The Lineup with Dave Prodan - A Surfing Podcast

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 whether winning a gold medal would mean more than winning a World Title. He also touches on surfing against Gabriel Medina, how interest from non-endemic sponsors shows the growth of surfing, the next event at Barra De La Cruz, Japan’s best up-and-coming tour hopefuls, and the hardest maneuver to land in surfing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Fletcher and to Andy Irons and Cory Lopez to Kolohe Andino and Carissa Moore. Matt also explores the microscopic details that go into shaping boards for surfers competing at the very height of the sport, touches on the 25th anniversary of his film “5’5” 19 x ¼,” describes the massive COVID surfing boom, and shares his thoughts on the Surf Ranch. Artwork Photo by: Gabriel Nakamura Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Opinion about John John Florence’s future on tour. Finally, they answer listener questions about what it’s like to actually work for the World Surf League. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 the Bells Beach contest. They also share stories from a lifetime of adventures in rock n roll, explore the buzz you can get only from surfing, and discuss the fortieth anniversary of their four-times Platinum album “Sirocco.”You can stream the remastered album "Sirocco" here: https://AustralianCrawl.lnk.to/Sirocco-40 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 moving from the midwest to Huntington Beach, finding her place in the lineup, and then pursuing a career in the sport. She also gives her thoughts on the current Championship Tour and Rip Curl WSL Finals format, reveals the best character from her time in pro surfing, and remembers hiring our very own Dave Prodan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WSL Founder Ian Cairns talks about starting the ASP and building what would become the Championship Tour. He looks back at the early days of the tour, their crazy dream, patching it together “with chewing gum and masking tape,” the widespread growth of surfing worldwide, and wanting to end the tour in Australia. He describes living in Western Australia on a farm, surfing all the different waves there including Strickland Bay, the site of the Rip Curl Rottnest Search, and then explains how they relate to some of the iconic breaks on the North Shore. He tells stories from his own successful competitive career, talks title aspirations, details how he knew it was time to hang it up, and calls winning The Duke in 1975 the highlight of his career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Championship Tour surfer Connor O’Leary talks about his unlikely and inspiring road to getting (and staying) on tour. He looks back at his rollercoaster career so far, from starting out as a surf shop kid and surf school instructor to his quick rise through the Qualifying Series and winning Rookie of the Year to falling off tour and battling back. He breaks down his family history, his mom’s competitive surfing career, growing up in Cronulla as a multicultural kid, and representing both Japan and Australia on his jersey. He also touches on the rise in performance level since his rookie year, inspiring the next generation of surfers, finding confidence and being present in the moment, and his desire for more lefts on tour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Championship Tour rookie sensation, Margaret River local, and Boost Mobile athlete Jack Robinson talks about his evolution from bowl-cut grom to tour competitor. He dives into the heavy expectations from a surf industry obsessed with youth, wild times on the QS with his dad, finding his own path, and growing past the pressure. He discusses his hometown, his favorite local breaks, how the Margaret River coastline shaped who he is today, and breaking out of the Western Australia bubble. He also discusses being inspired by Taj Burrow and Kelly Slater, traveling as a kid with Kanoa Igarashi and Leo Fioravanti, surfing instinctually, and then shares his best shark story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Australian Championship Tour star and Boost Mobile athlete Sally Fitzgibbons discusses her long and successful career on tour, coming so close to multiple World Titles, her constant drive to keep pushing herself, and her progression and evolution as a surfer. Before the Boost Mobile Margaret River Pro, she talks about surfing at The Box, her advantage from growing up around rugged waves, and the many different boards she’s brought for the Australian leg. She also touches on the Rip Curl WSL Finals, building non-endemic partnerships, her uber-athletic childhood, learning how to surf Pipeline, how much longer she has on tour, and the therapeutic place running holds in her life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big wave surfer and former Championship Tour competitor Laura Enever talks about her transition to big wave surfing, the differences between charging big swells and small wave performance surfing, the specific training, and her first time at Jaws and Shipstern Bluff. She discusses her film “Undone” which follows her journey from the CT to the big wave scene and her personal evolution along the way. She looks back at her rise to her seven-year run on tour, from growing up at Narrabeen to getting pushed competitively by her family to surfing on the Nike team. She also touches on which tour surfers have been standouts at her local break before the Rip Curl Narrabeen Classic, breaks down the new waves being added to the women’s schedule, and looks forward to the Red Bull Cape Fear contest at Shipstern. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices