What is it about Maui that produces so much talent? Maybe it’s the wind? Hookipa is the wind surfing capital of the world and all. Over the last decade though, this once deemed deterrent has turned out some of the best aerialists on the planet (think Matt Meola, Albee Layer, Clay Marzo etc).

Jackson Bunch is the latest to prove our point and his new part “Maui Sessions — part 1 of a 4-part series starts at home on Maui and follows Jackson on a recent trip to Indonesia where he scored all around the Ments. So make sure you subscribe to his new YouTube channel to see all that’s to come in future episodes too.

We’ve seen bits and pieces from Jackson throughout the years and he’s got a pretty impressive resume. He won the ISA World Games in 2019 in Huntington Beach and he has a solid tube game that’s turned up at Pipeline the last couple of seasons. And who could forget the day of days at Ma’alaea and his threading of tubes on his backhand ?

More recently Jackson delivered some of the best scores of the event at the WSL World Jr Championships at Seaside Reef as well.

Right now he’s sitting right near the bubble on the rankings to clinch a spot for the 2023 WSL Challenger Series with one event remaining. We’re calling that Jackson is going to be battling for a spot on the CT for 2024 later this year.

We caught up with Jackson as he was getting ready to head to Rangiroa in Tahiti for the event and ran him through the Proust Questionnaire.

INHERENT BUMMER: What is your idea of perfect happiness?

JACKSON BUNCH: Perfect happiness to me would just be me going and surfing with my best friends in perfect waves, just scoring. That would be the best.

What is your greatest fear?

Ooh, my greatest fear. I'd say falling from a high place. I'm not scared of heights, but that feeling where you are about to fall seems pretty crazy.

What is the trait that you most deplore in yourself?

I'd say I'm pretty shy. I have a hard time going up and introducing myself to people. I'd say that's what I've been trying to work on — being less shy and start talking more to people.

Which living person do you most admire?

My dad.

What would you say is your greatest extravagance?

I really like my shoes, but I don't really splurge too crazy on them. I won't buy a pair of shoes that's over 200 bucks. Or my car, I kind of soup up my car a little bit at a time. One time I did pretty good in a QS, so I rewarded myself with new fishing poles.

What is your current state of mind?

I'm pretty stoked. I feel lucky and I'm just stoked [laughs], happy.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

I think it's pretty funny when guys think they're the man and they still got a long ways to get there. They think they can run everything or [are] too proud.

On what occasion would you lie?

Maybe I would lie on the size of a fish I caught maybe, or like a wave [laughs].

What would you say that you most dislike about your appearance?

I don't really dislike anything about myself really. Maybe I could have bigger muscles, I guess, but I'm not really too bummed on the way I look.

Which living person do you most despise?

I think Jake Paul is pretty funny. Like, he just kind of throws out all these things that turn out looking funny and looking fake at times. Sometimes I can't stand him, but I think it's pretty funny at other times.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

My dad is super honest about everything. He won't really soften anything. He will just say it straight up. That's pretty good. At times I don't like it, but that's good.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

For me, I just like it when a woman is kind. I think I like it when a girl is humble and super kind.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Hmmm, psyching or stoked, I'd say. Kind of the main surf language.

When and where were you the happiest?

I feel like just enjoying time with family when everyone's laughing and that's usually when I'm the happiest.

Which talent would you most like to have?

I'm getting into golf and it'd be pretty cool to be a top golfer. That would be sick. I've been psyching on golf lately.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

When it comes to surfing, I'd say maybe be a little more aggressive [laughs]. I’m getting there. My aggression is coming out in little ways. [I want to be] able to focus a bit more — I tend to scatter brain a little bit, but been working on that also.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My greatest achievement as of now I'd say would be winning the ISA in 2019.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

It would be pretty sick to be like a shark or something. Big old tiger shark would be super cool.

Where would you most like to live?

Oh, I think I just like to live here on Maui. It's hard to leave home. It's so nice and just…it's home.

What is your most treasured possession?

I'd say my surfboards are my most prized possessions.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Traveling as far as you possibly could and just getting absolutely skunked. Or traveling to a place with perfect waves and all your friends and you show up and all your boards are smashed from the airline.

What's your favorite occupation?

I would say surfing and I really love to go fishing and diving and now I'm getting into golfing, so I'd say those three. Maybe fishing and diving. I'd say fishing and diving before golfing though.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Being kind to others. I just try to be nice to everyone.

What do you most value in your friends?

I feel like none of them really changed too much and I really like that they're all the same and they still treat me the way they treated me back in the day. I really like that.

Who are your favorite writers?

Ooh, I don't know. After I finished school I kind of stopped reading books, which is pretty bad. I've been trying to get back into books. I was starting to read a book, but I don't know where the book went. Yeah. I don't know. I don't really know too many authors.

Who's your favorite hero of fiction?

I'd say maybe I say like Spider-Man, I guess. No, I think I like Thor more.

Who's your hero in real life?

My hero in real life is probably my parents. Both my mom and dad.

What are your favorite names?

My nickname is Jackie Moon because I like to play basketball. My friend called me Jackie Moon after one time as we were playing basketball. That one's pretty funny. And that one sticks kinda. Pretty classic. Have you ever seen that Semi Pro? Yeah. The basketball player guy. His name is Jackie Moon. It's pretty funny.

What is it that you most dislike?

I don't like losing.

What is your greatest regret?

My greatest regret? Oh, I don't know. I don't really have too many regrets. Maybe like little tiny regrets like, “Oh, I shouldn't have gone there. I should have went to this other place to go surf.” But I don't really like, have like any big regrets.

How would you like to die?

I would like to die either surfing or fishing or diving. Just kind of doing what I love to do. Yeah. In the ocean.

What is your motto?

I used to always like this saying and I don't even know where I saw it, but it said, “Do what you love and love what you do.”