One Tree Hill's Austin Nichols on the Surfrider Foundation

Max Flower: Hi! My name is Max Flower. I'm here with Austin Nichols. He’s
going to tell us what inspired him to get involved in the Surfrider
Foundation. Austin?

Austin Nichols: How are you doing? I've always been in the water since I was two
years old. And, I wanted to be a professional water ski and my
mom is a 16-time national champion water skier and so that’s what
u grew up doing.

And, when I started studying acting at 15, that all changed and I --
everything, my focus shifted and I moved out here. But, the body
of water that was in front of me here was the Pacific Ocean so
that’s what I started shifting over to surfing. And so, for years I've
been a starving actor and not able to support anything other than
maybe barely paying my rent.

And so now, that I can support something, I'm really happy to be
helping out Surfrider Foundation. And, I think there’s just an
amazing website called the Crowdrise.com that Edward Norton
started. And, through Crowdrise, I've raised over $12,000.00 for
Surfrider and another charity just in two months. The fans of my
TV show had been incredible in supporting this and I'm a lucky
guy that I can even help do anything so I feel really lucky.

And, I'm really lucky that I get to surf Surfrider today with only
like six or seven other guys which -- usually, there’s a hundred
people in the water and you're fighting for waves and so, this is a
once in a lifetime opportunity.

Max Flower: And, how have you changed as a person after you’ve gotten
involved in the philanthropy in the community?

Austin Nichols: That’s actually a great question and one something that I didn’t
foresee. Since I started doing this, I've put less focus on myself,
more focus on others, more focus on doing positive things. I don’t
know what that expression is. Idle hands with the devil, play things
or idle thumbs or whatever but it’s true and just being busy and
focused on this has changed my life in such a positive way and I
hope that everybody could learn something from that because I had
no idea. And, it has changed my life in a great way.

Max Flower: Austin, thanks for being a leader in the community. Thank you for
your time. I wish you the best of luck.

Austin Nichols: Thank you sir.

Max Flower: I appreciate it, thank you.

Austin Nichols: I appreciate it.