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Ryder Walding

Ryder lives in Santa Cruz, California. He caught his first fish at the young age of 3 and has been hooked ever since. Proficient in both fly and spin, Ryder enjoys catching Redfish, Tarpon, Snook, Tuna, Mahi, Halibut, Rockfish, King Salmon, Trout, Bass, and Peacock Bass. Currently, Ryder’s favorite fish to catch is Snook and has a personal best is 41 inches. Ryder has competed and medaled in regional Junior Lifeguard competitions, local paddle board races, his middle school cross country, wrestling, and surf teams, as well as several Jiu Jitsu tournaments. At age 11, Ryder earned his orange belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. When Ryder is not fishing, you can find him surfing, paddling, free diving, or spear fishing. Ryder also enjoys playing guitar/singing and loves to draw or paint his most recent catch.

When did you first get involved with Salt Life?
I first got involved with Salt Life in 2018 when I was 9. I like the hats, tee shirts, board shorts and performance fishing shirts.

How would you spend your dream day?
My dream day starts early with some offshore fishing followed by freediving and spearfishing. After a quick nap and an acai bowl, I’d surf until dark. A poke bowl and beach bonfire with friends and family would finish off my dream day. Ideally, I’d be in Hawaii...

Is there something on your bucket list that you’d like to accomplish?
I have so many bucket list items! Spearfishing for Wahoo, catching a giant Yellowfin Tuna, landing a Mahi or Sailfish on Fly, and catching a Blue Marlin. I would also like to pull an alley-oop while surfing and I’ve always wanted to visit Australia. It would be so awesome to surf the Gold Coast!

What is your craziest salty adventure?
My craziest salty adventure is one that I am attempting to complete soon. I will be prone paddling 28 miles across the Monterey Bay. In training I have seen whales, seals, sharks, dolphins, otters, jellyfish, and giant bait balls. I am the youngest person to attempt this challenge. I am raising awareness for cystic fibrosis through The Living Breath Foundation. Money raised goes directly to help support families going through lung transplants.

Watch the following videos to learn more about the Salt Life