spots. Up north of town a lot too.
PUNK GLOBE:
You appeared on TMZ from 2007- 2013.. Tell us about how that came about?
Max Hodges:
Wow...LONG STORY, hard work.
PUNK GLOBE:
Thanks for the interview Max
