Surf Splendor

Conversations and stories about surfing. www.SurfSplendorPodcast.com email: hello@surfsplendorpodcast.com

601 - Johanna Brebner 07/17/2026

601 - Johanna Brebner In today’s show surfer and novice cyclist Johanna Brebner discusses what prompted her to sojourn on a 3 month surf trip, bicycling from the bottom to the top of New Zealand, the clarity that comes from going slow, the benefits of a one board quiver, the empowerment that comes from setting unrealistic goals, and why you should be riding a surf mat. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/42124080

600 - Ben Bourgeois 07/09/2026

600 - Ben Bourgeois In today’s episode, nomadic pro surfer Ben Bourgeois joins us to explain how to travel the world on a perpetual surf trip, the tension of showcasing your life on social media without exploiting the resource, how investing in inner-work is the only path to progressing your surfing through midlife, the freedom of purging material possessions, and how self-sufficiency has been his biggest asset but learning to rely on other has become life’s greatest unexpected gift. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/42025810

599 - Troy Eckert 06/27/2026

599 - Troy Eckert Troy Eckert joins us to discuss his role is helping build a billion dollar surf brand and the consternation of walking away from it, why self turmoil leads to external turmoil, the importance of saying “no”, and how to get the best wave of your life after turning 50. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/42025870

598 - Dan Mann: Part Two 06/17/2026

598 - Dan Mann: Part Two In today’s show Dan Mann returns to discuss the introduction and evolution of his partnership with Firewire, how to navigate the world of internet trolls, the dividends paid in feedback from the greatest surfer of all time, what he would build for Ethan next, the misconceptions about overseas manufacturing, and why he’s obsessed with side-cut surfboards. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/41681750

597 - Dan Mann: Part One 06/10/2026

597 - Dan Mann: Part One In today’s show board builder Dan Mann shares his very different experience with Stab In The Dark X than what we all viewed, whether he thinks Kelly knew, and details his multifaceted work history long before his association with Firewire, how Velzy and Eaton sparked his passion for alternative constructions, the tribulations and virtues of owning a glass shop, his tireless pursuit to extend the freshness of a new board, and the ineffable value embedded in a custom surfboard. Enjoy Part One of Two with Dan Mann. /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/41605515

596 - Jeff Johnson: Part Two 05/31/2026

596 - Jeff Johnson: Part Two In Part Two, Jeff Johnson explains how he side-doored his way into becoming Patagonia’s first staff photographer, the toll of being sued by one of his surf idols, and he distills the value of being naive to your own limitations. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/41481660

595 - Jeff Johnson: Part One 05/28/2026

595 - Jeff Johnson: Part One Adventurer Jeff Johnson joins us today to explain his path from ne’er-do-well skate teen to world class photographer; from stealing lumber to build skate ramps, to lifeguarding on the North Shore, to designing a professional life of world travel, Jeff explains how boredom is the key to unlocking your life’s passion. Part One of Two. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/41455910

594 - Torren Martyn: Southern Edge 05/14/2026

594 - Torren Martyn: Southern Edge In today’s episode Torren Martyn returns to discuss leaving Byron to rebalance life, his latest sailing journey to circumnavigate Tasmania in an 18 foot kayak, staying true to a filmmaking focus despite market shifts, intentionally deflecting career opportunities in order to maintain a singular focus, and how seeking solitude can yield deeper community connections. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/41295210

593 - Matt Titone: Surf Shacks 05/07/2026

593 - Matt Titone: Surf Shacks In today’s show designer Matt Titone discusses the inception point for Indoek and their Surf Shack’s series, relives the anxiety of not knowing how to pick a career, marvels at the enduring influence of print, explains how great home design has little correlation with money, reveals which surfers refuse to let him into their home, the frustration of working with surf brands, and why creative inspiration is an endless boom and bust cycle. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/41205635

592 - Paul Strauch 04/29/2026

592 - Paul Strauch Paul Strauch passed away this past weekend, at peace, at home with loved ones, comfortable and with his beloved Hawaiian music playing by his bedside. His daughter Summer said, “I asked my dad recently what he would want to say to everyone when he stepped into eternal life. He smiled and said, ‘ALOHA’.” Today we’re sharing an interview with Paul, recorded in 2019, where he reflects on his early life in Hawaii discovering surfing, Duke Kahanamoku’s mentorship and influence in his life, lessons fr /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/41117030

591 - Eden Saul: Dead Kooks 04/09/2026

591 - Eden Saul: Dead Kooks In today’s show board builder Eden Saul explains his shifting manufacturing practices in response to erratic US tariffs, injury’s endless travails on a shaper’s livelihood, the blessed gift of finding a committed apprentice, the scary first step of scaling and delegation, how to create a brand aesthetic while still letting you lam team go nuts, and a patriotic fervor for the new crop of CT shredders. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40832240

590 - Rob Machado | The Surfrider Podcast 03/31/2026

590 - Rob Machado | The Surfrider Podcast Legendary pro surfer Rob Machado is widely regarded as one of the most influential and stylish surfers of all time. But Rob’s relationship with and impact on surfing and the ocean run much deeper than his professional career. /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40684530

589 - Gerry Lopez: PodAloha with Paul Strauch 03/31/2026

589 - Gerry Lopez: PodAloha with Paul Strauch Today’s episode features a conversation between Gerry Lopez and early Hawaiian surf pioneer Paul Strauch. Strauch thanks Lopez for preventing crowds at Sunset, discuss the virtues of surfing pre-leash, reflect on the deeply integrated influence of Duke’s spirit still in their lives and the special bond of communicating with him in native Hawaiian, growing up in Hawaii before statehood, surfing through the vast surfboard design evolution, and the essential role of mindfulness in the act of surfing. PodAl /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40682925

588 - Greg Noll: PodAloha with Paul Strauch 03/27/2026

588 - Greg Noll: PodAloha with Paul Strauch Today’s episode features a conversation between Greg Noll and early Hawaiian surf pioneer Paul Strauch. Noll and Strauch reflect on early lessons hard earned on North Shore in the 1960s, regale with stories of larger than life friends and waves, chart the path of how big wave surfing has developed from their early exploits, and recognize the tremendous gift that surfing was in their lives. PodAloha originally aired in 2019 and is being made available to you today through the Strauch family. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40643220

587 - Skip Frye: PodAloha with Paul Strauch 03/26/2026

587 - Skip Frye: PodAloha with Paul Strauch Today’s episode features a conversation between Skip Frye and early Hawaiian surf pioneer Paul Strauch. From Strauch, “Skip Frye is a legendary figure in the surfing world, renowned for his exceptional skills and significant contributions to surfboard design. With a career spanning several decades, Skip has been a key innovator, known for his work in shaping surfboards that have influenced modern surfing techniques and styles. His deep connection to the ocean and his expertise in big-wave surfing have e /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40643225

586 - Brenden "Margo" Margieson 02/26/2026

586 - Brenden "Margo" Margieson Genre defining pro freesurfer of the 90s, Margo, joins us to discuss ushering pro surfing from cottage to corporate, humility gleaned while working as a baggage handler, how a passion for bird watching led to his greatest work, and what sparked the revival in his surf career at age 50. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40431285

585 - Roger Hinds 02/18/2026

585 - Roger Hinds In today’s show board builder Roger Hinds shares strategies to fend off the old man and continue surfing the North Shore into your 70s, offers a lesson in why original board building materials are still relevant and which modern fabrics offer advancement, reveals why the real threat to domestic board building may come from within, reflects on the reward of restoring historic boards, and explains how to improve your surfing by watching 50 year old surf films. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40431300

584 - Bob McTavish: Part Three 02/05/2026

584 - Bob McTavish: Part Three In today’s show Bob McTavish attributes his biggest design epiphanies to the evolution of the surfboard fin, and each of those to a personal relationship that sparked his inspiration. He shares how Dave Rastovich altered his perception on hydrodynamics, reveals the unfathomable generosity of Bill Bahne, the ingenuity of Tom Morey and Carl Pope, explains how the Sydney ferry and Greenough’s tuna fishing’s influenced fin design, reflects on surfing Noosa before the streets were paved, preaches the supre /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40431320

583 - Randy Hild: A Life Built On Boardshorts 01/21/2026

583 - Randy Hild: A Life Built On Boardshorts In today’s show surf biz stalwart Randy Hild details the various false starts at Roxy prior to the inception of their industry-disrupting female boardshort, the tension between scaling and brand authenticity, which parts of the Golden Era were fake and inflated, how a serendipitous Swap Meet discovery led to him becoming an inadvertent surf history archivist, and why 1953 Makaha would be his ultimate time travel destination. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40431340

582 - Bob McTavish: Part Two 01/15/2026

582 - Bob McTavish: Part Two In today’s episode Bob McTavish explains how one of his most iconic designs came to him in a dream and Joey Cabell’s influence in it, he shares the inception of the swallowtail, his afternoon spent with Duke Kahanamoku, the epiphany he had at Rincon in 1967, why he renounced competition for a mortgage and children, climbing out of suffocating debt with an assist from the cast of Jackass, the board he most recently made for Kelly, and reveals the unsung surf heroes who most influenced his journey. Part T /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40431365

581 - Bob McTavish: Part One 01/12/2026

581 - Bob McTavish: Part One In today’s episode Bob McTavish shares stories from surfing in an era prior to foam cores and surf wax, charts the path from dropping out of school to surf, to being homeless with only $10 to his name, to stowing away on a ship to Hawaii for the North Shore winter, the jail time that resulted, and he reveals the only two surfboards he’s ever purchased in his life. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40431375

580 - Jeff Divine 12/24/2025

580 - Jeff Divine Surf photographer and photo editor Jeff Divine’s imagery has largely framed our perspective on North Shore surfing from the 70s and 80s. Today he shares stories from the era defining Expression Session in 1971, reveals that he didn’t befriend Gerry Lopez until a decade after they had helped build one another’s careers, he discusses how the inception of clothing brands altered surf mags editorial style, shares how to showcase personality through still imagery, the best photo he’s ever missed, and how /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40431400

579 - Max Stewart: Eye Symmetry Surfboards 12/16/2025

579 - Max Stewart: Eye Symmetry Surfboards In today’s show board builder Max Stewart explains the inverse relationship between product quality and business growth, tales from early days at Hayden Shapes, how Tom Carroll has informed how he takes custom orders and why he factors your personality into the order card. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40431430

578 - Matt Warshaw 12/12/2025

578 - Matt Warshaw In today’s episode the Encyclopedia of Surfing’s Matt Warshaw discusses the risks of having surf history chronicled by a single man, who’s gotten short shrift on the EOS, how much and how little has changed in surf culture since the first magazine, an examination of pioneering female surf photographers, the first surfer to go at Backdoor, and why he got screamed at (and run over) on his most recent surf trip. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40431450

577 - Jordan Rodin 11/30/2025

577 - Jordan Rodin In today’s episode Jordan Rodin joins us to chat about life lessons and hazing gleaned from Derek Hynd, make a case for heavier surfboards, explain his 5 year hiatus from getting barreled, why you should be stripping down used boards and reshaping them, what famous sculptors of centuries past can teach us about surfing, why sometimes the smallest movements can translate to the biggest things. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40431510

576 - John Philbin 11/29/2025

576 - John Philbin In today’s show actor John Philbin recounts his life as an escape artist, shares dangers of achieving one’s life goals, the false paradigm of self-confidence, why he is not a good actor, how to reform a bitter and angry disposition, and why he doesn’t trust anyone who isn’t a hypocrite. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40431540

575 - Kyle Thiermann 11/18/2025

575 - Kyle Thiermann In today’s show Kyle Thiermann shares the near death experience that altered his life’s perspective, explains the creative fertility nested in boredom, shares how his relationship with psychedelics has changed after nearly a decade of experimentation, reflects on the moment he learned you don’t need to master your hobbies, and discusses his desire to maintain strong relationships with his parents despite developing radically different ideologies and how that inspired his first book, “One Last Questi /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40431570

574 - Paul Naude: The State Of The Industry 10/30/2025

574 - Paul Naude: The State Of The Industry In today’s show Vissla CEO Paul Naude joins us to discuss how the consolidation of major surf brands is affecting surf culture, how the licensing operational model can threaten retailer’s long term viability, why now is a fertile opportunity for growth for independent brands and retail, and why the consumer wields influence through the power of their purchasing. Recorded live at the SIMA SUPER SUMMIT at the Rivian Theatre on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40431605

573 - Rodolfo Klima 10/10/2025

573 - Rodolfo Klima In today’s show early Peruvian shaping pioneer Rodolfo Klima joins us to discuss Peru as the inception place of surfing and it’s integral role in early surf competitions, learning how to shape by instinct alone, Gordon Clark's unknown factory in Peru, the challenge of building a business in an unstable economy and democracy, why Peru may generate the next disruptive crop of pros, and his opportunity to compete in the Icons of Foam shaping competition. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40431645

572 - Barry Vandermeulen 10/10/2025

572 - Barry Vandermeulen In today’s show South African pro surfer turned shaper Barry Vandermeulen joins to share stories of early life in the remote but influential Bay of Plenty, his tutelage from Spider to Spyder, Matt Biolos’s springboard into his eponymous label, how to run a business without a website, why he doesn’t put his name on his surfboards, and his opportunity to compete in the Icons of Foam shaping competition. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/16bc6f0b-eb46-49ea-af3c-c03cdf08ec8d/id/40431675

Surf Splendor

TOPICS