How did you come to be driving the AAFES mobile canteen — affectionately known as the “Roach Coach” — on Okinawa?

My dad’s retired here and I needed a job to stay on the island. Been driving 27 years.

And how do you get to be a professional surfer?

I did anything that had to do with aquatic sports and instructed in many of them, including scuba and windsurfing. A friend introduced me to surfing and I haven’t quit since. I’ve been surfing for 26 years and go out about 250 days a year.

How’s the surf on Okinawa?

Dangerous, exciting, exhilarating … you never know what you’re going to get. The reef break makes it all those things. If you can surf Okinawa, you can surf anywhere in the world. … We get our own “Medals of Honor” on Okinawa — scars from hitting the reef.

Where in all the world would you like to surf?

Bali, Indonesia. Larger surf, what we call melo waves, warm water temperature and all types of breaks — reef, sand — and you can ride one of the longest waves in your life down there. Rode one there about a mile long — they take you back out by boat because you can’t paddle that far. Have also surfed in Guam, Taiwan, outer islands of Okinawa, mainland Japan and Hawaii.

What’s the best thing about surfing, the thing that keeps you coming back?

The adrenaline rush. … Out of 26 years of surfing, I’ve never ridden the same wave twice. You’re playing with Mother Nature and she likes to throw things at you.

What would you do if you were out there on your board and saw a shark?

Nothing you can do. If you move, he’ll chase you. We were taught to keep the nose of your board pointed at him and keep your arms and legs on the board.

What’s the most popular thing on the “Roach Coach” menu?

Food: croissant with egg, sausage and cheese for breakfast. Drinks: energy drinks.

What kind of boards do you have?

I have seven surfboards; they’re all a mixture. I ride Hawaiian brands because they’re made for reef breaks.

What’s the single misconception most people have about surfers?

That anybody can do it. … You can’t just walk off the street and do it. It looks easy, but you need to get hours under your belt.

Which surfers do you admire the most?

Shaun Thompson, Mark Richards, Tom Curren and Kelly Slater. These are all people who innovated surfing and brought it to what it is right now.

Aside from first knowing how to swim, how should someone learn to surf?

All beginners should start on a bigger board. … It provides more balance and stability and it catches the wave quicker.

Describe a perfect day.

Sun is out, winds are blowing slightly offshore and the waves are four feet high with barrels, and there are people watching.

Steven Warnock

Age: 47

Job: AAFES mobile canteen salesclerk

Avocation: Surfing

Pacific readers: Know someone whose accomplishments, talents, job, hobby, volunteer work, awards or good deeds qualify them for 15 minutes of fame? How about someone whose claim to glory is a bit out of the ordinary — even, dare we say, oddball? Call Sharen Johnson at Stars and Stripes with the person’s name and contact information at DSN 229-3305 or e-mail her at johnsons@pstripes.osd.mil.