How does a 21-year-old associate financial advisor from Connecticut give up his promising career to come sleep on the floor of my office at Woodward Tahoe, CA? Mike “Dawsy” Dawson was finishing school at the University of Connecticut and working in finance when his grandfather passed away, leaving him only two things: a camera and a wristwatch. These auspicious heirlooms may have been the catalyst for Dawsy’s move west to chase the dream of professional photography.   

It takes courage to drive coast to coast in a Jeep packed with everything you own. It’s especially courageous during an era when the dominant narrative says there’s not much opportunity for aspiring content producers. What else can a young photographer do but pave their own path and invent a future for themselves? Since cruising from Connecticut to California with a camera and a dream, Dawsy has become one of action sports’ newest notable storytellers…

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