The Surfer's Journal presents Soundings with Jamie Brisick

The bestselling author on self-discovery, escaping your roots, the multifarious ways in which we relate to the world around us, the surf-travel connection, freedom, and working in the service of your passion. Paul Theroux is an established travel writer and novelist residing on the North Shore of Oahu. Author of numerous acclaimed works such as The Great Railway Bazaar and The Mosquito Coast, Theroux's stories are imbued with the virtues of globetrotting and self-discovery. As a child, Theroux recalls fantasizing about the distant worlds he read about in books—destinations of possibility that contrasted to his tribalistic upbringing as one of seven children in a small New England town. Theroux joined the Peace Corps in 1963 and began teaching in Malawi. In this episode, he sits down with Jamie Brisick to talk about what influenced his birth as a writer, the importance of grasping and respecting the nuances of your surroundings on land and at sea, and the relationship between place and self-discovery.

The waterman on "designing danger" as a Hollywood stuntman, eschewing labels, training for wipeouts, the aloha spirit, the visceral connection between fear and enlightenment, and his family's Westside legacy. Brian Keaulana is an esteemed lifesaver and surfer who has been an irreplaceable advocate for the importance of life-saving skills and ocean-education within the surfing community. Son of renowned surfer and lifesaver Buffalo Keaulana and brother of three-time ASP World Longboard champion Rusty, Brian has understood the importance of living in symbiosis with his surroundings from a young age, starting with getting in the water with his father at just three months old. In this episode, he discusses his family's legacy, Hollywood, survival, and the power of storytelling as a vehicle for cross-cultural communication.

The bassist for rock band Pixies on the surf-music connection, minimalism, the symbiosis between growth and tragedy, and finding forms of expression—on stage and in the water. Argentine-American Paz Lenchantin is both a musician and a surfer. Throughout her music career, she's held positions in popular alternative-rock bands such as A Perfect Circle, The Entrance Band, Silver Jews, and, most notably, Pixies. Hailing from a family of classical musicians, Lenchantin's love for playing bass went hand in hand with a certain sense of rebelliousness. In this episode, she sits down with Jamie Brisick to talk about the relationship between music and surfing, and the role rhythm plays in structuring our relationships to the surrounding world.

The most accomplished surfer ever on omens, the virtues of being vulnerable, his odyssey through fame, what the future looks like in midlife, and where to find inspiration after redefining the pinnacles of performance. Kelly Slater's competitive nature, sheer athleticism, and grace under pressure have won him 11 world titles. Now, at 50, he opens up to Jamie Brisick about the key ingredients for success and how his professional surfing career and life in the public eye have come to shape his understanding of happiness.

The definitive waterman talks with Jamie Brisick about his adrenaline-junkie beginnings, early heroes and influences, self-doubt and managing fear, the backstory of his Millennium Wave, and more. Produced by Jonathan Shifflett. Music by Little Wings.

The Beastie Boy talks with Jamie Brisick about how he found his way to surfing, life on the road, improvisation, and risk-taking in creative endeavors, the making of "Sabotage," and more. Produced by Jonathan Shifflett. Music by Little Wings.

The surfer-shaper-writer-critic talks with Jamie Brisick about outrigger canoes, his relationship with the surf world, surfing "then" versus "now," and how to keep wave riding interesting riding waves in mid-life and beyond. Produced by Jonathan Shifflett. Music by Little Wings.

The big-wave charger talks with Jamie Brisick about the possibility of a big-wave gene, the joys of the single-fin gun, sexism in the lineup, what it's like to sit on the boil at Waimea as a set swings wide, and more. Produced by Jonathan Shifflett. Music by Little Wings.

The electric freesurfer talks with Jamie Brisick about staying relevant in the changing media landscape, the benefits of irony and self-deprecation, his decision to leave the world tour, being recognized in the grocery store, and more. Produced by Jonathan Shifflett. Music by Little Wings.

The award-winning author talks with Jamie Brisick about surfing and addiction, the acceptance of substance use in the arts, the double-edged nature of the surfing life, the benefits of meditation, and more. Produced by Jonathan Shifflett. Music by Little Wings.