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Swell Season Surf Radio

Swell Season Surf Radio

Written by: Swell Season Surf Radio
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About this listen

 Swell Season is surfy related radio station dedicated to covering a wide variety of surf related topics and perspectives. Our show is New York-centric focusing on the local surfers who make up this dedicated community of ocean souls.

Swell Season radio shows are recorded at the NewStand Studio in Rockefeller Center. Listen to all our shows on these channels: Soundcloud , Stitcher, iTunes, Spotify & YouTube.

For Inquiries, questions, suggestions and positive congratulations email: swellseasonsurfradio@gmail.com

You can follow us on Instagram @swellseasonsurfradio
or on Blue Sky @ http://smashsurf.bsky.social/



Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/swell-season-surf-radio--3483504/support.Swell Season Surf Radio Network Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Episodes
  • How Surfing Ruined My Life with Jason Borte

    How Surfing Ruined My Life with Jason Borte
    Mar 6 2026
    "The day I decided to quit surfing… it just popped in my head like, 'Huh, nobody just quits surfing. Like if I did, what would happen? Who would I be?'"

    On this episode of the Swell Season Surf Podcast, we ponder the question of ‘who would we be without surfing’ with our guest for this episode. Jason Borte is one of the true pillars of East Coast surfing — a competitor, storyteller, teacher, and lifelong ambassador of the stoke. Hailing from Virginia Beach, Jason's journey began with a humbling first session in 1982 and took him all the way to ESA All-Star and ASP East Pro Champion. A Master's-level educator, surf school founder, Hall of Famer, and author of multiple books including Pipe Dreams, Virginia Is for Surfers, and his upcoming memoir How Surfing Ruined My Life, Jason now serves as Director of Surf Coaching at Atlantic Park — home to North America's first Wavegarden Cove surf lagoon — where he continues shaping the future of the sport through coaching, community programs, and youth initiatives.

    We dig into his transition from 15 years in the classroom to the surf world, new competitive formats at Atlantic Park like the man-on-man "Chlorine Clash," and inclusive youth programs bringing swimming and surfing to underserved kids through partnerships with Pharrell and Adidas. Plus, Jason shares the story behind his books and what led him to step away from the ocean for an entire year.

    Follow Jason on Instagram @jborte & @howsurfingruinedmylifeAnd you can order his books here: Diangelo Publications

    The Swell Season Surf Podcast is recorded by The NewsStand Studio at Rockefeller Center in the heart of Manhattan and is distributed by The Swell Season Surf Radio Network.

    For more information, you can follow @swellseasonsurfradio on Instagram or go to our website: www.swellseasonsurf.com

    Music:
    Artist: The Mountain Goats
    Song: This Year
    Album: The Sunset Tree

    00:00 Guest Introduction
    04:05 Kelly Slater Mixup
    05:34 Leaving Teaching Behind
    06:36 Maker Space Class
    12:28 Surf Projects Surprise
    13:49 Surf Camp Curriculum
    17:07 Atlantic Park Origins
    18:13 Typhoon Lagoon Break
    22:16 First Wave Moment
    24:59 Director Role Daily
    26:49 Tom Curren Visit
    31:27 Wave Pool Impacts
    36:03 New Contest Formats
    42:10 Community Access Programs
    45:42 Wave Pools With Purpose
    46:28 Ebony Beach Club Groms
    48:03 Mentorship In The Lineup
    49:08 First Surf In 1982
    51:29 Virginia Beach Pecking Order
    54:39 Early Contests And Drive
    58:06 Parents Backing The Dream
    01:00:52 Facing Kelly And Going Pro
    01:03:23 OP Sponsorship And Rivalries
    01:05:26 Bud Tour No Priority Chaos
    01:12:26 Wes Laine East Coast Icon
    01:16:59 From Pro To Surf Writer
    01:21:33 Learning Under Steve Hawk
    01:25:55 Writing Pipe Dreams
    01:29:56 Research And Kelly Access
    01:34:28 Slater Self Awareness
    01:35:34 Rivalry And Book Sequel
    01:37:33 Kelly Reviews The Manuscript
    01:39:35 Press Tour And Career Choices
    01:43:04 Self Publishing Kooks Guide
    01:45:36 Virginia Is For Surfers
    01:51:04 What The Community Revealed
    01:57:05 Quitting Surfing For A Year
    02:03:33 Withdrawal Compulsion And Perspective
    02:08:40 Book Deal And Wrap Up

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/swell-season-surf-radio--3483504/support.
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    2 hrs and 20 mins
  • The Cobbler with Jamie Meiselman

    The Cobbler with Jamie Meiselman
    Feb 22 2026
    On this episode of the Swell Season Surf Podcast, we welcome board industry vet, Jamie Meiselman to the show! We trace his journey from cold-water surfing in Westfield, New Jersey and the DIY dawn of Northeast snowboarding to a lifetime of innovation across board sports. Jamie reflects on his early roots in skate, surf and competitive snowboarding, pioneering boot technology with Burton and Airwalk, and his years shaping the voice of the industry as Managing Editor of Transworld Snowboarding during its explosive growth in the early 90s. After earning an MBA at Columbia, he pursued an ambitious surf-focused wave pool project that ultimately collapsed, shaping his philosophy on risk, resilience, and iteration. In 2017, Jamie returned to his core passion and founded Solite, introducing the first heat-moldable surf bootie and building a lean, performance-driven brand now respected worldwide. This conversation explores obsession, reinvention, craftsmanship, wave pool evolution, and the mindset behind creating products that truly improve function — closing with reflections on shaping, favorite boards, and the perfect eternity wave.Follow Jamie’s company Solite Boots on Instagram @solitebootsand you can check out the latest selection at https://soliteboots.com/The Swell Season Surf Podcast is recorded by The NewsStand Studio at Rockefeller Center in the heart of Manhattan and is distributed by The Swell Season Surf Radio Network. For more information, you can follow @swellseasonsurfradio on Instagram or go to our website: www.swellseasonsurf.com Music: Artist: Sure SureSong: This Must be the PlaceAlbum: Sure Sure00:00 Welcome to the Swell Season Surf Podcast + Jamie Meiselman’s Wild Resume04:18 Risk, Failure & the Brutal Early Wave Pool Dream (1999–2004)07:08 Franken-Boots, First Patents & Burton/K2 Innovation Stories10:47 The Obsession Advantage: How Jamie Thinks, Learns & Gets Distracted (AI Tools)13:21 Building a Lean Niche Brand: Solite’s Focus, Marketing & Why Performance Wins19:02 Growing Up in NJ: Skateparks, Hamptons Summers & Learning to Surf23:32 Early Snowboarding DIY Era: Woodshop Boards, Ski-Shop Roots & Tinkering Mindset28:07 Solite Origin Story: From Seamless EVA Surf Gloves to Heat-Moldable Boots32:42 Staying Small on Purpose: Competitors, Core Values & Avoiding the ‘Next Nike’ Trap35:46 Founder Reality Check: Freedom vs 7-Day Weeks, Support Systems & Family Balance41:58 Less Is More: Letting Kids Learn With Guardrails42:53 Balancing Marriage, Work, and Empty-Nester Life43:42 Surf vs Snowboard: Family Interests & Learning Curves46:17 Living Inland vs Beachside: Staying Hungry for Waves49:40 Dartmouth Days: Choosing Mountains, Quitting Lacrosse for Snowboarding52:03 Starting a Snowboard Club + Early Skiers vs Snowboarders Tension54:41 The ‘Urinal Meeting’ That Launched a Transworld Writing Career57:09 Why Surfing Stays #1 (and Chasing Feel Over Progression)01:00:06 From Shaping Curiosity to DIY Boardbuilding as a Step-by-Step Process01:05:52 Boots, Concave Decks, and Performance-Enhancing Gear Ideas01:09:17 Inside Transworld’s Boom: Ads, Trade Shows, and Snowboarding’s Explosion01:13:30 From Airwalk to Burton: Boot Wars, Culture Shock, and the Wave-Pool Seed01:19:45 From Water Parks to Surf Pools: The Wave Pool Spark01:20:27 Prototyping the Dream: Trade Shows, Engineers & Early Wave Tech01:21:42 Business School as a Launchpad: Columbia, Seed Money & Raising Capital01:24:09 The Hard Part: Rejection, Anxiety, and Getting to the First Million01:26:20 The Fatal Flaw: Adjustable Bottom Contours and Why the Pool Kept Breaking01:28:11 When It Fell Apart: Boardroom Confidence, Bad Partners & Lessons Learned01:29:43 The Randall’s Island “What If”: NYC Indoor Surfing That Never Happened01:32:18 Bouncing Back: Mindset After Failure and Building Smarter at Solight01:35:48 Solight’s Growth Playbook: DTC vs Wholesale, Dealers, and Global Distribution01:40:17 Marketing Breakthrough: Pros in Cold Water and the Slater Boots Moment01:43:19 What’s Next for Solight: New Products, Hats, and “No Me-Too Gear” Philosophy01:47:57 Surfer Questionnaire + The Perfect Eternal Wave (and Wave Pools Today)01:54:34 Closing Thoughts: The Future of Surfing, Wave Pool Communities & Sign-OffBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/swell-season-surf-radio--3483504/support.
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    1 hr and 57 mins
  • Saint Christopher Surfboards with Christopher Thomas Campbell

    Saint Christopher Surfboards with Christopher Thomas Campbell
    Dec 26 2025
    In this episode of the Swell Season Surf Podcast, We welcome Christopher Thomas Campbell, artist, architect, and founder of St. Christopher's Surf Craft, to the show. We dive deep into Campbell's unique journey from architecture and fine art to surfboard shaping. Discover the intricacies of edge board design, the influence of New York's surfing conditions, and the evolution of modern backyard shaping. Campbell shares insights on rail engagement, fin setups, and the philosophy behind his craft, culminating in a thought-provoking discussion about whether surfboards can be considered art. Don't miss this engaging conversation about innovation, craftsmanship, and the future of St. Christopher's Surf Craft.

    Follow Saint Christopher Surfboards on Instagram @saint_christopher_surfcraftand you can find his artwork here: https://christopherthomascampbell.com/

    The Swell Season Surf Podcast is recorded by The NewsStand Studio at Rockefeller Center in the heart of Manhattan and is distributed by The Swell Season Surf Radio Network.
    For more information, you can follow @swellseasonsurfradio on Instagram or go to our website: www.swellseasonsurf.com

    Music:
    Artist: Fairport Convention
    Song: Genesis Hall
    Album: Unhallfbricking

    00:00 Introduction to the Swell Season Surf Podcast
    01:09 Meet Christopher Thomas Campbell
    02:24 Diving into Edge Board Design
    03:27 The Unique Features of Edge Boards
    04:49 Exploring Surfboard Design and Innovation
    38:05 The Influence of Skateboarding on Surfing
    43:45 Art and Architecture in Surfboard Shaping
    47:57 Introduction to the Shop Manager
    48:16 From Sculpture to Surfboard
    49:48 The Veneer Essay and Surfboard Aesthetics
    53:11 The Importance of Glassing and Collaboration
    57:42 Sustainability and Material Choices in Surfboards
    01:03:59 Gender and Surfboard Design
    01:12:28 Surfboards as Art vs. Function
    01:21:16 Rapid Fire Questions and Conclusion

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/swell-season-surf-radio--3483504/support.
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    1 hr and 29 mins
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