"The Willy Wonka of Torquay", board builder Corey Graham joins us to discuss growing up in a factory with a pioneer board builder as a father, how foam drinks up energy, why a knee injury forced him to redesign his entire shaping philosophy, and how failure leads to freedom. Enjoy!
98 min
127
448 - Troy Eckert
Troy Eckert joins us to discuss his role is helping build a billion dollar surf brand and the consternation of walking away from it, why self turmoil leads to external turmoil, the importance of saying "no", and how to get the best wave of your life after turning 50. Enjoy!
106 min
128
447 - Luke Shepardson
On Sunday January 22nd the most prestigious surf event on the planet took place for only the 10th time ever. In historic swell conditions, The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, named after the legendary lifeguard who was lost at sea, hosted 40 big wave specialists, including multiple world champs and the by the end of the day, the winner had amassed two perfect scores and nearly two perfect heats. He, too, is a North Shore lifeguard and he did it all while on duty, in between tourist rescues and bandaging other competitors. This is his story. Enjoy.
48 min
129
446 - Jason Baffa: Chasing Waves
Jason Baffa returns to discuss 20 years of filmmaking, how character always informs surf style, how his earliest goals remain present in his new series on Disney+ "Chasing Waves", which examines Japanese surfing as it exists in country and worldwide, its origins, and it's increasing influence on greater culture. Enjoy!
93 min
130
445 - Felipe Pomar: Part Two
Felipe Pomar returns to outline surfing's birthplace in Peru dating back 5000 years, how being of service to your community will help you surf till 100, and about being featured by Pope Francis in a recent Netflix documentary. Enjoy!
80 min
131
444 - Felipe Pomar: Part One
1965 World Surfing Champion Felipe Pomar joins us to discuss lessons he's learned from 66 years of big wave riding, why he stopped drinking 60 years ago, how he plans to surf till 100, losing a friend at Pipeline, and why it's a bad idea to attempt to surf a tsunami. Enjoy!
67 min
132
443 - Terrence Martin: Get Away If You Can
Writer/Director Terrence Martin joins us today to discuss the seven year journey to make his latest film, how he got Ed Harris to co-star, funding the project with poker winnings, why his real-life love story is too farcical for fiction, how even "failure" is gratifying if you're chasing your passion, and why evolved humans always retreat back to simplicity. Enjoy!
86 min
133
442 - Joel Tudor
Nine months after being suspended, 3x World Longboard Champ Joel Tudor breaks his silence to detail precisely why the WSL has obfuscated their reason for his suspension, why they banned commentators from saying his name, how a fight after he burned someone at Pipe led to him becoming a BJJ World Champ, why he regrets partnering with SurfTech, and explains the role that cannabis has played in his wellness and career ambition. Enjoy!
111 min
134
441 - Lane Davey
Pipeline stalwart, B-Girl, and college professor Lane Davey joins us today to discuss braving Pipeline 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. Enjoy!
95 min
135
Art Brewer: The Plug w/Justin Jay
Today we celebrate the life of Art Brewer by introducing you to The Plug w/Justin Jay. Justin has been a featured guest on Surf Splendor twice (episodes 272 and 078) to discuss his photography work and in 2020 he launched a podcast to dive deeper with the subjects he's shooting. Past guests include Tony Hawk, Herbie Fletcher, Paul Rodriguez, Ireland Baldwin, and many more. Today we're sharing Justin's episode with the dearly departed surf photography icon Art Brewer. We hope you enjoy. Subscribe to The Plug w/Justin Jay wherever you get podcasts. And enjoy!
50 min
136
440 - Clark Little
In today’s we chat with superstar photographer Clark Little about his origin story, why he gave up surfing, how he became friends with the prince of Dubai, and how a $200,000 all-in gamble altered the course of his life. Enjoy! (Originally recorded in January 2018)
61 min
137
439 - Matt Warshaw
Warshaw is back to discuss how the thrill of surfing has been replaced by the thrill of archiving surf history, the single hippest surfer of all time, the next monumental undertaking for the EOS, and to recommend the one female surf icon that David should interview posthaste. Enjoy!
96 min
138
438 - Paul Surf, Rockaway, NY
Designer and board builder Paul Schmidt joins us to discuss his unconventional entry into board building, failing forward, the loneliness and freedom of working outside of the "industry", his unexpected friendship with Pat Curren, and how to unlock robust productivity by simply charging adequately for your work. Enjoy!
131 min
139
437 - CJ Nelson
Champion longboarder, designer, entrepreneur CJ Nelson joins us to discuss being a regrettable influence on youth, the perils and privilege of growing up in Santa Cruz in the 90s, how near homelessness helped him rediscover surfing, and the virtue inherent in suffering. Enjoy!
110 min
140
BONUS - Heart and Stoke with Ben Gravy
We just want to point your attention to another great podcast. If you like Surf Splendor, you'll love Surf Stories, produced by our friends at The Florida Surf Film Festival. Enjoy this episode and subscribe to "Surf Stories" wherever you're listening to this. "Ben Gravy has made a career out of quick surf trips and quick edits for a dedicated fan base. He is a traveler, always wearing a smile and spreading positivity and good humor to all fifty states. Join us for as we catch up with Ben on his way to the Florida Surf Film Festival, February 5, 2022, where we'll world premiere a documentary about his life."
50 min
141
436 - Jesse Billauer
World Champ surfer and Life Rolls On founder Jesse Billauer joins us to discuss the vital importance of physical touch, his streak of defying doctor's prognoses, how to cultivate resilience, and his life's mission to get people surfing regardless of their physical limitations. Enjoy!
67 min
142
435 - Parker Coffin
Parker Coffin joins us to discuss metrics used to measure success for a modern professional free surfer, the moment he chose happiness over competition, why talent goes wayward without hard work, and how his passion for self improvement ensures that surfing never feels like work. Enjoy!
83 min
143
434 - The Shaper's Shack: Part Four
The Shaper Shack is a four part series featuring some of Australia’s finest surfboard shapers. From inventing the Thruster, to developing renewable materials, incorporating artificial intelligence into shaping, and scaling a global business, these shapers share their blueprint and speculate on the future. Today’s final episode of the series features Shyama Buttonshaw, Luke Daniels, Gunther Rohn, Stuart Campbell and his son Ryan. Enjoy!
90 min
144
433 - The Shaper's Shack: Part Three
The Shaper's Shack is a four part series featuring some of Australia’s finest surfboard shapers. From inventing the Thruster, to developing renewable materials, incorporating artificial intelligence into shaping, and scaling a global business, these shapers share their blueprint and speculate on the future. Today’s episode features Darcy Day, Michael Psillakis, Alex Crews, and the father son team of Phil and Parrish Byrne. Enjoy!
87 min
145
432 - The Shaper's Shack: Part Two
The Shaper Shack is a four part series featuring some of Australia’s finest surfboard shapers. From inventing the Thruster, to developing renewable materials, incorporating artificial intelligence into shaping, and scaling a global business, these shapers share their blueprint and speculate on the future. Today’s episode features Chris Garrett, Andrew Mooney, Bryan Bates, Dylan Perese, and Daniel Thomson. Enjoy!
134 min
146
431 - The Shaper's Shack: Part One
Introducing The Shaper's Shack, a four part series featuring some of Australia’s finest surfboard shapers. From inventing the Thruster, to developing renewable materials, incorporating artificial intelligence into shaping, and scaling a global business, these shapers share their blueprint and speculate on the future. Today’s episode features Simon Anderson, Nick Blair, Sam Tehan, and Finn Whitla. Enjoy!
86 min
147
430 - Donald Brink: Mick's Tape
Donald Brink joins us to discuss the challenge of building a <5'3" surfboard for the 3x World Champ, the benefits and limitations of collaborating with one of the world's most revered shapers, the reason why he'll only ever build two boards a week, and why you should assess the auditory frequency and resonance of your next surfboard. Enjoy!
120 min
148
429 - Darren Handley: DHD Surfboards
In today’s episode Darren Handley details his first encounters with Stephanie Gilmore and Mick Fanning, he explains the challenges of scaling his business internationally and why he’s chosen to outsource some of his manufacturing. He explains how a new shaping robot has improved his business and his five years plan to in introduce a motorized DHD into the Snapper Rocks line up. Enjoy!
82 min
149
428 - Shannon Hughes
Shannon Hughes joins us to discuss how philanthropic work at Jeffrey's Bay lead to her commentating for the WSL, how to compartmentalize on-air anxiety, the value of abandoning preparedness, and the fiscal and ethical imperative for professional surfing to reflect the way surfing exists in the real world. Enjoy!
96 min
150
427 - Brad Gerlach's Homecoming
Brad Gerlach joins us to discuss how Olympic diving informed his surf style, his realization that he has over-surfed nearly ever wave in his life, he explains the virus embedded within surfing's language, and offers compelling advice for why you should interview your dad. Enjoy!