Jason Old, Ph.D. • Surfing Historian

01/16/2024

S2: E15 on “surf music” is live! 🔥🔥🔥

Links to ep:

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/428cn1F
Apple: https://apple.co/3U2ORkx

For this “extended” (85 mins) episode, I interview ethnomusicologist Dr. Tim Cooley about his book "Surfing about Music." Tim is a music professor at the , and his research interests center around popular and vernacular music of Central Europe (notably, Poland) and North America—paying particular attention to the roles of musicking in creating individual and community identities. In this intriguing episode, he and I chat about how surf music and how “musicking about surfing” has changed as cultural ideas about surfing itself changed. This wonderful book is featured on surfinghistorian.com.

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Artwork by Nacer Ahmadi: IG

Production by and Morrisound Studios

Episode Sponsor: Banana Bag Oral Solution. Check them out online, and use promo code “stay stoked” for a discount on your purchase.

01/06/2024

This is an excerpt from our first volume of “Newb Squad.”
Our goal is to write a children’s book series that’s goes beyond surfing and ocean safety. We also want to include important messages about ocean conservation, as well as simple ways to help protect our beautiful beaches.

We also hope it serves as a fun and positive reading resource for your children, your students, or whomever you read this book to.

Story by Jason Old
Illustration by Gabi Moraes
Paperback book: https://bit.ly/3SYAmxR
Free animated voiceover: https://bit.ly/3tAvPHE

01/02/2024

For episode 14, I interview journalist and novelist, Michael Scott Moore. Michael’s the author of "Sweetness and Blood: How Surfing Spread from Hawaii and California to the Rest of the World, with Some Unexpected Results"—a travel book about surfing that was revered as one of the best books of 2010 by The Economist.

While the main focus of our conversation is on his surfing book, we also make time to chat about his harrowing experience as a hostage in Africa as well.

Shortly after the publication of Sweetness and Blood, Michael was kidnapped in early 2012 on a reporting trip to Somalia and held hostage by pirates for 32 months. He wrote a memoir about this experience that became an international bestseller. That book is titled "The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast." We briefly dig into that experience and book project at the end of the episode.

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Artwork by Nacer Ahmadi: IG

Production by TwistedLogix and Morrisound Studios

Episode Sponsor: Face Stuff. Check them out online at face-stuff.com, and use promo code “stoked15” for 15% off your purchase.

For episode 14, I interview journalist and novelist, Michael Scott Moore. Michael’s the author of Sweetness and Blood: How Surfing Spread from Hawaii and California to the Rest of the World, with Some Unexpected Results—a travel book about surfing that was revered as one of the best books of 201...

12/15/2023

S2: E13: “After ‘Surfer Girls in the New World Order’ with Krista Comer”🔥🏄🏻‍♀️🌊

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For Episode 13, I chat with Dr. Krista Comer, professor of American Studies and Feminist Studies at Rice University, about the origins of her book "Surfer Girls in the New World Order" (published in 2010), as well as her work on “surfeminism.”

We also chat about The Institute for Women Surfers, an organization she co-founded 2012, along with her reflections on the field of surf studies–as it has massively expanded globally in the last 10+ years. The episode concludes with a teaser about her forthcoming book, Living West as Feminists: Conversations about the Where of Us.

Krista’s book, "Surfer Girls in the New World Order" is featured on surfinghistorian.com. For more information on her other projects, visit The Institute for Women Surfers and The Pink Nose Revolution.

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Artwork by Nacer Ahmadi: IG

Production by TwistedLogix and Morrisound Studios

Episode Sponsor: Face Stuff. Check them out online at face-stuff.com, and use promo code “stoked15” for 15% off your purchase.

https://youtu.be/u7L3NO2Mz84?feature=shared

For episode 13, I chat with Dr. Krista Comer, professor of American Studies and Feminist Studies at Rice University, about the origins of her book "Surfer ...

12/09/2023

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for the kiddos? Check out our children’s book for a fun way to learn how to surf and how to keep our beaches clean. It's live on Amazon. We’ve even got some super cool merch on our website too.

Link to book and merch: https://jasonold.com/newb-squad

12/01/2023

I’ve been looking forward to dropping this episode on West African aquatic culture for months. It’s 🔥🔥 (and very enlightening).
Read below for synopsis, or just go ahead give it a listen on all major podcast platforms.

https://thesurfinghistorian.simplecast.com/episodes/s2-e12-west-african-surfing-culture-with-kevin-dawson

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For Episode 12, I chat with fellow surf historian, Dr. Kevin Dawson, about his book, Undercurrents of Power: Aquatic Cultures in the African Diaspora.

Undercurrents of Power centers around African traditions and the ways in which similar traditions—swimming, diving, boat making, and even surfing—emerged within African diasporic communities. This book not only chronicles the experiences of enslaved maritime workers, but also helps to trace and untangle many of their cultural and social traditions. This wonderful book is featured on surfinghistorian.com.

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Artwork by Nacer Ahmadi: IG

Production by TwistedLogix and Morrisound Studios

Episode Sponsor: Banana Bag Oral Solution. Check them out online, and use promo code "stay stoked" for a discount on your purchase.

11/16/2023

For this episode, social anthropologist and founder of "The PhiloSurfer Club," Dr. Ignacio Iturralde, and I explore surfing and its connection to philosophical thought, looking at how powerful the ocean metaphor is as an energy and dimension that transcends us, that is bigger than us, and that we can't control.

We also chat about his current philosophical research project, which focuses on the intersectionality of surfing culture and philosophy, as well as his forthcoming book, Philosophical Reflections on Water—a book that dives into the transformative potential of philosophy and surfing as self-improvement disciplines.

The book itself has a threefold objective: to cultivate self-awareness within the surfing community; to engage a broader audience in philosophy by leveraging the allure of surfing; and to ultimately achieve a state of what he calls "wateraxia" – or “a stoked state of mind that empowers individuals to navigate the political turmoil and polarization of our hyper-individualized digital era.”

Join "The PhiloSurfer Club" at ignacioiturralde.com.

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Artwork by Nacer Ahmadi: IG

Production by TwistedLogix and Morrisound Studios

Episode Sponsor: Foil Surfboards. Check them out online, and use promo code "stay stoked" for a discount on your purchase.

https://youtu.be/rz__RSg72Zs?feature=shared

For this episode, social anthropologist and founder of "The PhiloSurfer Club," Dr. Ignacio Iturralde, and I explore surfing and its connection to philosophic...

11/01/2023

Ep 10 is live! 🔥🔥🔥

For S2: E10, I sit down with Dr. Briana (“Brie”) Iatarola to discuss her research on La Libertad, El Salvador and Trestles in San Clemente, California. In the first half of the interview, Brie and I chat about the historical transformation of El Salvador into an internationally recognized "wavetopia" in the wake of the bloody 12-year conflict, which ended in 1992.

For the second half, we discuss the impacts of sea level rise at Trestles since 2016 and the environmental challenges that coastal communities including San Clemente and San Diego face, highlighting collaborative community resilience strategies as possible solutions.

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Dr. Iatarola holds a Ph.D. in Communication from the Department of Communication and a master’s degree in Latin American Studies from Center for Iberian and Latin American Studies at U.C. San Diego.

She currently teaches for Seventh College's Synthesis Program at U.C. San Diego, and is an invited instructor for a class about the History of Television for the Television, Film, and New Media Critical Studies Program at San Diego State University.

Dissertation abstract (2018): ‘Saved Forever?’: An Eco-Ethnography of Trestles’ Surfscape

Master’s abstract (2011): “Beyond the waves: economic and cultural effects of the global surf industry in El Tunco, El Salvador”

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Artwork by Nacer Ahmadi: IG

Production by TwistedLogix and Morrisound Studios

Episode Sponsor: Banana Bag Oral Solution. Check them out online, and use promo code "stay stoked" for a discount on your purchase.

Episode link: https://bit.ly/3FCXvxY

10/15/2023

For episode 9, Canadian sports scholar, Dr. Bettina Callary, and I talk about Indigenous sport participation and the fully Indigenous surf program that she and her colleagues are working on in Unama’ki (Cape Breton Island) in conjunction with the Surfing Association of Nova Scotia and the First Nation Mi’kmaq Physical Activity Leaders (MPALs).

Bettina is the Canada Research Chair in Sport Coaching and Adult Learning and an Associate Professor in the Department of Experiential Studies in Community and Sport at Cape Breton University in Nova Scotia, Canada. She researches coach education and development strategies, coach developers, and psychosocial understandings of inclusive coaching (e.g., coaching Masters Athletes, women coaches, Indigenous coaches and sport). She leads the Community Active Sport Training and Learning (CoASTaL) lab. Dr. Callary is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Sport Coaching Journal. She wrote the books Coach Education and Development in Sport, published by Routledge in 2020, and Coaching Masters Athletes: Advancing Research and Practice in Adult Sport, published by Routledge in 2021.

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Artwork by Nacer Ahmadi: IG

Production by TwistedLogix and Morrisound Studios

https://thesurfinghistorian.simplecast.com/episodes/s2-e9-indigenous-sport-participation-with-bettina-callary

10/03/2023

S2: E8 is live!

For this episode, I sit down with Brazilian surfer, motorcyclist, journeyman, and author of “Pan-American Soul: Searching for the Meaning of Life on a Surf Trip from California to Brazil,” Adrian Kojin. Adrian and I talk about his surfing motorcycle foray through Latin America in the late 1980s as well as his more recent experience, which was a reboot of that original trip. We also chat about whether or not he managed to find “the meaning of life” during his epic journey.

Adrian’s book is featured on surfinghistorian.com.

You can also read more about his adventures at Surfline.

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Artwork by Nacer Ahmadi: IG

Production by TwistedLogix and Morrisound Studios

Episode Sponsor: Foil Surfboards. Check them out online, and use promo code “stay stoked” for a discount on your purchase.

For Episode 8, I sit down with Brazilian surfer, motorcyclist, journeyman, and author of “Pan-American Soul: Searching for the Meaning of Life on a Surf Tri...

09/15/2023

S2: E7: George Freeth and the Birth of California Beach Culture with Patrick Moser

For Episode 7 (S2: E7), Dr. Patrick Moser and I talk about the history of California beach culture from 1907 to 1945, as well as how one goes about writing surf history and the process of publication with a university press or a surfing magazine.

Patrick is a professor of writing and French at Drury University and he’s recently finished a biography on George Freeth, titled, Surf and Rescue: George Freeth and the Birth of California Beach Culture. Patrick was also the editor of the book Pacific Passages: An Anthology of Surf Writing. Additionally, he’s collaborated with former surfing world champion Shaun Tomson on two books: Surfer’s Code: 12 Simple Lessons for Riding Through Life and The Code: The Power of "I Will," all of which are featured on the surfinghistorian.com homepage.

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Artwork by Nacer Ahmadi: IG

Production by TwistedLogix and Morrisound Studios

Episode Sponsor: Saba Surf. Check them out online, and use promo code "surf history" for a discount on your purchase.

https://youtu.be/2JsBUZImwyU

For Episode 7 (S2: E7), Dr. Patrick Moser and I talk about the history of California beach culture from 1907 to 1945, as well as how one goes about writing s...

09/09/2023

This is the “last word” with anthropologist, Dr. Stefan Krause. In it, he talks about how prepping for this episode reinvigorated his stoke on his research on surf tourism, and surf studies more broadly.

It was such an honor for me to bring him one, as his research helped to inform my much of research on surf tourism in Nicaragua. This was such a fun episode that was free flowing and casual conversation (although we took a bit of a theoretical deep dive) about his research and thesis on surf tourism in Costa Rica, as well as his current research on the Federated States of Micronesia.

This is the “last word” with anthropologist, Dr. Stefan Krause. In it, he talks about how prepping for this episode reinvigorated his stoke on his research o...

09/09/2023

Currently working on an illustrated children's book on surfing and surf etiquette. Here is the cast of characters. From left to right: Cindy Basil, Manuel, Maje Mahi, and Lucky. Who's your favorite?

09/04/2023

S2: E18 Excerpt: "How Ordinary Surfers Can Help Protect Surf Breaks" with Jesse Reiblich

In this excerpt from S2: E18, attorney and expert in coastal and marine law and policy, Jesse Reiblich, is responding to my question about how we as ordinary citizens and surfers can help in their endeavor to protect surf breaks and surf ecosystems around the world. The following excerpt is his response.

In this excerpt from S2: E18, attorney and expert in coastal and marine law and policy, Jesse Reiblich, is responding to my question about how we as ordinary...

09/04/2023

So stoked to finally see this go live! 🔥🔥

For Episode 6, I sat down with public health expert, Jesse Casanova. Jesse is the Assistant Director for International Programs at the University of South Florida Health International. While the focus of this episode is to discuss the health risks associated with international surf travel, we also wanted to provide all of our listeners with some tangible ways to mitigate illness during their travels.

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Jesse Casanova has worked in the field of public health for over 15 years and was a Peace Corps and Peace Corps Response volunteer in Togo, Cameroon, and Senegal. In addition, Jesse has worked in global health, helping to manage the malaria health portfolio for Cameroon from the U.S. Embassy, he WAS also the liaison between Malaria No More and Global Fund in Cameroon, and has helped to train Peace Corps counterparts from over 10 sub-Saharan African countries.

His research at USF includes hearing health projects in Malawi and South Africa, river blindness elimination projects in Nigeria with the Gates Foundation, G4 Surveillance System restructuring proposals with Pasteur Institute of Dakar in Senegal, and Intimate Partner violence training of trainers in Egypt. Jesse is finishing his DrPH degree in Public Health Leadership and holds a master’s degree in international Humanitarian Action from the University of Deusto in Spain.

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Artwork by Nacer Ahmadi: IG
Production by TwistedLogix and Morrisound Studios
Episode Sponsor:

Check them out online, and use promo code "stay stoked" for a discount on your purchase.

08/15/2023

S2: E5 is live on surfinghistorian.com and all major podcast platforms!

In this episode, I sit down with Environmental Science and Resource Management professor, Dr. Dan Reineman, to talk about coastal resource management; his career and life as a professional “coastographer” (a word he coined); and the role of surfers as stewards of their home break. For the bulk of the episode, we focus our attention largely on two places: Southern California and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The episode itself is centered around an article Dan co-wrote with colleague, Nick Sadrpour, titled “The Impacts of Climate Change on Surfing Resources.”

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Artwork by Nacer Ahmadi: IG

Production by TwistedLogix and Morrisound Studios

Episode Sponsor: . Check them out online, and use promo code “stay stoked” for a discount on your purchase.

https://jasonold.com/podcast/s2-e5-surfing-and-costal-resource-management-with-dan-reineman/

08/01/2023

Episode 4 is live! 🔥🔥

For this episode, I interview sociologist Dr. Kristin Lawler about her book, The American Surfer: Radical Culture and Capitalism; we also chat about her essay on the Nietzschean connections between early twentieth century surfers and the hobos of the Industrial Workers of the World–an essay that will be published in the forthcoming book, Roll and Flow: The Political Ontology of Surfing and Skateboarding; and finally, I get her thoughts on the current state of critical surf studies as a field of academic inquiry.

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Artwork by Nacer Ahmadi: IG
Production by TwistedLogix and Morrisound Studios

https://jasonold.com/podcast/s2-e4-the-american-surfer-and-capitalism-with-kristin-lawler/