Channel Island Lead Shaper Britt Merrick talks about carrying on the Channel Islands legacy, working with pro athletes, the most bizarre boards he ever shaped, surviving the pandemic, dealing with tragedy, sharks, and the CI team moving forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 12, 2021•1 hr 34 min
In the all-new “Break Room” episode of the podcast, host Dave Prodan speaks with a panel of fellow WSL employees that work across the league. Get insights from inside headquarters on the title-deciding Rip Curl WSL Finals, the Challenger Series, and more. First, the crew revisits their predictions for the Finals, awards pizza to the winning team, chooses their standout performances, and shares stories of how the event went off from an employee’s perspective. They then recap the US Open of Surfin...
Oct 05, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 88
Championship Tour star and Huntington Beach local Courtney Conlogue joins the podcast to talk about the US Open and her comeback 2021 season. The two-time US Open winner discusses the iconic event held in her hometown, how it holds a special place in her heart, and using her local knowledge to her advantage. She describes competing after taking a year off from surfing while recovering from three concussions in seven months, shares how revitalized she felt in Mexico when she clinched her spot on ...
Sep 28, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 87
2021 WSL World Champion, Olympic gold medalist, and ocean advocate Carissa Moore joins a panel of six women breaking barriers in ocean conservation. Carissa and the other guests discuss what the ocean means to them and the number one reason that motivates them to protect it, their experience in ocean health and the projects that they have worked on in ocean science, and mistakes in the industry that they’ve learned from. They dive deep into the importance for young women to have their own voice,...
Sep 24, 2021•52 min
Cassie Randolph and Joe Turpel are joined by special guest Koa Smith to dive into the season finale of The Ultimate Surfer. They talk with Koa about his “hit list,” the unexpected and difficult Beach Battles throughout the season, getting thrown curve balls at every turn, and getting game-changing tips on riding the wave at Surf Ranch from Kelly Slater and Filipe Toledo. They break down the show’s impact on his career, the most memorable performances throughout the season, and the thrilling fina...
Sep 22, 2021•59 min
Cassie Randolph and Joe Turpel dive deep into the second-to-last episode of the season. With the competition down to just six surfers, the level of surfing and the stakes are both raised. They break down the Surf Combine challenge, complete with some serious wetsuit struggles, and the Best Maneuver Challenge, with huge tricks and a surprise appearance by Championship Tour Surfer and Surf Ranch standout Filipe Toledo. Joe and Cassie share their personal favorite maneuvers before recapping the mos...
Sep 15, 2021•52 min
Tom Curren and Mason Ho join Dave Prodan live from Trestles to talk about the Rip Curl WSL Finals, what their first memories of Search trips are, Mason’s love of competitive surfing and free surfing, and Tom’s thoughts on the progression of surfing over the years. They answer questions from the Instagram community and Mason shares a special story about a favorite memory of surfing with Tom at Sunset. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Sep 14, 2021•35 min•Ep. 86
Bethany Hamilton joins Dave Prodan live from Trestles and talks about the Rip Curl WSL Finals, what she wants to accomplish next, the difficult balance of family and pro surfing, and why she loves being a life coach. She dives into her picks for the Rip Curl WSL Finals, where she would hold the finals if she got to choose, and if she’ll be back on the QS. Finally, she answers fan questions including why she loves big wave surfing, how to deal with fear, and if she would ever want to work behind ...
Sep 13, 2021•30 min
Tyler Wright joins Dave Prodan live from Trestles and talks about the Rip Curl WSL Finals, how she took the news of the cancellation of the Tahiti event, who she thinks will win the title (and who she wants to win the title), and two women that she continues to get inspiration from. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 11, 2021•37 min•Ep. 84
3x World Champ and fastest-surfer-alive Mick Fanning joins Dave Prodan in the first ever live episode of The Lineup. From the Rip Curl surf center in San Clemente, Mick kicks off the window of the Rip Curl WSL Finals and no topic is off the table. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 10, 2021•39 min•Ep. 83
Cassie Randolph and Joe Turpel dive deep into all of the massive twists that hit in the fifth and sixth episodes of the show. In the biggest shake-up yet, two surfers get their big breaks and return to the show as wildcards. Cassie and Joe break down what it meant for the two wildcards, as well as how it affects the energy, confidence, and strategy of the other surfers still in the competition. They look back at the surprise visit from some famous “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette” stars, an intense ...
Sep 08, 2021•59 min
San Clemente’s own Championship Tour star and Olympian Kolohe Andino talks about his almost full season away from the tour and his much-anticipated return to competition. He shares his thoughts on the first-ever Rip Curl WSL Finals, makes his World Title picks, discusses the challenge of surfing five heats in a single day, and provides some local insight about his home break of Lower Trestles. He dives into his new film “Reckless Isolation,” shares stories of making it with his closest friends, ...
Sep 07, 2021•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 82
Cassie Randolph and Joe Turpel dive deep into the third and fourth episodes of the show. They discuss how hard it is to settle into life on a set like The Ultimate Surfer and touch on which surfers have stood out to them so far, from Koa’s nonstop energy and Zeke’s lazer focus, to Tia’s competitiveness and Malia’s strategic mind. They break down the challenges, including the very competitive Barrel Challenge and some unintentional comedy in the Paddle Battle. After some more tough eliminations, ...
Sep 01, 2021•57 min
In the all-new “Break Room” episode of the podcast, host Dave Prodan speaks with a panel of fellow WSL employees that work across the league. Get insights from inside headquarters on the wild ending to the season in Mexico, the ever-changing WSL Final 5 scenarios, and what it was like from an employee’s perspective when the news of Tahiti’s cancellation broke. They divide into teams to make their picks for each matchup of the Rip Curl WSL Finals, discuss requalification, say goodbye to the big n...
Aug 31, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 81
To kick off the season, Cassie Randolph and Joe Turpel break down the show’s first two episodes. They give their first impressions of the 14 cast members, analyze the strongest and weakest pairings, and speculate on a heated rivalry that quickly arises between two of the surfers. Cassie and Joe then dive into the challenges, including the mental warfare between contestants, the strategy that evolves among the teams, and the first athletes who got eliminated. Finally, they interview a cast member...
Aug 25, 2021•1 hr 1 min
Big Wave World Champion and former Championship Tour surfer Keala Kennelly talks about her successful career as a surfing pioneer. She dives deep into equality in women’s surfing, touching on the importance of women’s events at waves of consequence like Pipeline and Teahupo’o, her excitement about the women’s CT returning to those places yearly, fighting for and eventually winning equal pay, and how female surfers always rise to the occasion when given the opportunity. She dissects her own origi...
Aug 24, 2021•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 80
Former Championship Tour star Cory Lopez looks back at his successful career on tour, including surfing in the famous 2006 event at Barra De La Cruz, his success at Teahupo’o, pushing the sport forward with airs, the expectations versus the reality of being a pro, and his World Title chances. He talks about some of the main figures who influenced him along the way, from his brother and fellow pro surfer Shea Lopez, to his close friend Andy Irons, to Shane Beschen and longtime shaper Matt Biolos....
Aug 17, 2021•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 79
WSL commentator Joe Turpel talks about his insanely busy year on and off tour. He goes into detail on the redesigned Championship Tour schedule for next season (especially Trestles and G-Land), gives his thoughts on the midseason cut, gets stoked on the Challenger Series slate, and looks at how this schedule will impact the return of Kelly Slater. He shares stories of working as the primetime announcer for Olympic surfing and calling the action from Connecticut, and then reviews which country’s ...
Aug 10, 2021•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 78
World Surf League CEO Erik Logan joins the podcast for a special episode to break down this week’s huge 2022 Tour Announcement. ELo and Dave dive into next year’s Championship Tour Schedule, the all-new Challenger Series, the benefits of the exciting midseason cut, and the way the regional Qualifying Series will change the path to the CT. They talk about the current fight for the WSL Final 5 that will play out over this season’s final two events in Mexico and Tahiti. Finally, they look forward t...
Aug 06, 2021•59 min
Four-time WSL World Champion Lisa Andersen talks about her iconic career on tour. She looks back at surfing’s emotional debut at the Olympics, the awesome unpredictability of ocean surfing versus wave pools, the huge stakes, and her experience surfing in Japan. She tells her origin story, starting to surf in Florida, learning life lessons as you learn to surf, being taught by surf magazines, and then moving to Huntington Beach alone and committing to the sport, and finally getting on tour. She d...
Aug 03, 2021•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 77
Reunion Island’s CT star Johanne Defay talks about the shark problem in her hometown, quarantine life, the big transition from QS to CT, and her Semifinal heat against Tyler Wright at the 2014 Roxy Pro France. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 27, 2021•1 hr 2 min
Merewether Beach’s own CT star Ryan Callinan talks about being shaped by the legends of the Newcastle surf community, dealing with grief and loss while on tour, and discovering the confidence to compete with the world’s best. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 20, 2021•1 hr 13 min
WSL Commentator and former Championship Tour surfer Rosy Hodge talks about how surfing plays into political movements, apartheid and growing up in South Africa, making the switch from the lineup to the booth, and being a prominent voice in women’s surfing. Find the trailer for 100 foot wave here: https://youtu.be/znCNT-9k_Ws Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 13, 2021•1 hr 29 min
In the new “Break Room” episode of the podcast, host Dave Prodan speaks with a panel of fellow WSL employees that work across the league. Get insights from inside headquarters on all the big names that are fighting for requalification, the competitive and unpredictable women’s World Title race, and how to identify surprise superstars like Italo Ferreira before they break onto the world stage. They also debate the best strategy for the Rip Curl WSL Finals, answer listener questions about what it’...
Jul 06, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 76
WSL Championship Tour rookie Isabella Nichols talks about her unique and memorable first season on tour. She describes waiting a whole year between qualification and her first event, her strong Australian leg that included a second-place finish at Newcastle, and the challenges of surfing at Surf Ranch for the first time. She discusses pursuing her education while chasing her dream of making the tour, getting a degree in engineering, and her desire to work with wave pool technology. Isabella also...
Jun 29, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 75
As the podcast’s first returning guest, Championship Tour star Kanoa Igarashi talks about his first half of the 2021 season and the road to the Rip Curl WSL Finals. He reviews his very strong chances to make the WSL Final 5, discusses some of the biggest surprises of the season like Morgan Cibilic, and explains the difference between free surfs during an event window and those at home. He describes being the face of the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, all the responsibilities that come with it, and whe...
Jun 22, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 74
Influential Lost Surfboards shaper and San Clemente, CA local Matt Biolos shares stories from his long career working with some of the best surfers in history. He looks back at starting out working for Herbie Fletcher, the punk rock origins of Mayhem, keeping that outsider/anti-hero mentality, growing a full team of pros, evolving his business into the apparel space, and the eventual refocusing around shaping boards. He talks about his time working with everyone from Nathan and Christian Fletche...
Jun 15, 2021•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 73
In the first-ever “Break Room” episode of the podcast, host Dave Prodan speaks with a panel of fellow WSL employees that work across the league. Get insights from inside the building on the crazy Australian Leg, Morgan Cibilic’s unexpected rise from unknown rookie to legitimate Final 5 contender, and a tie in the rankings that could alter the women’s World Title race. They then dive into how different Gabriel Medina, Italo Ferreira, and Tyler Wright feel this season and debate a very Unpopular O...
Jun 08, 2021•55 min•Ep. 72
From the influential rock band Australian Crawl, Bill McDonough and Paul Williams join the podcast to talk about the origins of the band, their roots in Australia, and their lifelong connection to surfing. They look back at the genesis of Australian Crawl in the late 1970s, touring Australia, and eventually making it onto the international scene. They dive into their personal history with surfing, being attracted to the lifestyle, getting into the sport as teenagers, and eventually sponsoring th...
Jun 01, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 71
WSL North American Regional Manager Meg Bernardo talks about the genesis of the World Surf League. As one of the company’s very first hires, she shares behind-the-scenes stories of the early days of the WSL, from starting the ASP with Ian Cairns and Peter Townend, to building the foundation and creating the framework for professional surfing, to producing those first tour events, to witnessing the evolution of both pro surfing and the league itself. She describes her path into surfing after movi...
May 25, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 70
