The Wipeout Weekly - Surf Podcast

Morocco. New Zealand. Arizona. Bay Area. Hollywood.

Learning to surf in your 50s wasn't part of Cindy's original plan—it was a bucket list moment that turned into something much bigger. In this episode, Cindy shares what it's like to start surfing later in life and the biggest lessons.

A palate cleanser episode. What does aloha really mean? Not the bumper-sticker version, but the deeper cultural, linguistic, and legal meaning behind the word. Also, the Aloha Spirit Law.

Nazis, I hate these guys. A personal, uncomfortable look at Nazi symbolism in surfing—where it came from, why it was ignored or excused, and why it matters now. From Riding Giants to Miki Dora, Iron Crosses to "surf nazis," this episode asks a simple question: when did "outrageous" stop being harmless? Surf history, context, and a little hope for where surf culture is heading.  

This week's Sunday Surf Poem is Chariots of the Surf by Clive Blake.

Who—or what—is Huey, Australia's elusive god of surf? In this episode, we go down a rabbit hole involving rain gods, rogue meteorologists, burning surfboards, and the bizarre tradition known as "surf sacrifice."

Ever said something in the lineup and then replayed it in your head for weeks? In this episode, we talk about speaking up in the surf—when it's necessary, when it's risky, and why even being right can still mess with your head.

This episode covers it all: from grief and healing in Hawaiʻi, uncertainty in Sydney after a spate of shark attacks, Middle-earth surf chaos (yes, Viggo Mortensen vs a surfboard), a warning for surfers in San Diego as car thieves target beachgoers, Surfline's latest attempt to teach etiquette instead of fixing forecasts, and a look at Scotland's newest wave pool doubling as a surf research lab.

Laurane walked away from a workaholic life in Paris, backpacked solo through Southeast Asia, and accidentally fell in love with surfing in Siargao. In this episode, she shares how surfing helped her heal after loss, build confidence from scratch, and choose a life centered around waves, community, and presence.

Surfer's ear is one of those things you wish you never learned about—and now you can't unlearn it. In this episode, we break down what surfer's ear actually is, why it's not an infection, why it's not reversible, and why even warm-water surfers aren't off the hook.

Watching surfing on social media isn't the same as watching surfing in real life. In this episode, we talk about what you can learn just by sitting in the lineup or watching from the beach—board choice, takeoff spots, wave behavior, paddle tactics, lineup dynamics, and who to stay away from.

This week's Sunday Surf Poem is "Surfer Lou" by Jody Weissler, a sweet, very rhymy poem about pride, persistence, and one last wave. 

Skeleton Bay is one of the world's most famous left-hand waves—and one of the hardest to actually surf. In this episode, we look at where it is, why it rarely works, how it was "discovered" via Google Earth, and why scoring it requires equal parts luck, skill, and patience. 

In this episode, we talk about yelling in the water, the difference between safety communication and angry coaching, and why being shouted at can completely kill confidence—especially for adult learners. We also get into boundaries, positional power, and when it's time to walk away and find a new coach.  

In this episode, we round up the week's surf news—three very different rescues, from Puerto Rico to Ireland to Northern California, and one story about surfers being "saved" without ever entering the ocean. From real-life emergencies to wave pools in the desert, it's a look at safety, risk, and what surfing is starting to look like in very different places.

Meet Bonnie. She's 75, lives in Oakland, and caught her first wave at 65—on a solo trip to Costa Rica. In this episode, Bonnie shares how she finally gave herself permission to try surfing, what it felt like to start late, and why she's still paddling out a decade later.

New year, fresh start—and the collective belief that this will be the year we get good at surfing. Bullshark. In this episode, we talk about why New Year surf resolutions are mostly a trap, why perfection kills curiosity, and why apologizing for how you surf is a complete waste of time.

This episode was meant to be about big wave guns. Instead, we start with a new word of the week—overgunned—and what it really means. Also, we break down the difference between guns and longboards, a bit of big-wave history (thanks, Pat Curren), and why guns are built the way they are.

This week we're reading "The Surfer" by Australian poet and environmental activist Judith Wright.

In this episode, we take a realistic look at surfing Biarritz: its history, famous breaks, extreme tide sensitivity, and why it can feel welcoming and overwhelming at the same time. A practical guide to crowds, conditions, and who Biarritz really works for.

In this Hey Zuz, I'm Confused episode, we talk about weight gain, motivation, stress, and why losing the desire to surf isn't about vanity—or failure. Just an honest look at how life, bodies, and surfing intersect, and why this kind of surf funk doesn't have to be permanent.

In this surf news roundup, we talk about a surf therapy charity supporting a record number of young people, a startup betting on 3D-printed surfboards, a sharp essay asking whether surfing is actually progressing at all, and the latest blow in Munich's long-running battle to save its iconic river wave.   

In this episode, we break down the board, the man behind it, and how Bob Simmons quietly shaped modern surfboard design. And why no one really liked him.

In this episode, we look at why shark stories suddenly feel everywhere, what the data actually says about risk, and how phones, social media, and coastal crowding fuel our collective Sharknado anxiety. The ocean is not out to get you, but your algorithm might be.

In this episode, we talk about why surf progress isn't linear, why social media is a terrible surf coach, and why the one thing that actually works is also the hardest to do. Here's to your surf goals in 2026!