There were times Webster almost gave up. Ten years ago and in poor health, he came close to quitting. He bitterly told a reporter in 1993 that his efforts were "a complete joke" and that he'd love to stop and get a decent job.
Then doctors discovered his thyroid gland was out of whack. Remedial medication stabilized him emotionally and brought him back, he said.
"It's so personal," Webster said. "Sometimes it seems like a wave comes in just for you. It wants you to ride it. A lot of people see waves as inanimate. To a surfer, waves are alive and they share that with you."
He's felt driven because he wanted recognition for his sport, Webster said. "It gave me an identity and I just kept at it."
He'll make some changes now that he's reached his goal. He's planning to hold a garage sale or an eBay auction of the surfing gear he's used through the years -- 28 worn wet suits and 30 beat-up surfboards.
He'd like the freedom to stay home when the weather is stormy and the waves are life-threatening.
But even talking about not surfing for a day -- of taking time off for the ear or eye surgery -- makes Webster a little nervous.
"I'm afraid of not surfing," he said. "It's hard to say I'm going to stop or take a vacation. I'd love to, but it's who I am, and to give that up would be really hard."
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