A Hopeful and Captivating Story

It may seem from my previous posts that I hate every article I come across. So for today, I chose to write about an article that I enjoyed. Surfing as Rehab for Those Fighting Addiction, by reporter Malia Wollan, was a touching story about Darryl Virostko, also known as 'the flea,' who is notoriously known for surfing some of the largest waves in the world. His story puts him on the California beaches, where methamphetamine abuse was spreading like wildfire. His career as a big wave surfer began while high on meth and the trend didn't let up as he became an alcoholic and a user of a cocktail of other drugs. Now sober, he runs a sobriety program called FleaHab where he teaches drug rehab patients how to surf.

This article was touching summation of Virostko's long journey; it is a story that needs to be heard so that it can inspire change within others seeking sobriety. The article included information on national and local drug use trends and also noted the lethal consequences of drug abuse in such a high risk sport. It all helped build the story in a positive way. However, for the sake of being thorough, I would like to note one part that I felt weakened the story. By including the accessory comments of Virostko's friend, Josh Pomer, It took the focus away from Virostko. I will say that I was very interested in what he said, but I had to go back in the article and figure out who this 'Mr.Pomer' was. Overall, It was a well constructed article that was an inspiring and interesting read.