Swell Season Surf Radio

A brief introduction to the man behind the creation of the parabolic rail, as well as Firewire’s technology and surfboard design. Bert Burger, originating out of Mandurah Western Australia, has been designing, innovating and building sandwich construction and vacuum bagged surfboards for over 23 years. Cohost Tyler Breuer had a unique opportunity to sit down with the legendary shaper for a maratho...

Steven Bedford Brown is as local as you can get in the Hampton Bays area. He started surfing around twelve years old, riding over the Ponquogue bridge year round with a few buddies. He grew up in a rigid pecking order that taught grommets respect and to protect their local spots. He’s taken the mantle as an elder in the lineup but times have changed and the once rigid pecking order has devolved in...

Tyler travels to Spanish Basque country and sits and eats with creative director Sancho Rodriguez. Sancho founded the San Sebastián Surf Film Festival and has just opened a public library collection dedicated to surf. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/swell-season-surf-radio--3483504/support .

Filmmaker Chris Gentile, owner of Pilgrim Surf & Supply, discusses his upcoming project, "Self Discovery for Social Survival.” The film was a joint venture with music label Mexican Summer and paired musicians with surfers as they explored Mexico, the Maldives and Iceland. Surfers include 7x World Champion Stephanie Gilmore, Creed McTaggart, Ryan Burch and more. The musicians and pro-surfers embark...

In 2011, Tyler sat down with Jamie Brisick, writer, former editor of Surfing Magazine, former pro surfer and one of surfing's great storytellers. We recorded in front of a live audience at the legendary Anthology Film Archives in the East Village, NYC. The conversation was led by images from Jamie's past that represent pivotal moments in his life up until then. From being bright eyed and optimisti...

Ep. 97 - Jamie Brisick circa 2011 In 2011 Tyler sat down with Jamie Brisick, writer, former editor of Surfing Magazine, former pro surfer and one of surfing's great storytellers. We recorded in front of a live audience at the legendary Anthology Film Archives. The conversation was led by images from Jamie's past that represent pivotal moments in his life up until then. From being bright eyed and o...

Photographer Chris St. Lawrence had just started his career in surf photography when he heard that waves can get a little big in a small town in Portugal. That was enough for him to jump on a plane to Nazaré and set up his lens among the pro pool of photographers to watch giants detonate. His scenes of winter surf back home earned Chris two awards at the 2019 Clifbar Cold Shot challenge. He recoun...

Long Island native Chris Blotiau grew up surrounded by educators. When he graduated college with his own degree in teaching, Chris turned his attention to surf education, which he believes is still underdeveloped. We chat about his Surf Continuum program, a fundamentals focused approach to learning that even lifelong surfers will benefit from, and why he never pushes a student into a wave. Chris s...

Montauk native Pat Falon of Whalebone Magazine MCs a raucus award ceremony for best winter surf photography shot from Maine to Outer Banks. Jurists and master lensmen Mike Nelson and Taylor Steele handout awards in categories of empty wave and surfer. Contestants drove from up and down the Eastern Seaboard to attend and the winners had stories to tell. Big Wave surfer Will Skudin of NYsea helped p...

From January to April photographers from Maine to OBX and across to the Great Lakes braved the elements to shoot the best image of winter surf in order to compete in the Clifbar Cold Shot Challenge 3.0. Last week at a gallery on the L.E.S. Clifbar and NYsea hosted an exhibition of the finalists photos smartly printed and framed. Awards were bestowed to top empty wave and surfer categories. We spok...

The Valpo Surf Project support education, language development, and good old fashion confidence building while surfing for the young people of Valparaíso, Chile. Co-Founder Jon Steuber conceived of the project while on his college semester abroad visiting the beautiful port city that poet Pablo Neruda called home. Ten years later Jon and a team of staff and volunteers have build a highly effective...

Johnny Borbone shapes boards sourced from his background in robotic engineering and Formula 1 stock car racing. The Belmar, NJ shaper dances on the edge of art and science as he applies his expertise in fluid dynamics with love of the long board. We talk about vanguard designs like his reactive flex rail inspired by a Horatio Pagani sports car. Johnny also challenges how the industry rates and und...

Portrait photographer Jair Bortoleto sits down for a deep and candid interview with Tyler Breuer at Brooklyn's Head-Hi Gallery. The former editor of Surfer's Journal Brazil unpacks that nation's surf history and culture, as well as the effect of Brazil's cult of soccer stardom on the crafting of Gabriel Medina. Jair brings us into the stories behind his character driven new book, "A Primeira Palav...

Noah Avallone is only 11 but is quickly becoming a major name in the competitive snowboard tour with talk of possible 2026 Olympic run. Mike, his father, works in finance, is a Snowboard Coach at United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association, and Noah number 1 supporter. We talk about what it's like to parent a rising star, and what it's like to free the high and lows of intense compe...

David Dowd cut his teeth working at a surf shop in Long Beach Island at the ripe age of 10 years. He eventually went on to own and operate Division East Skate Shop in Montclair, NJ for over 13 years. His shop became a focal point for skate culture within that community. Division East had to shut its doors in 2012 at a time of upheaval in the skate and surf industry. Dave shares his experiences run...

Mosco Aa first appeared on the show at a public hearing last year where he was voicing his opposition to proposed expansion of a natural gas pipeline underneath the Rockaways. He's still battling Williams Transco and now has embarked on something even more daunting - starting a gallery/ bookstore/ coffee house in Brooklyn. We talk to this surfer-creative on how he has integrated his street artist...

Underground O.G. Long Island legend Davo Denis has seen and done it all. Surfboard purveyor, Brooklyn building tycoon, creator of X-Dreem clothing company, and proprietor of the Inhumane store in SoHo, Davo is a restless man of many projects. He shares with Ben and Tyler hilarious anecdotes of a surf mission in Baja that was actually a Christian charity Mission and what it was like to gatecrash Ro...

Since the late 1950s women have been charging in the big wave club but have not received the proper respect, ability to compete, or equal prize money as their male counterparts. We speak with filmmaker Karen B. Song about her project in development on the struggle for women to be properly recognized among the elite group of athletes who surf XXL . We also discuss Dan Duane's recent New York Times...

Retail is a tough game. Owning a surf shop in the seasonal market of Rockaway is even tougher. We speak with Nigel Louis, owner of Station RBNY, on how community drives customer loyalty, working along side his retail peers, and why selling a sweater next to surf board is good for a store by the beach. Louis and Co-host Tyler bring their background as big brand reps to discuss how a surf shop survi...

Most of us learn about Cloudbreak from the pros, now hear about it from a guy with desk job. Peter Brandi works in Midtown and commutes to waves year round in NYC. He's a solid surfer defying middle age. 6 months ago he was invited to join a crew to surf the "perfect wave". Ben chats with Peter about getting ready for the legend off Tavarua and that experience of surfing over the several critical...

The 80 or so minutes of this episode is a meager attempt to give proper room for writer, furniture peddler, and former hair stylist Danny DiMauro to share his life of surf and style. From the threats of violence in Montauk after making the film "Kook Paradise", to the "NYC surf shop wars" of the Aughts, adult learners and Joel Tudor, jetting to Kelly's pool, the Saturday's Magazine Editor-at-large...

Smriti Keshari, Matt Danzico and Toddy Stewart have all won James Beard, Peabody and Clio awards respectively. Through documentary film, investigative journalism, and advertising campaigns our guests have tackled subjects as challenging as the Atomic Bomb, the current of state of our fractured nation, and the existential side of being a lifelong surfer. Tyler and Ben get some tips on how to tell t...

Andrew Zinicola started his glassing career as sculpture student working with resin at Pratt Institute. He transitioned those skills into the basement of Imaginary Surf Company in nearby Bed-Stuy. It was there under the tutelage of wood board shaper David Murphy that Andrew fell in love with alternative craft. Zinicola has recently added custom skate board decks to his portfolio under the name of...

Swell Season in 2018 continued to push the boundaries on what makes up the surf conversation. Dip into last year's span of episodes that covered Andy Iron's struggle with mental illness, a start-up funded with crypto-currency, the history of segregated beaches, Rockaway respect, women at Jaws, and why a mat is the most fun to surf. Guests include: David Lee Scales, Jen Poyant, Steve White, Wayne L...

Co-host Ben Pomeroy interviewed Tyler Breuer in the spring of 2018 as a guest on Swell Season. After an effective charm offensive, really just an email, Tyler became the the co-host as the show relaunched itself into the podcastverse. Now it's Tyler's turn to ask the questions. In this episode turns the interview table around and actually gets to know this fellow New Yorker who he produces a show...