The Wipeout Weekly - Surf Podcast

Matt Warshaw Appreciation Week rolls on with one of my favorite EOS entries—and one of the most unsettling stories in surf history. Today we revisit the life and final ride of Mark Foo, as told through Warshaw's meticulous, unforgettable writing.

It's Matt Warshaw Appreciation Week! To kick things off, I'm talking about why the man behind History of Surfing and the Encyclopedia of Surfing matters so much—and why his new EOS Archive might become the Vatican Library of surf culture. Plus, we dive into one of my all-time favorite Warshaw stories: Felipe Pomar and the legendary caballitos.

May we all live long enough to become the surfer in this week's Sunday Surf Poem. Today we're reading "Elderly Surfer" by Laurence Goldstein—poet, editor, professor, and Los Angeles native who just might have picked up a board in his lifetime (no promises, but the man understood the rhythm).

This week we dive into the beautiful, messy, political world of Cloudbreak — and cloudbreaks. Yep, lowercase and uppercase. One's a type of terrifying outer-reef wave; the other is Fiji's crown jewel left-hander, home to Shish Kebabs, 200-yard rides, and decades of surf drama.

One of our readers hit me with the wildest question this week: Does it matter if I don't care about where surfing came from? Cue my dramatic gasp. In this episode, we talk about whether surf history and culture actually matter, why some surfers couldn't care less, and why that's…honestly fine. 

This week's surf news is…a lot. A rock-throwing surfer in Tenerife, a lifeguard on the North Shore telling people they'll "come home in a box," Fiji potentially bringing back pay-to-surf rules, Munich's Eisbach collapsing, Dylan Graves breaking the world's weirdest Guinness Record, and a blind surfer who made Team USA in weeks. Not super uplifting—but very surfodrama.

Today's episode was supposed to be about Nazi symbolism in surfing. Truly. But nobody needs that today. So instead, we pivoted— hard—into the complete opposite: surfing pets. And not just any surfing pet. Meet Ricochet, the Golden Retriever who became the world's first "SURFice dog," surfing tandem with children with disabilities, veterans with PTSD, and anyone who needed her.

Wish you could magically improve at surfing in between sessions? Same. Until that spell exists, here are the 10 "surf" land sports. From panic paddling to lineup psychology to emotional regulation (yes, really), this episode breaks down exactly how to get better in the water…while you're very much on land.

Never seen The Endless Summer ? Don't worry — after this episode, you'll be able to talk about it like you've watched it three times while wearing zinc and eating a cold musubi in the parking lot. We break down the iconic surf film, the characters, the myth-making, the filmmaking chaos, the $50 round-the-world ticket hack, and the controversy over whether it's even a documentary. Basically: a pock...

This week's Sunday Surf Poem is "Hurricane Warning: Surfers" by Peter Makuck, first published in 1998. According to Wikipedia, Makuck's work often explores epiphany, grace, and the beauty that reveals itself in moments of danger. Let's find out if that's true.

Today we're heading to Waimea Bay—the wave that built big wave surfing. From the meaning behind its name to why it barely breaks, from the infamous Woody Brown and Dickie Cross story to Greg Noll's historic 1957 drop. What a ride!

A reader asks who "gets" the surf spot after a breakup. Who knows for sure?! But let's talk through some unwritten rules, and how to protect your peace when the lineup suddenly feels complicated.

After reviewing the week's surf news, I made an executive Surfsgiving decision: absolutely not. The headlines are all tragedy, and it's Thanksgiving. So instead, I'm taking us back to the charm of Frederick Kohner's Gidget , the book that sparked a surf cultural revolution.

This Surfsgiving, I'm thankful for the unexpected spark behind what's coming next for The Wipeout Weekly. In this episode, I share the story behind "Fatty," the name that somehow followed me from my branding days into my surf life—and is now inspiring what comes next for The Wipeout Weekly. I talk about how a random hat, a beloved nickname, and a few offhand "I love your hat" comments turned into...

A short Surfsgiving episode honoring Matt Warshaw and revisiting his story about surfing's ancient Hawaiian beginnings.

No one is listening to podcasts this week—unless they're hiding from family chaos over Thanksgiving. So instead of taking time off, we're doing something different: an episode of pure gratitude. Today, we're talking about the surfers we're thankful for. The legends who shaped the sport, defined the culture, and—whether you know it or not—shaped your surf life too.

There aren't many surfer poets—but we found another one. This early piece by Zoe Bonik captures the magic of a first wave with wide eyes, salty spray, and a world‑conquering stoke.

This episode is all about Rincon—the so-called "Queen of the Coast" and Malibu's chilly, iconic sister. With three linked sections (Indicator, Rivermouth, and the legendary Cove), Rincon offers long, peeling rights that can stretch up to 500 yards on a good day. We get into its surfable magic, history (including the dream that sparked a big-wave board design), best season to go, and yes—the slight...

What happens if winter surfing just… isn't your thing? This episode tackles a reader's honest question: are you still a surfer if you sit out the colder months? We share own SoCal winter funk, explores why cold water surfing isn't for everyone (hint: it costs more, takes longer, and drying gloves is a nightmare), and reminds us that taking a break doesn't make you any less of a surfer. From wetsui...

It's a bumper edition of the surf news roundup—because not everything making waves this week is strictly surf-related, but it all matters. From free surf lessons in Waikiki thanks to a grassroots crew, to 40-foot Nazaré bombs captured on film, to Florida's massive coral baby boom (yes, that's a thing), we've got your weekly dose of stoke and surprise. Carissa Moore announces her return to the WSL...

Let's talk about measuring waves—and before you roll your eyes, know this: people's pride, paychecks, and world records are all riding on these numbers. In this episode, we dive into the mess (and mystery) of how we measure waves in surfing—from Garrett McNamara's 100-foot claims to why Surfline said it'd be 1–2 feet and it was double that.

I didn't see this coming—but here we are. Surf helmets are making waves (yep, I said it), from Shark Tank investments to young chargers at Pipeline strapping in after near-death wipeouts. In this episode, we dive into what's on your head—or not—when you paddle out. From helmet history and injury prevention to kook stigma and the surprisingly complicated world of surf helmet sizing, this is your no...

This week's word of the week is less "word" and more "wild concept": tow surfing. You know—the kind of surfing that involves a jet ski, a rope, and a wave the size of a five-story building.

Couldn't find the perfect surf poem this week? No problem—we're going old school. Like really old school. This week's Sunday Surf Poem is "Dover Beach" by Matthew Arnold, a classic of the sea from the 1800s. No, Arnold wasn't a surfer. But he was a guy standing at a window, staring out across the English Channel, letting the sound of waves trigger a deep spiral into faith, disillusionment, longing...

This week, we take you to the end of the road. Literally. Teahupoʻo—pronounced cho-poo —is one of the most dangerous waves in the world. Known as the "place of broken heads," this Tahitian reef break doesn't just barrel—it mutates. It folds over itself like a collapsing building made of water. And it breaks over live coral sitting just 20 inches beneath the surface. This episode covers the mytholo...