Gavin “The Alien” Beschen’s life on the North Shore is a big departure from his roots in San Clemente, Calif.

He’s long since swapped Trestles and T-Street for Backdoor and Pipeline, as well as the disposable lifestyle so pervasive in suburban Orange County.

Making the move to happier hunting grounds seems to run in the Beschen family genes. Papa Mike was a talented surfer from New Jersey before moving out West to put down roots in San Clemente in the 1970s.

Big brother Shane had a highly successful amateur and pro career (he finished Runner-Up to arch-rival Kelly Slater in the 1996 ASP World Tour final rankings), and has also decided to raise his family on the North Shore of Oahu post-retirement. (Uncle Gavin’s nephew, Noah, is also one of the best Under-10 surfers currently coming out of Hawaii.)

Making the jump from California to Hawaii isn’t always an easy transition, the 7-mile Miracle is littered with stories of wide-eyed Mainlanders unable to adjust to the slow pace, local customs and quirky rhythms of life in the Islands. Gavin’s notoriously mellow temprament seems perfectly suited for the North Shore, however, and he’s earned a solid spot near the top of the pecking order in the world’s toughest line-ups–Pipe and Backdoor.

Gavin’s a family man now with kids of his own, a beautiful plot of land he shares with his brother near Rocky Point and all of the newfound responsibilities that go along with it. But his uncanny knack for picking off some of the biggest, meanest waves every winter at Pipe/Backdoor hasn’t changed, they’ll always be room for that in his life.

Check out this new Gavin edit from GoPro: