Surf Splendor

Conversations and stories about surfing. www.SurfSplendorPodcast.com email: hello@surfsplendorpodcast.com

Sports
26
556 - Garrett & Nicole McNamara: 100 Foot Wave
In today’s episode Garrett and Nicole McNamara share their how their lives have transformed since 100 Foot Wave, the opportunities they’ve declined, the very real power of pheromones, how opting not to work with surf brands has benefited his career, and producer Joe Lewis details how he’s converted the mainstream into surf fans. Enjoy!
81 min
27
555 - Landon McNamara
In today’s show musician and surfer Landon McNamara recounts his historic Eddie win, how injury and destitution positioned him for that final wave, divine orchestration, the unassailable spirituality of Waimea, and why music is auditory reflection of the surf experience. Enjoy!
77 min
28
554 - Lane Davey: Rip In Peace
On April 26, 2025 Lane Davey passed away after a battle with cancer. To celebrate her remarkable life, we’re sharing this conversation that original aired in 2022. The Pipeline stalwart, B-Girl, and college professor discussed braving Pipe in the early 90s, creating the first female boardshort, the importance of a meritocratic hierarchy, the repercussions of willful ignorance, and how HipHop has informed her entire approach to surfing, education, and life. Rip in Peace, Lane!
93 min
29
553 - Nick Carroll and Hannah Anderson
In today’s show Nick and Hannah share tales from a world where everyone surfs, redefine our perception of “core”, find vitality from VALS, attempt to fill the void of women in surf media, and survey data that shows how drastically surf culture has shifted. Enjoy!
77 min
30
552 - Sam George
In today’s show surf media raconteur Sam George explains how a nomadic childhood fostered his spirit of resilience, the “terrible” mistake that led to him leaving Surfer Magazine, why being lost in Casablanca formed his wayfaring lifestyle, the gift to a teenaged Josh Brolin paid dividends decades later, and he reflects on the 695 different locations he has surfed. Enjoy!
105 min
31
Kai Lenny on The Plug w/Justin Jay
Today Justin Jay chats with professional big-wave surfer and one of the most respected watermen on the planet, Kai Lenny. He’s mastered stand-up paddling, windsurfing, kitesurfing, and foiling—pushing the limits of what’s possible on waves of consequence. The two discuss his relationship with Zuck, his relief efforts after the Maui fires, building a multi-disciplinary career, and staying grounded through it all. Enjoy The Plug with Justin Jay on all podcast platforms.
60 min
32
551 - Jason Borte
In today’s show former pro surfer turned writer Jason Borte shares stories from writing Kelly Slater’s autobiography, offers insights into Pharrell’s new wave pool, recalls riding the dot com boom and bust in surf, gives tips to artfully time an exit, and reveals why Virginia is for lovers. Enjoy!
93 min
33
550 - William "Stretch" Riedel
In today’s show inventive surfboard shaper Bill “Stretch” Riedel five decades of keystone moments in design revolution, breaking his neck and becoming patient one for a radical life saving procedure, how success can bankrupt a business, and why nostalgia and ego are the antithesis of progression. Enjoy!
69 min
34
549 - Nathan Oldfield
In today’s episode filmmaker Nathan Oldfield shares why he doesn’t watch his own films, how staying attuned to one’s self requires active work, why melancholy is fuel, silliness is sacred, and how connecting to personal grief has deepened his work as a high-school teacher. Enjoy!
103 min
35
548 - Gary Larson: Hobie Surfboards
In today’s show shaper and college professor Gary Larson reveals who he believes is the greatest shaper of all time, the design feature that defines a great surfboard, how looking back provides direction for innovation, and discusses the weight of stewarding a 75 year shaping legacy. Enjoy!
87 min
36
547 - Logan Dulien
In today’s show Snapt filmmaker Logan Dulien shares the details of how he spearheaded the effort to take down the crime syndicate who was targeting SoCal surfers, reveals the wild earnings from his heyday as a tour manager, and discusses the importance of curating a surf film in the modern era of immediacy. Enjoy!
133 min
37
546 - Claudia Lebenthal: Surfer Stories
In today’s episode Conde Nast’s former visual editor shares how an early experience caddying for Lisa Anderson sparked a career change, a passion to share the transformative experience of surfing with non-surfers, lessons gleaned from twelve writers about twelve iconic surfers, and how time spent in the ocean might be key to whole body restoration. Enjoy!
70 min
38
545 - LIVE! Rusty, Taylor Knox, Jojo Roper at T...
In today’s show Rusty shares the flashpoints in his career that defined this shaping. Taylor Knox reveals Rusty’s role in his interest in surfing and later in his wild success on the rail. And Jojo Roper recounts his history run from Peahi, to The Eddie, to Maverick’s and how none of it would have been possible with Rusty. Live from The Belly Up, it’s Talk Story with Rusty and his tribe. Enjoy!
103 min
39
544 - Kolohe Andino
In today’s show Kolohe Andino chats about the weight of expectation, why satisfaction can threaten ambition, how having children highlights the absurdity of professional surf pursuits, his idea for a restructured Tour, and why groms will always be the fertile core of surfing’s soul. Enjoy!
79 min
40
543 - Alo Slebir
In today’s show, the 23 year old who just rode a potential record-breaker at Maverick's talks us through the wave itself, the prep, the media maelstrom that followed, the unique board that Stretch built for him, how 100’ surf is only accessible via a team of people, and why he didn’t celebrate the historic ride. Enjoy!
67 min
41
542 - Occy & Gerr
Today’s episode is hosted by Brad Gerlach with Occy as a guest! Recorded at Niyama Resort in the Maldives, Brad and Occy analyze Occy’s technique to provide basic truths about head and hand placement and body positioning to unlock your next level of surfing. Enjoy!
43 min
42
541 - Rusty Preisendorfer
In today’s show San Diego’s surfboard and surfwear icon Rusty joins us to explain how his MIT mathematician father’s missive to follow his passion led him to art school and then to surfboards, learning how to push past moments of self-doubt, the secret unlock to Occy’s ’84 Thruster, the perils of licensing deals, and why some of the best design developments come from mistakes. Enjoy!
122 min
43
540 - Matt Warshaw: Round Six
In today’s show surfing’s foremost historian reveals the pro surfer who saved his life at age 12, the gift of finding 50 year old surf footage from his youth, the unsung heroes lost to surf history, how history is shaped by those who elect to share it, and why is more important than ever to cement archiving surf history.
105 min
44
539 - Holly Beck
In today’s episode Holly Beck recounts her rapid rise into professional surfing and disillusionment, becoming an inadvertent model, expatriate freedoms, the fallacy of reality TV, and the holistic healing inherent to surfing. Enjoy!
105 min
45
538 - Liam McNamara
Pipeline aficionado Liam McNamara joins us to discuss how growing up in a commune on welfare informed his approach to surfing on the North Shore, the single financial decision that salvaged his career earnings, how shepherding Hawaii’s youth rectifies past misdeeds, and why his last session at Pipe was nearly his last day on earth. Enjoy!
112 min
46
537 - Brian Wynn
In today’s show we hear from Jersey board builder Brian Wynn about how he built a career on doing what no else wanted to do, the fastest way to expedite one’s learning curve, why staying small is recession safe, and how ice hockey staves off burn-out. Enjoy!
88 min
47
536 - Rachael Tilly
In today’s show our current and 2x longboard champ joins us to discuss how achieving a life goal can dilute future ambition, why pro longboarders net negative $ on Tour, the WSL’s reason for not acknowledging her as their youngest ever world champ, the ongoing influence of Terry Martin, and how she co-founded a women surf news media outlet. Enjoy!
116 min
48
535 - Paul Saladino, M.D. and Brad Gerlach
In today’s show double-board certified M.D. Paul Saladino joins David and Brad Gerlach to discuss how to reverse chronic illness through diet, why plants are bad to eat, our culture’s obsession with optimizing performance, and how surfing has redirected his lifestyle choices. Enjoy!
99 min
49
534 - Chris Burkard
In today’s show, world-renown photographer Chris Burkard explains that earning access to opportunity taught him the value of saying “no”, how a surf trip to Iceland inspired him relocate his family, why three days of darkness helped him unbury his core truth, and why his best work is still created in the ocean. Enjoy!
84 min
50
533 - Richie Collins: Part Two
In today’s episode Richie charts the rise and fall of Wave Tools, why shaping his own boards hindered his title hopes, how a radical lesson in humility transformed his worldview, why he never understood the concept of “soul” surfer until he quit surfing, his regrets attempting to raise a professional surf daughter, and why his next chapter will be focused on attempting to feel joy. Enjoy!
105 min