Surf Splendor

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

Sports
1
506 - Patrick Trefz: Ode To Travel
Patrick Trefz joins us to discuss how primary cooking lessons from his mother and a missive of exploration from his father led to 30+ years of travel, a tenure at Surfer Magazine, analysis of his friends through documentary, and the idea that food might leave the most indelible imprint of a culture. It’s all chronicled in his latest book, Ode To Travel and in today’s conversation. Enjoy!
93 min
2
505 - Adam Warden: AJW Surfboards | Part Two
In our final installment, AJW reminds us why it’s often preferable to not have a plan, how fasting for 10 days led to him catching the wave of his life at Peahi, solo travel led him to a nude hot spring in the mountains of Japan, and how accepting a job in a sketchy situation evolved into a flourishing relationships. Enjoy!
138 min
3
504 - Adam Warden: AJW Surfboards | Part One
Adam Warden shares the early lesson from his father that gave him the tools to travel the world, how simply showing up nurtures opportunity, the benefit of being willing to take a punch, why irrepressibly moxie trumps talent, and the value of not knowing. Part one of two! Enjoy!
98 min
4
503 - Clint Runyon: Runyon Surfboards
Retired Marine Combat Photographer Clint Runyon shares how he discovered surfing while stationed on Camp Pendleton (Trestles adjacent), how an economic crunch led him to shaping, building out a surfboard “factory” on deployment, and details the journey to discover the true value of a surfboard. Enjoy!
87 min
5
502 - Alex "Superwolf" Villalobos: Round Two
In today’s episode Superwolf explains his journey from South Beach Miami’s disco scene, to Southern California’s surfboard factories, how Wavestorm legally plagiarized his resin colorwork, and reveals his alternate life as an underground LA DJ. Enjoy!
106 min
6
501 - Hank Warner: Part Two
Hank Warner returns to share the moment that inspired him to become a father, detail the dwindling profit margin of surfboards, recount the greatest surfing he’s ever witnessed, and explain why he’s opts to never retire. Enjoy!
82 min
7
500 - Hank Warner: Part One
San Diego native, apprentice to board building pioneers worldwide, Godfather to pro surfers, 57 years of shaping, 30,000 boards deep, Hank Warner shares tales from a life immersed in foam dust, brethren, and the sea. Part 1 of 2. Enjoy!
77 min
8
499 - Chris Ruddy
Chris Ruddy recounts his teenaged voyage from Hawaii to San Diego, the gift of access and opportunity given to him by Joe Roper, regifting it to Marcio Zouvi, how corporate manufacturing has replaced pioneering board builders, and how moving inland solves an economic puzzle and unlocks a tenfold opportunity. Enjoy!
133 min
9
498 - Matt Parker: XOCoco
Matt Parker is partnered with Coco Ho on a new surfboard label, XOCoco, reimagining surfboard design for the female athlete. We're giving away an XOCoco Halcyon model on March 1st. Today Parker explains the project, the board, and why you should reconsider what you know about board design. Enjoy!
33 min
10
497 - Dick Van Straalen
Iconic Queensland shaper Dick Van Straalen shares his origin story and details how living with dyslexia has informed his surfing and surfboard building. He discusses helpful treatment strategies and explains how his acute mindset has empowered him to pioneer material usage and design theory for the past 60 years. Enjoy!
67 min
11
496 - Alex Banyay
Laminations San Diego sander Alex Banyay details the inner workings of the most revered surfboard factories, quantifies the human costs of outsourced manufacturing, explains why preserving history requires hiring surfer-labor, and reveals which shaper is responsible for the greatest innovations in modern surfing. Enjoy!
96 min
12
495 - Kian Egan: Westlife
Westlife’s Kian Egan joins us to discuss his teenaged, rapid rise to pop music stardom, how discovering surfing allowed him reconnect with his core values, why taking time off stimulates growth, and how a once boy-band is still expanding their popularity and depth into their man-band years. Enjoy!
89 min
13
494 - Darieus Legg: Stoker Machine
In today’s episode filmmaker Darieus Legg extolls the virtues and perils of being raised on a sailboat, explains how valuing external validation is a zero sum game, recounts why creative expression can buoy depression, and shares how his simply pursuit to tell the story of a used surfboard unraveled his life’s calling. Enjoy!
93 min
14
493 - Ryan Lynch: Timber Surf Co.
We want to gift you a surfboard. Ryan Lynch is here to help. A thought leader in surfboard sustainability, the former Tesla engineer has focused his efforts on eliminating resin from surfboard production and designing high-performance, long lasting surfboards using regenerative construction materials without sacrificing one iota of performance and design, all whilst enhancing the beauty fo the board. Enjoy!
53 min
15
492 - Eden Saul: Dead Kooks
In today’s show Eden Saul joins us to explain why the mat is the most dynamic surf craft, how he planted Dead Kooks seeds globally for free while gleaning knowledge from the best builders, how increasing production decreased his business growth, and why he’s committed to purchasing other shaper’s surfboards. Enjoy!
89 min
16
491 - Drew Kampion
In an apple orchard, on an island thirty miles north of Seattle, eight years removed from his last surf is where I found Drew Kampion. Author of six books, countless surf articles, and perhaps the main person responsible for surfing’s mischievous, irreverent presentation, Kampion reflects on his early years at Surfer, analyzes current surf media, and tells about the first time he got John Severson high. Enjoy!
102 min
17
490 - Kai Neville
Era defining filmmaker Kai Neville joins us to discuss why the visual style he is known for is not his own, how Bruce Irons is to blame for the best clip he’s ever missed, and how independent film helps foster the most creative and progressive expressions of surfing. Enjoy!
88 min
18
489 - Brenden Margieson
Genre defining pro freesurfer of the 90s, Margo, joins us to discuss ushering pro surfing from cottage to corporate, humility gleaned while working as a baggage handler, how a passion for bird watching led to his greatest work, and what sparked the revival in his surf career at age 50. Enjoy!
89 min
19
488 - Christian Beamish
Surfer, writer, board builder, Christian Beamish joins to discuss surf adventuring through the hospices of the Navy, why the Simmons/Curren Keel might unlock new big wave paddle potential, lessons learned adrift on a self-built 27 foot sail boat, and why perspective is hard earned through life experience. Enjoy!
101 min
20
487 - Torren Martyn: Calypte
After a year on the 35’ sailboat “Calypte”, Torren Martyn returns to discuss how his grandmother’s adventures 60 years ago led to this journey, the pitfalls and virtues of learning to sail while at sea, living with snakes onboard, and how the voyage was the perfect preparation for parenthood. Enjoy!
80 min
21
THANK YOU!
Just a note, during Thanksgiving week here in the US, to express my deepest gratitude for giving me the opportunity to do this work. Happy Thanksgiving!
2 min
22
486 - Erik "Smelly" Sandin: NOFX & Pickle Stix
After 40 years touring and drumming for one of the biggest punk bands on the planet, Smelly joins us to discuss his transition into surfboard shaping and how the intensity of youth can that ignite a life's journey, the camaraderie of his bandmates helped him kick heroin, showing kindness to one's self amplifies recovery, and why all of his success can be attributed to a single drum beat. Enjoy!
113 min
23
485 - Eddy Garcia: Regeneration in Lahaina
Community activist Eddy Garcia joins us to discuss his efforts to re-house victims of Lahaina’s fires, how developers have already taken advantage of displaced families, the perils of disaster capitalism, the necessity to reduce reliance on tourism, and the inherent virtues of self-sufficiency. Enjoy!
70 min
24
484 - Bill Stewart: Part Two
Adroit craftsmen Bill Stewart returns to discuss the elusive paradox of Gordon Clark, the stately humility of Phil Edwards, the effortless earnestness of Jimmy Buffett, and how they each bolstered and buoyed him through his successes and losses over the years. Part of two of two. Enjoy!
75 min
25
483 - Bill Stewart: Part One
Jovial raconteur Bill Stewart joins us to weave his tale from barefoot skiing in Kentucky, to fudge-making for Carnies in Michigan, to Shanghai'ing a teen to California in search of surf, to becoming one of surfing's preeminent board builders, along with the fortunes and friends earned and lost along the way. Enjoy this, the first of a two part series.
81 min