Chris Klopf: Legendary Surf Photographer on Capturing Surf History, Film, and the Soul of the Ocean | The Temple of Surf Podcast
Release Date: 06/05/2026
Amaury Lavernhe | World Titles, Heavy Waves & the Soul of Bodyboarding
The Temple of Surf Podcast
What does it take to become a two-time bodyboarding world champion and what keeps you chasing waves after reaching the very top? This week on The Temple of Surf Podcast, we welcome Amaury Lavernhe, one of the most accomplished European bodyboarders of his generation, for a fascinating conversation about competition, powerful waves, dedication, and a lifetime connected to the ocean. Raised on Réunion Island, surrounded by incredible waves and a passionate surfing community, Amaury discovered bodyboarding at an early age. What began as a childhood obsession eventually became an extraordinary...
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Inside Curvaceous Surfboards | Keitaro Oshima on Science, Craft & Design
The Temple of Surf Podcast
Can science help create a better surfboard or does the magic still come from the hands of the shaper? This week on The Temple of Surf Podcast, we travel to Japan for a fascinating conversation with Keitaro Oshima, founder, shaper and builder behind Curvaceous Surfboards. Born in Tokyo and raised in Yokohama, Keitaro represents a new generation of surfboard builders approaching an ancient question from a very different perspective: What makes a surfboard truly work? Keitaro graduated from the University of Tokyo in 2023, but his academic journey unexpectedly became connected to surfing. While...
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Alessandro Marcianò | From Italian Surf Pioneer to the Giant Waves of Nazaré
The Temple of Surf Podcast
What makes a surfer, after decades in the ocean, decide to start again and enter an entirely different world? In this episode of The Temple of Surf Podcast, I sit down with Italian surfer and big-wave rider Alessandro Marcianò for a conversation about a remarkable life built around surfing. Alessandro’s story begins far away from the giant waves of Nazaré. Growing up in Rome and surfing the Italian coastline, he became part of a generation that helped establish and develop surf culture in a country where finding waves often requires patience, knowledge and an obsession with the ocean....
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Camden Hoover | Surfing Without Limits: Shortboard, Longboard & Beyond
The Temple of Surf Podcast
What happens when you refuse to let surfing fit into just one category? In this episode of The Temple of Surf Podcast, I sit down with Camden Hoover, a surfer whose relationship with the ocean crosses different boards, different waves, and increasingly, different sides of competitive surfing. Camden is equally comfortable expressing herself on a shortboard or a longboard, bringing an approach to surfing built around versatility, progression, style, and a genuine love for being in the water. But her journey is evolving. Beyond competing and riding waves herself, Camden has also stepped into...
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Alo Slebir | Mavericks, Monster Waves & the Pursuit of Progression
The Temple of Surf Podcast
On December 23, 2024, Alessandro “Alo” Slebir rode a wave at Mavericks that immediately sent shockwaves through the surfing world. The first estimates were extraordinary. Some believed the wave could have exceeded 100 feet, potentially making it the biggest wave ever surfed. After months of analysis and debate, the official measurement came in at 76 feet—still an absolutely monumental wave and the winner of the 2025 Men’s Biggest Wave award. But this episode of The Temple of Surf Podcast is about much more than one number. It’s about the young surfer behind the wave. Based in Santa...
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Eric Rebière | The French Surf Pioneer Who Chose Giant Waves
The Temple of Surf Podcast
From professional competition to some of the most powerful waves on the planet, Eric Rebière has lived an extraordinary surfing journey. In this episode of The Temple of Surf Podcast, I sit down with Eric Rebière, a pioneer of European professional surfing, two-time European professional champion, and the first French surfer to qualify for surfing’s elite World Tour. Eric’s story takes us back to a very different era of professional surfing. Growing up surfing in Brazil before moving to France as a teenager, Eric pursued a dream that, at the time, very few European surfers had achieved:...
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Matt Bromley | Big Waves, Surfing & a Life Built Around the Ocean
The Temple of Surf Podcast
What does it take to build a life around surfing some of the most powerful waves on the planet? In this episode of The Temple of Surf Podcast, I sit down with South African big wave surfer Matt Bromley for a wide-ranging conversation about surfing, big waves, adventure, preparation, mindset, and a life shaped by the ocean. Growing up in Cape Town, South Africa, Matt developed his surfing surrounded by an extraordinary coastline and a culture of surfers willing to challenge serious waves. From an early age, the ocean became much more than a place to surf, it became the environment that...
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Inside the Shaping Bay | Master Shaper Fabio Giacomini
The Temple of Surf Podcast
Welcome to another episode of The Temple of Surf Podcast. This week, we are honored to welcome one of the true pioneers of Italian surfboard shaping: Fabio Giacomini. For more than four decades, Fabio has dedicated his life to the pursuit of the perfect surfboard. Beginning his shaping journey in 1980, he became one of the first professional surfboard shapers in Italy, helping to build a surf culture in a country where the sport was still in its infancy. Through decades of research, experimentation, and craftsmanship, he has earned a reputation as one of Europe's most respected custom...
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She Charges Nazaré | Christina Gindl on Big Waves, Fear & Finding Freedom
The Temple of Surf Podcast
Welcome to another inspiring episode of The Temple of Surf Podcast. This week, I am joined by Christina Gindl, Austrian big wave surfer, ocean adventurer, filmmaker, and one of the most inspiring voices in modern surfing. Born in the Austrian mountains, Christina's path to surfing was anything but conventional. After moving abroad and discovering life on the ocean, she fell in love with surfing, eventually settling in Portugal, where she has become known for charging some of the Atlantic's most powerful waves, including the legendary breaks around Nazaré and Ericeira. Today, she is also an...
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Breaking Barriers in Surfing | Yvette Cave on Inclusion, Equality & the Future of the Ocean
The Temple of Surf Podcast
For decades, surfing has been celebrated as the ultimate expression of freedom. But who truly gets to experience that freedom? In this inspiring episode of The Temple of Surf Podcast, we welcome Yvette Cave, founder of Wave Wahines and one of the leading voices advocating for equality, diversity, and inclusion within the surfing community. Driven by the belief that the ocean should belong to everyone, Yvette has dedicated her career to breaking down barriers that prevent people from experiencing the transformative power of surfing. Through Wave Wahines, she has created opportunities...
info_outlineIn this powerful episode of The Temple of Surf Podcast, we sit down with legendary surf photographer and film director Chris Klopf, a true visual storyteller whose work has documented generations of surf culture, iconic surfers, and unforgettable moments in the ocean.
From the golden era of surf photography to the evolution of surf filmmaking, Chris Klopf shares incredible behind-the-scenes stories about chasing perfect light, capturing once-in-a-lifetime waves, and building a career around passion, creativity, and dedication to the surf lifestyle.
Throughout the conversation, Chris reflects on the deep emotional connection between surfing and visual art, explaining how photography can freeze moments that disappear forever in just seconds. He discusses the challenges of shooting in extreme ocean conditions, the changing landscape of surf media, and how technology transformed both photography and filmmaking over the decades.
We also dive into the importance of authenticity in surf culture, the surfers and locations that inspired him the most, and what younger generations of photographers and filmmakers need to understand if they want to create meaningful work in today’s digital world.
This episode is packed with surf history, artistic insight, and inspiration for surfers, creatives, photographers, filmmakers, and ocean lovers everywhere.
Topics covered in this episode include:
• Legendary moments in surf photography history
• The evolution of surf filmmaking
• Behind-the-scenes stories from iconic surf sessions
• The relationship between art and surfing
• Capturing emotion and movement in the ocean
• Surf culture through different decades
• The future of surf media and storytelling
• Creativity, passion, and living a life connected to the sea
If you love surfing, surf photography, surf films, ocean storytelling, and authentic surf culture, this episode with Chris Klopf is one you cannot miss.
Subscribe to The Temple of Surf Podcast for more conversations with world champions, legendary surfers, surf photographers, filmmakers, shapers, artists, and innovators from around the globe.
Listen now and discover the stories behind the images that shaped surf history.
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