The Lineup with Dave Prodan - A Surfing Podcast

Producers David Mesfin and Beyin Abraha join the pod to talk about their film Wade In The Water: A Journey Into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture and how it dives into the over 1000-year-old history of surfing in West Africa. They discuss the origins of the project, share their personal reasons for creating the film, explore its healing effects, and describe the many ways that aquatic culture has been a part of black culture since the very beginning. David and Beyin then look back at their own journeys into surfing, talk about the other things they’ve been working on, and look ahead at how surf brands and other organizations within the sport can support the BIPOC community.Follow David here.Follow Beyin here.Learn more about “Wade In The Water” and check out a screening of the film.Tune in for the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach live Feb 12-23 on worldsurfleague.com.Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our Youtube channel.Stay up to date with all things WSL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WSL commentator Mitchell Salazar is back to preview the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach. They talk about the history and intricacies of the iconic wave, describe their own experiences there, and then choose the surfers to watch, from Jack Robinson to Kai Lenny to Gabriela Bryan, in the Championship Tour’s second event. They look at the long list of exciting wildcards and injury replacements in the draw, discuss how goofy footers have fared in past events at Sunset, answer fan questions, and preview the equipment after checking in on the Vissla CT Shaper Rankings. Mitch and Dave also pay tribute to the legendary filmmaker, water cinematographer, and North Shore staple Larry Haynes.Follow Mitch here.Tune in for the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach live Feb 12-23 on worldsurfleague.com.Watch the highlights and full replay of the Billabong Pro Pipeline.Stay up to date with the Vissla Shaper Rankings on worldsurfleague.com. Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our Youtube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WSL commentator Mitchell Salazar is back to recap the Billabong Pro Pipeline. Mitch and Dave discuss the biggest highlights, choose their biggest winners and losers from the Championship Tour’s first event, answer a wide-ranging list of fan questions from the Instagram mailbag, and look forward to the next stop at the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach. Finally, they reveal the first update of the 2023 Vissla CT Shaper Rankings.Follow Mitch here.Watch the highlights and full replay of the Billabong Pro Pipeline.Stay up to date with the Vissla Shaper Rankings on worldsurfleague.com. Tune in for the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach live Feb 12-23 on worldsurfleague.com.Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our Youtube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marine conservation scientist, ocean steward, and surfer Dr. Cliff Kapono joins the podcast after winning the inaugural WSL Impact Award. He talks about all the amazing projects he’s involved with, from working with the MEGA Lab to elevate scientific literacy and Reef Footwear to 3D coral reef formations at famous surf breaks, creating the Surfer Biome Project, and researching how the ocean connects us all. He looks back at his roots in Hawaii, his reasons for getting into the sport at a young age, learning the balance between pursuing a doctorate and surfing career, working with Vissla, and finding the surfer/scientist identity. Cliff also shares his thoughts on the variety of boards he rides, the connective DNA of ocean bacteria, the relationship between speed, power, and flow, and the new Vissla Shaper Rankings.Learn more about Cliff and Follow him here.Check out the MEGA Lab and follow here.Hear another interview about Cliff’s work here.Stay up to date with the Vissla Shaper Rankings on worldsurfleague.com. Watch the Championship Tour opener at the Billabong Pro Pipeline live Jan 29-Feb 10.Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our Youtube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WSL commentator Mitchell Salazar joins the podcast to talk about the all-new Vissla Shaper Rankings. Dave and Mitch introduce the new rankings that celebrate and measure the shapers who build boards for the Championship Tour surfers. They share the inspiration for the rankings and then break down its rules and scoring system. They share their top three shaper observations for the tour, discuss the surfer-shaper pairings they’re excited to watch at Pipeline and Sunset, and then make their bold predictions for which shaper will take the crown.Follow Mitchell here.Stay up to date with the Vissla Shaper Rankings on worldsurfleague.com. Watch the Championship Tour opener at the Billabong Pro Pipeline live Jan 29-Feb 10.Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our Youtube channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big Wave surfer, YETI athlete, and Momentum Generation icon Shane Dorian joins the podcast to talk about the upcoming Billabong Pro Pipeline. He makes his predictions for the Pipe event and talks about the major storylines going into the Championship Tour season: a shakeup on the women’s side with young surfers like Molly Picklum and Caity Simmers, Gabriel Medina’s huge return, John John Florence surfing at 100%, and the young stars ready to make their move. He looks back at how his career in surfing has progressed over the decades, from starting out in Kona, Hawaii, doing Taylor Steele movies, surfing on the CT, switching his focus to big wave surfing, and now moving on to coaching his son Jackson and other talented young surfers. Shane also describes his work with YETI and how the brand fits his new passion for bow hunting and archery, looks at the Pipeline forecast, discusses the impact of social media on surfing, and explores Kelly Slater’s dominance.Learn more about Shane and follow him here.Watch the Championship Tour opener at the Billabong Pro Pipeline live Jan 29-Feb 10.Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our Youtube channel.Stay up to date with all things WSL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Surfer Sara Kohrogi joins to talk about her new documentary series Chasing Waves, now streaming on Disney+. She discusses how she got involved in the new surfing documentary, describes its focus on Japanese surf culture and surfing’s debut in the Olympics, and tells behind-the-scenes stories from filming. She looks back at her unique career in surfing, getting into the sport in Hermosa Beach, California, competing at a young age, working and surfing in Japan, and making the final casting call for The Ultimate Surfer. She then looks ahead at her plans for the future, the upcoming 2024 Olympics, her goal to be one of Japan’s first female free surfers, and competing on the WSL Qualifying Series. Sara also touches on meeting Kelly Slater, dealing with scoliosis as an athlete, and how Japanese culture and surf culture mix.Learn more about Sara and follow her here.Watch her new series Chasing Waves now on Disney+.Prepare for the Championship Tour opener at the Billabong Pro Pipeline on January 29.Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our Youtube channel.Stay up to date with all things WSL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first episode of 2023, Championship Tour rookie Maxime Huscenot joins the podcast to discuss the upcoming season. He describes the moment he was told that he qualified on the beach in Hawaii, what making the tour means to him, and his thoughts on the new three-tier qualifying system. He looks back on his long journey to this huge moment, getting his start in surfing in Réunion Island alongside Johanne Defay, training on the Gold Coast and signing with Quiksilver, winning the World Junior Championship in 2009, and then battling through the QS and Challenger Series to qualify. He then looks forward to the 2023 CT season, his debut event at the Billabong Pro Pipeline, training for Pipe in France and Spain’s challenging heavy barrels, the events he’s looking forward to most, representing France on tour, and his outlook and goals for his rookie year. Learn more about Maxime and follow him here.Prepare for the Championship Tour opener at the Billabong Pro Pipeline on January 29.Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our Youtube channel.Stay up to date with all things WSL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode of the pod, host Dave Prodan wraps up the year by diving into the mailbag and answering listener questions about all things surfing. Topics range from how the WSL chooses its event locations, his favorite interviews so far, how to deal with criticism from fans and media, surfing as art versus sport, new sponsors across the surf landscape, how to build up a country’s surf infrastructure, and the tour’s potential expansion. He also looks ahead, answering questions about his favorite rookies, hot takes for the upcoming Championship Tour season, his predictions for the 2023 World Champions, and finally, his dream future guests for the show. Follow Dave here.Prepare for the Championship Tour opener at the Billabong Pro Pipeline on January 29, 2023.Join the conversation by following The Lineup with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our Youtube channel.Stay up to date with all things WSL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iconic surfer, waterman, and two-time Pipeline champion Gerry Lopez and filmmaker and legendary skateboarder Stacy Peralta join the pod to discuss their new film The Yin & Yang of Gerry Lopez. The duo talks about the long process of creating the project, partnering with Patagonia, the challenges along the way, Stacy’s interview techniques, and Gerry’s willingness to share everything. They both look back at their origins in surfing and skateboarding, Gerry’s first waves at age 10 in Hawaii, Stacy’s entry into skating in Santa Monica, CA, and the side-by-side evolution of both sports over the years. They dive into the film’s story, Gerry’s legendary trips to Indonesia and dominance at Pipeline, exploring new waves, dealing with fame, and finding moments of stillness and peace amidst the danger and action of the world’s heaviest breaks. Gerry and Stacy also touch on yoga, meditation, living in the moment, and always looking forward to the next wave. Follow Gerry here.Follow Stacy here.Stream their film The Yin & Yang of Gerry Lopez, releasing December 14.Follow Patagonia here.Check out all of Patagonia’s surf stories.Join the conversation by following The Lineup with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our Youtube channel.Stay up to date with all things WSL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices