'Get pitted' surfer dude: 15 years later, he's a family man and business owner
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (FOX 11) - In 2002, Micah Peasley gave a memorable interview on FOX 11 that went viral way before going viral was even a thing.
FOX 11 sent a reporter down to Orange County that day to do a story about the weather and big waves, and the rest was history.
His interview, commonly headlined "get pitted," "so pitted," or "funny surfer dude" on YouTube, has since been viewed millions upon millions of times. And like any true viral video, his words have been remixed into songs.
On the FOX 11 Facebook page, his video is one of our most widely shared to date. He was even invited to appear on the Comedy Central show "Tosh.0."
Some 15 years later, we wanted to know what happened to the "surfer dude" who so many people around the world recognize.
Still surfing, Peasley is now a 35-year-old husband and father and has capitalized on his Internet fame with a business appropriately called Get Pitted Surf & Snow.
He remembers the day of the interview and said he turned a character on when our reporter approached him on the beach.
"I knew that I had to do some type of interview that was going to bring a lot of attention," he said. "It couldn't just be your average surfer doing an interview. I mean, that would have just been commonplace."
And a lot of attention he got.
"People were thinking, 'Was he being serious? Was he faking it?' And truth of the matter was, I was seriously faking it," Peasley said, laughing.
While more than a decade passed, he is still recognized frequently.
"They'll approach me and say, 'Hey, you're that guy! Oh my gosh, I can't believe it.' And they're totally just flabbergasted."
On the other hand, his wife Nicky said she had no idea who he was when they met. She tells FOX 11 he is not the "dumb surfer" he portrayed on camera that day, but admitted his notoriety helps bring in business.
"It's just cool to see how excited people get," she said. "And for them to see how good of a teacher he is, that he's not just this typical, stupid surfer guy that he plays in the video. He's actually very intelligent, and a really good coach."
If you're interested in taking a surf lesson with Peasley, rates include wetsuit and board rentals. You can read more about lessons on their website, Facebook and Instagram.
We had to ask:
What does the term "get pitted" even mean?
"It's almost like... reaching the point of no return. So deep in the barrel that you're not making it out, but it is so aggressive and large and chaotic and crazy. It's like you're in the belly of a monster just getting digested."
What's "whoopah?"
"No one does that (laughs)."
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