Surf Splendor Archives - Surf Splendor

Welcome to Creators & Innovators. Each month we’ll seek to distill the character traits, motivations, and the daily rituals of creatives in hopes of developing a blueprint for how to disrupt norms and innovate in one’s own space. Today we bring a conversation with professional surfer, journalist, and PhD chemist, Cliff Kapono. Dr. Kapono shares … Continue reading "225 – Introducing...

Welcome back to the 5 Minute Recap. A quick, concise overview of each event on the WSL championship tour. Today, a recap of the Corona Open J-Bay. Supported by Finatic.com, use promo code “podcast” to support this show and get your first month free. The 2018 Corona Open J-Bay. Oh my. Occasionally this happens for … Continue reading "224 – 5 Minute Recap: Corona Open J-Bay" The post 224...

Today’s episode is with Dr. Aaron James. A Harvard PhD, professor and chair of philosophy at UC Irvine, James is a lifelong surfer and the author of the new book  “Surfing With Sartre: An Aquatic Inquiry Into A Life of Meaning”. The book examines our current era of leisure, the value of centering one’s life … Continue reading "224 – Aaron James, PhD: Surfing with Sartre" The post 224 &...

How does one make a living as a professional free surfer today? Alex Gray unpacks the tribulations and rewards of chasing swell around the world. Do pro surfers pay for photographers travel? Who finances the safety teams? Where can you sell photos nowadays? How do professionals recoup the investment of surf travel? Alex reveals all, … Continue reading "223 – Alex Gray" The post 223 &#8...

Whilst we watched these massive waves barreling on our tiny hand held screens around the world, the warrior wrestled his broken heart over the ledge and locked into another lifetime wave. Because bravery was backed by preparation and a spiritual yearning for the big picture within his soul. Dane unwraps his mindset and describes the … Continue reading "222 – Dane Gudauskas Unpacks Afte...

Donald Brink is a lead proponent of asymmetrical surfboard design. A designer since youth, Donald paints, makes plywood fins, and as a surfboard shaper he believes that all board designs can be enhanced with asymmetrical adjustments. On today’s show Donald unveils his new collaboration board with Channel Islands and his new podcast venture, Swell With … Continue reading "221 – Do...

Welcome back to the 5 Minute Recap. A quick concise overview of each event on the WSL championship tour. Today, a recap of the Corona Bali Pro-tected. Supported by Finatic.com, use promo code “podcast” to support this show and get your first month free. The 2018 Corona Bali Pro-tected, a new name to a not … Continue reading "220 – 5 Minute Recap: Corona Bali Protected" The post 220 &#8...

Dave Prodan of the WSL weighs-in on the biggest pro surf headlines from this first half of 2018; the reasons behind the Margaret River cancellation, whether Kelly will get an injury wildcard in 2019 despite his freesurf exploits, whether the WSL will mandate a standard in the 360 vs 540 debate, Waco’s affect on Surf … Continue reading "219 – Dave Prodan of the WSL" The post 219 &...

Santa Cruz board builder Travis Reynolds is the 2018 winner of the Icons of Foam shaping competition. In today’s episode Travis opens up about the perils of rapid growth, the value of shaping machines, exploring asymmetry, and growing up riding big boards during Santa Cruz’s high-performance heyday. Enjoy! Today’s studio A post shared by David … Continue reading "218 – Trav...

Welcome back to the 5 Minute Recap. A quick concise overview of each event on the WSL championship tour. Today, a recap of the Oi Rio Pro. Supported by Finatic.com, use promo code “podcast” to support this show and get your first month free. The 2018 Oi Rio Pro is the single greatest Brazil WCT … Continue reading "217 – 5 Minute Recap: Oi Rio Pro" The post 217 – 5 Min...

Apple called him “a pioneer with profound impact” and Newsweek magazine said he “changed the public face of graphic design”. In 1991 David Carson redesigned Surfer Magazine and established a now iconic graphic design style seated in raw human emotion. That work led to numerous awards and an expansive client list that includes Audi, Nike, … Continue reading "216 &#8211...

Greg Martz founded The Waterman’s Guild in 1983. In the past 35 years it’s become renowned as one of the world’s leading surfboard glass shops; glassing boards for everyone from Dale Velzy, to Lightning Bolt, to Channel Islands and Rusty. In today’s episode Greg explains how one bad fall on a skimboard led him to … Continue reading "215 – Greg Martz of The Water...

Introducing the 5 minute contest recap. All the important details (sans the lulls between sets) that transpired during the 2018 Margaret River Pro. Fights, sharks, and a 24-way tie. Bite sized, potent, and straight to the blood stream. Enjoy! The 5 Minute Recap is made possible by Finatic.com. Use promo code “podcast” to support this show … Continue reading "214 – 5 Minute Recap: Marga...

Roger Hinds’ 40 year mantra, “Built by One Pair of Hands” was challenged last week when his glass shop closed.  In today’s episode we discuss the new economics of board building, why some surfboard brands have outsourced manufacturing, how that has affected the surfboard industry in Southern California, and what’s next for Roger Hinds Surfboards. … Continue read...

Introducing the 5 minute contest recap. Today we’ll bring you all the important details (sans the lulls between sets) that transpired during the 2018 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach. Bite sized, potent, and straight to the blood stream. Enjoy! The 5 Minute Recap is made possible by Finatic.com. Use promo code “podcast” to support this … Continue reading "212 – 5 Minute Recap...

Today’s conversation is with San Diego surfboard shaper Josh Hall. Josh discusses starting his career at the very bottom (ding repair), studying Spanish literature, detouring through Europe to import wine, surviving situational depression, rediscovering surfing and he explains why Skip Frye wears a fanny pack. Enjoy! We also chat with Maui shaper Jeff Timpone to … Continue reading "211...

Today’s episode is with 4-time kneeboard world champion and WSL commentator Gigs Cellier.  Gigs shares stories from his life in South Africa, witnessing Tom Curren’s famous first wave at JBay, participating in Jordy’s ascent to greatness, he was in the commentary booth for Mick Fanning’s shark encounter, and he explains why South Africa is still … Continue reading "21...

In today’s episode we catch up with surfboard shaper Josh Martin. Josh is carrying on a family legacy of shaping, started by his father Terry Martin and uncle Mickey Munoz. Terry is credited as having shaped more surfboards than any other human (estimated around 80,000) and built boards for Gerry Lopez, Wayne Bartholomew, Shaun Tomson, … Continue reading "209 – Josh Martin" The p...

In today’s episode, David is in the hot seat. Tyler Breuer from Swell Season was visiting from NYC and took the lead position to interview David about his origin story, his relationships with Scott Bass and Chas Smith, and his 5 year plan for Surf Splendor. David also takes a few minutes to catch with … Continue reading "208 – David on Swell Season and Rob Colby of Need Essential...

The Grit! with Chas Smith is now exclusively available on it’s own podcast feed. Pull up your app, search “The Grit” and click subscribe so that you never miss an episode. This week we console each other about divorce, Chas finds out he has skin cancer, and we solve all of the surf world’s biggest problems. … Continue reading "Get The Grit! on it’s own podcast feed!" The post Get...

Dave Prodan is the SVP of Global Brand Identity for the World Surf League. He’s been with the organization since 2005 and has evolved through various roles and has helped shape the WSL as we experience it today. On today’s show, Prodan provides insights into the changes to the 2018 ‘CT season, addresses rumors, makes … Continue reading "207 – Dave Prodan from the Worl...

In today’s salacious episode of The Grit!, Chas and David discuss Ashton’s police report and the fallout involved with sending a Sheriff to the Surfrider Foundation’s offices, backroom deals on the North Shore and its relation to police corruption in Honolulu, plus sexbots, Shaun White, and so much more! Take the candy! Support Surfrider.org and … Continue reading "016 &#82...

Today’s episode is with master laminator Alex “Superwolf” Villalobos. Superwolf laminates for Ryan Burch, Joel Tudor, Jeff McCallum, and is well renowned as one of surfing’s finest laminators and resin colorists. Superwolf not only shares his origin story, but also illuminates what you should look for when you purchase a surfboard, how to order a … Continue reading "2...

In today’s episode of The Grit! Chas and David reflect on #DebateGate and ponder the fallacy of bad publicity. They also discuss their experiences at Surf Ranch, analyze the WSL’s $30 million dollar Facebook partnership and their withdrawal from Hawai’i, and Chas pleads for bartending work. Oh, and a round of everyone’s favorite game, Barrel … Continue reading "204 &#...

Well, the secret is out. On November 21st, 2017 I surfed Kelly’s Surf Ranch with 14 friends and members of surf media. In today’s episode I recap the day with two of the attendees, writers Jamie Brisick and Matt Warshaw. We discuss the mechanics of the wave itself, how much we’d pay to surf it … Continue reading "203 – Surf Ranch with Jamie Brisick & Matt Warshaw...