Big waves, Health, Social Media with Shane Dorian I Washed Podcast - Ep #3

Shane Dorian. Big waves surfer, WCT competitor, Health and fitness mentor, business man, loving partner and an amazing father. Such an honor to catch up with Shane and pick at one of the most insightful brains in surfing. From highest of highest to lowest of lows.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

I am in Oceanside California.

SPEAKER_03 0:03

And what are what are you doing there? Um working, bro.

SPEAKER_00 0:26

Just name as you guys.

SPEAKER_03 0:29

That's what it's I think that's kind of amazing. Because what are you doing? You're going to like the Stab in the Dark thing tonight?

SPEAKER_00 0:34

Yeah, so Billabong, you know, they're they're involved in all that stuff. So I'm doing Stab in the Dark. I'm going to go there tonight for Billabong and see the new premiere of that. And then I was here all week. They had sales meetings, so like all their reps are here. So I'm kind of hanging out, flying the Billabong flag for those guys. And then um had some like design meetings earlier in the week about product stuff that I'm working on with them. And so yeah, just super busy, just uh doing doing my thing. And then I go to uh Mexico uh Saturday for three days to go surfing and then um then I'll be home.

SPEAKER_03 1:07

Sick, man. Are you going to like the points?

SPEAKER_00 1:10

No, I'm going to a place I've never heard of ever. Really? Yeah. So I'm going to, I'll I'll give you a hint. There's zero chance you're gonna know where it is. I'm going to a place in Mexico that has an artificial reef. Well, I will say this. It's a it's a it's technically like a a man-created wave that is 150 yards long.

SPEAKER_02 1:37

Sounds like a wave.

SPEAKER_00 1:38

And I'm excited to go, and I'm excited to go see it and ride it. I'm all fired up. So I'm I'm all um psyched to go get some warm water and uh ride some waves with good people.

SPEAKER_02 1:49

Sick. Yeah, we actually planned ahead. I put an apple tag in your board bag, so I'm kind of no action was here and he spotted and he he he planted the apple tag. Yeah, dude. Exactly where you're going, dude. No, that's cool, man. That's good. Have you seen the first episode of Stabs?

SPEAKER_00 2:05

You're supposed to have your phones on on silent, bro.

SPEAKER_03 2:09

That's our producer. That's ridiculous.

SPEAKER_02 2:13

Uh producer did you see uh episode one of of the step in the dark with Ethan? I did.

SPEAKER_00 2:19

Yeah. I thought it was super good. I thought I uh Ethan was surfing kind of bad, but uh but uh no, he it was insane. Like he he obviously he was surfing out of his skin, but um he made the boards look insane. And then and then um I thought he came across really well. Like I I've never seen him look super comfortable on like on camera, and I felt like he just he looked really relaxed and like super, like he was really happy to be there and having a great time. It was super fun.

SPEAKER_02 2:46

That's that's kind of what I thought too. He was like articulate like when he was articulating the boards, I thought like, oh yeah, he's knows exactly what he's talking about.

SPEAKER_00 2:54

For sure. I just like it when uh I I wish he was like a little not not so nice. It would be kind of cool to be like this board's rubbish, mate.

SPEAKER_02 3:01

Like I said, it's so hard. How do you just like crush someone's dreams though? Because it just could be something. Yeah, true. What would you if you did it, would you be like that?

SPEAKER_00 3:10

Would you be ruthless? Or how would you do it? I'm terrible, man. I I know that like those shapers, they you know, it's like their baby. It's like they're it's like their creation that they put all their love and heart and soul into. So if you tell them their board sucks, it's like I mean, it's gut-wrenching, I think, to that. I think they really like, you know, they have really fragile egos. Just, I mean, like all of us, but I feel like shapers specifically, like like you could, Jack, like you could write a board and love it, and I could write a board and hate it, and it could be the same board. Like, it doesn't mean the board's bad, but like if Geordie says your board sucks and you're digging rails all over the place, like man, that would crush your ego.

SPEAKER_02 3:47

No, I totally agree. Yeah, that's why it's like, how do you how do you find it like in yourself to be so ruthless? I'm like, it's hard. I I would have but it makes for a good show. It does.

SPEAKER_00 3:57

Because it's truthful.

SPEAKER_03 3:59

Yeah. Well, I think it depends on the surfer criticizing the board. Like when I told like Darren his board sucks. He's like, no, no, no, you suck. Yeah, totally. Are we already rolling you guys or are we are we about to start? No, we're rolling. We know your time is valuable. We're we're we're on. Okay. We're going to think between like three other surfing jobs that you're still doing. I know. Very strange.

SPEAKER_02 4:22

Strange times. Yeah, we actually we actually had Tori on uh recently, and he was he actually gave us sick insight. I don't know if you ever remember this story, but he was saying that you you pulled him up once when he was like younger.

SPEAKER_03 4:34

12, like or 13.

SPEAKER_02 4:35

Yeah, so you would have been like right in the pinnacle of like championship tour surfing, like Shane Dorian, like I think you might have even been going for a world title around. It was like one of your peaks. One of your peaks. Yeah. Yeah. You don't really stop with your peaks, it just keeps going like. And he you did it a pie graph. I don't know if it's true or you can remember it. But he and he was saying, like, I don't know, Albi can chime in, but he was saying that there was a pie graph that you did when a large chunk of that was like based around media. And I thought that was like super important, like a really cool takeaway. I was like, wow, how did Shane you'd seem like kind of like ahead of the grid, like ahead of the grain.

SPEAKER_03 5:26

Yeah, but he also said the the competition, even though this was probably when you were like really going for a world time, it was a very small sliver. Really small sliver. Huge thing of media, and then like I forget the other categories, but that was the one that stood out was like you made media the biggest by far.

SPEAKER_00 5:41

Yeah, I think I had that. I think I remember that conversation with Tori, and it was like he was super young, and you know, he surfed so well, and he was just purely focused on his surfing, which is what you want to be doing. And of course, it's like boring to talk about you know, playing the game, but you know, in order to have like longevity in surfing, like you need to understand value. And like from a you need to not look at it from your perspective. You got to look at it from the, you know, your the if a brand is sponsoring you or if you have a you have a a brand partnership, you have to look at what's valuable for the brand. And I was trying to explain to Tori, like if you look at it from their point of view, you need to look at Tori's value from their point of view. And that's and that'll give you a a a lot of clarity on what will stoke them out, what will move the needle for the for for the people who are sponsoring you, which you always want to be aware of, you know?

SPEAKER_02 6:30

How yeah, how'd you figure that out? How did you how did you get to that? Because I feel like no one at specifically that time was like thinking about that.

SPEAKER_03 6:38

Yeah, everyone else would seem like they're just like, oh, if I won a world title, I've got silently.

SPEAKER_02 6:42

That's kind of uh seemed like the logic back then.

SPEAKER_00 6:45

Yeah. I mean, I I think I probably asked a lot of questions. So, like when I, you know, for I've been lucky to be sponsored for a long time, but you know, I would ask my marketing manager or my boss, I would be like, hey, I would how can I you can you help me understand how I can move the needle for a Billabong or for Yeti or whoever I'm writing for, right? I want I want to know what moves the needle for that company. Like if if the if those guys are giving me money to represent their brand, I want to know how to stoke them out. So when it's time to renegotiate my contract, it's a no-brainer. I want them to go, wow, Shane is like, we cannot get rid of him. Like, we need to get rid of everyone else before that one person. And like, how do you become that person who's who's like not expendable is the whole key. And understanding the value of an investment, if you're on the brand side of things, I think that's important. So I don't know. I was I always thought about it's probably boring to these the listeners are like, what is this guy talking about? But um genius, man. But I mean it it's it's it's not it's not like um it's not like a secret to think like that, really. Like you know, if someone's giving you money to go surfing, you have to wonder why, you know? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:58

That's a fucking quote. That is do you think it's still the same?

SPEAKER_02 8:04

Do you think it's still the same as it is today than what it was back then to it?

SPEAKER_00 8:09

Yeah, more so. I mean, it is is the same thing, but like you know, like look at like look at Nathan Florence. Like, you know, he surfs a lot, but the the the amount of time that he's actually surfing, even though it is quite a lot, relatively speaking, he spends a lot of time telling his story in an authentic way, right? He's having a blast telling his story. Like that's why it resonates with people, right? Because it's really authentic. He's he's having the greatest time of his life and he's sharing that with everybody. And it resonates with people because fuck, he's living everybody's dream. He's traveling the world surfing epic waves with the only people he wants to, he's only surfing with the people he wants to surf with. He's not doing anything he doesn't want to do. And it's just, man, it's like magnetic, right? And I think he gets it. Like, um, you know, I I just feel like he sees the other side of things. He sees value. Um, he sees what he he knows what people want to see. He knows what the brands that he works with find a ton of value in. Um and then there's certain people who don't get it that surf incredibly well, but just don't go out of their way at all to understand how they can add value to themselves for the long term. But I mean, it's really difficult, you know. Like it's funny because I'm 53 years old, dude, and I have brand partnerships still. Like it was wild. And um, so like I don't know, I just try to learn as I go and suck up as much information as I can and try to like gain knowledge where I can. And um, and then when there's younger guys like Tori who ask me for advice, I try to be honest with them, you know.

SPEAKER_02 9:38

Yeah, that's I think that's the coolest part is like you're sharing all this information, you're not just keeping it to yourself. I actually could, yeah, yeah. And a lot of people would, but you're like sharing it with the youth, which I think is insane. And I think a lot of people should like listen to this and be like, whoa, this is super insightful.

SPEAKER_03 9:57

I appreciate that you go. If your life wasn't as good as Nathan Florence's. Pardon me? How would you go about it if you're if you like didn't have all the freedom of Nathan Florence? Get working, dude.

SPEAKER_00 10:08

I mean, he didn't always have that. He kind of created that freedom. That that's that's kind of my point, is he created he created Nathan Florence. Like if you rewind the years, Albi, if you rewind the years, he was literally John John's little brother. Yeah, yeah, I remember. The only reason anybody who knew who nasty Nate was is because he was literally John John's brother and he was tagging along on surf trips that John John's sponsors had to pay for Nathan to go on. Yeah, like reluctantly. They didn't want to do that. They were like, We sponsored John John, so we have to sponsor his brothers. Literally, like that's the reality of Nathan Florence. He flipped it, dude, and he's just as valuable in 2026 as his brother is. And that is like that is self-made, dude. He's self-made, and that's through super hard work, but like being super strategic and also being like, he's really good at like I don't know how to explain it, but he's he's really good at authentically telling his story. He's unafraid to like you know, he's he's unafraid to like be himself, he's unafraid to like be silly and show his personality. He's not afraid of people calling him kooky for surfing in head to toe lycra. He's not afraid to be called a kook for having a vlog or a YouTube channel and like doing selfie videos with a GoPro. Like, there's a lot of things he does that like a lot of people are like too cool for, and he just created an his own niche straight up, and like it resonates with people because he's having the fucking time of his life, you know?

SPEAKER_02 11:37

That is true. Yeah, I've I I personally would I I I completely agree with you. I know he's probably invested so much time and money in in like on the investment on himself. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:47

He's also really smart, he's also really smart to where he actually is making the thing about Nathan, I think, is rad is like he he's not always trying to get brands to pay for things. Instead, he flips it and he's he's investing in himself and his own trips and then creating tons of content that has crazy value for the brands he works with. And so he's like kind of flipping the model around to where they're super fired up to have him on his program, but he's owning all his own content, he's owning all his own channels, his own distribution, his own platforms. And then it makes it it, it's like exponential growth for the value of the brands he's working with. So when it's time for one of his companies to like renegotiate with him, he's like, dude, like let's look at the metrics real quick. Like my reach is double all of the rest of your whole team combined. And that is that's not he didn't get lucky at all. That is like a lot of hard work. He pushed that thing uphill for quite a long time, and here he is, you know what I mean? He's like the perfect example of hard work plus great strategy equals great results, you know?

SPEAKER_02 12:53

Yeah. Yeah, I feel like you'd fall into that category too, man. You worked so hard. There's like one of the things I was thinking about was was there a point in like your competitive surfing career when you were like going for world titles? Was there ever a point when you kind of that like the transition into free surfing big was there ever like was there like an aha moment when you were like competing, like with that transition where you're like, oh I'm I can turn this into a whole different like a whole different job, a whole different career?

SPEAKER_00 13:24

Yes and no. You know, I mean Albi knows he was there when I when I started going through that, but like essentially I was competing fully 100% focused on world tour. Like I was like like an Ethan Ewing or like a Kuno Igarashi, like I'm not to like make myself on their level, but like that was me. I was that's all I did was care about trying to win a world title and compete all year long. And then all of a sudden I just found myself uninspired, and I I felt myself about to start slipping down the ratings because I was the younger guys were really good and they were coming up super quick, and I could see the writing on the wall, and I was like, I wasn't enjoying myself in competitions, and I was like, I wasn't surfing as good in heat as I did free surfing, so I'm like, shit, I really want to like like I'm not meeting my potential. And and so I started taking a step back and going, okay, I really want to surf to my potential. How can I do that? Right. And I always loved surfing big waves, and I'm like, I honestly, and this is sounds super weird telling you guys this, but I was like, I really think that I could be the best big wave rider on the planet. And I was like, I'm like skillful and I know what I'm doing in like big waves, and I've always loved it, but I've never 100% focused on it and I've never had the time. And so I started thinking about that, and then I went to the brands that I went to Billabong, I went to like my sponsors and said, hey, I'm uninspired on the tour. I don't want to do it any longer. I want to do a couple big projects, like a film project, work with a couple other guys that I really want to work with, like guys that are off the tour now that I wanted to do films with. And then I also want to like really focus on becoming the best big wave surfer on the planet. And like I want to start paddling Jaws. I want to start, I want to go to Nazare, I want to go to Chopo and it's huge. I want to do all these different things and create content instead of like grinding and one foot waves on the tour. Um and so that was my plan B. That was that was my real plan A to be honest. Um, but Albi was there. Like that he was there like when he was like a little kid and I started serving Jaws when he was out there, that was like right at the very start when I got really, really into it. So um, yeah, I mean, I I never really thought about like being strategic about it from a career standpoint, to be honest. I just was uninspired surfing in contests, I just got burnt. You're gonna just follow me a passion at that point. Yeah, but I also I was I didn't know I didn't know, I honestly didn't know if it was gonna be successful and I was gonna have like a gnarly career extension. I just wanted to do something where I to be totally honest with you guys, I just was like, I'm not hitting my surfing potential. I'm surfing in heat at like 60%. I didn't, I wasn't like Felipe Toledo, where you know, when you watch Felipe Toledo surf down the beach before his heat, and then he goes into his heat, he surf better in his heat. I could never do that. And so Felipe, like, no wonder he's on tour for so long. He's doing his greatest surfing in a jersey. I could never do that. I just didn't have the capacity. And um, so I just felt bummed about that. There's something in my mind that just wasn't satisfied. And I'm like, fuck, I think I can go surf like 50-foot jaws and get barreled, and that is my potential. You know, that is like that's like the top of the mountain for me. Like surfing in a jersey and getting a couple seven, fives in a heat, that's not my top of the mountain. I want to go and get like crazy barrels, push myself, scare the shit out of myself, train crazy hard, get in nuts physical condition, and try to like really push myself and feel like I'm like on the edge. Like I want to live on the edge for a while. And and so that's kind of like that's how I shifted my focus.

SPEAKER_03 16:56

How many years was it from when you stopped doing the tour to when we started paddling jaws?

SPEAKER_00 17:02

Probably five years. So I start I stopped in 2004. 2005, I think was my last year, and I just did five events that I wanted to do on tour, and then I started like going to Chopo for toe swells. Um, and then I started um just surfing. Like a I went on a bunch of like big wave trips for Billabong, went to Cortez Bank and did his thing, and then and then the first time I paddled Jaws, I think was 2009 or 2010. So it was like four years later.

SPEAKER_02 17:30

Okay. There's some crazy cool stories around that too. Yeah. Like in the introduction to you guys paddling.

SPEAKER_03 17:37

I want to hear your version of when when that idea became a reality. Because I remember what I remember. For paddling jaws? Yeah. How long ago did that seed get planted in your head? Because that's like the craziest thing that I like a story that's not told enough to be like brut. I mean, you kind of mentioned it, I remember listening to you in Sterling's podcast, but how beat into the media it was that this is impossible. Like, yeah, this is impossible. Like, I that's all I ever knew growing up. And I was just like, and I remember the first time I ever had that thought, it was like after seeing Marcio Powell a big lap, I was like, why the fuck does everyone say this is impossible? Yeah, and like now when that thought crept into your head.

SPEAKER_00 18:21

Yeah, that's a good question. I mean, it's funny because Ian, so so when I quit doing the tour, I started towing jaws a lot with Ian Walsh. And at the time, like there was no paddling jaws when it was big. You couldn't, there was like 60 tow teams out there, literally. And no, nobody was trying to like allow you to paddle. It was like they were trying to cock block you from paddling. Um like, as you know, Alps. Um and you know, I I remember towing with Ian and we'd watch the footage like we would watch footage of Jaws beforehand, like trying to like kind of like daydream about how we could surf Jaws. We'd watch like Laird surf it on video, and then we watch video footage and slow the wave down and see where you could stall and get barreled and all these stuff. And then we started going, dude, imagine being there on a pad on a like a 10.0 or a 10.6 right there, like slowing it down and be like, I think you could get an entry right there. And we started thinking about it over and over and over. And I told Ian, I'm like, dude, I'm gonna order a board for to try to paddle jaws. And then we just started kind of kicking that idea around. And I had a 10-6 made that was a quad. It was a J John Carper, and I said, I want to I want to make this board literally exclusively for Jaws. Like, think think only about Jaws when you make this board. So I want to basically make make me a board that's like, imagine Sunset Beach is like 60 feet and it's a quad. I never rode a quad ever in my life. So I had them made me a 10-6 quad that was kind of heavy, um, and it was super beefy, like really beefy. And um, I just was like, I need to make get a board that's giant and fast and paddles really well and has like that straighter rocker. And um, and I had it made and I told Ian, I said, I'm having a board made now, dude. You should get a board made. Let's try to paddle it. And at the same time, like um there was a there was a it was kind of the uh it was kind of nearing the end of the year. It was like February or something, and um and there was a swell on the way, and I had a hunting trip planned with like five really good friends. We were gonna go to Maui for hunting. And I had a super important hunting trip planned with like my best friends, and we were going there as this swell was coming for Jaws, and it was like a a good medium-sized paddle swell. And um, I think Sion, Ian, Greg Long, and maybe a couple other, like one or two other people paddled that first swell. Healy did. I freaking missed it, dude. I did, I missed a swell. And I talked to Ian like that night, and he's like, dude, we got like good waves, like we fully caught good waves, and there was no one towing. We surfed by ourselves. He's like, I cannot wait for the next session. I he's like, I'm already ordering a quiver, I'm ordering more boards, it's it's on. Like, I'm so excited. And I felt so left out and so envious, but super excited because I already had the board, I was ready to go. And um, and then like somehow a week later, there was another even better jaws swell on the on the on the um, I can send you guys a picture of my very first Jaws wave I ever paddled. It's one of the biggest waves I've ever caught in my life. And um, so a week later, I'm on a flight back to Maui to go surf Jaws. Ian picks me up, we go and I wax my board, I get it all finned up, I get it all ready to go, I got my suit. It was the first day I ever, so the first day I ever paddled Jaws was the first day I ever had one of those inflatable suits. Yeah, I had the first prototype. And um I had no idea what to expect. And I was like, it's on, dude. I I have to eat shit because I have to feel what it's like, right? And I mean me and Ian go out on the ski, it's like it's like 9 a.m. And I was like, I'm just gonna watch it. like an hour but I hate jet skis I hate being on them I get I get um C sick so I hopped off the jet ski I'm waxing my board and I there was like a little current like sucking me out and I just got I just got further and further away from the ski and next thing I know I was like where the wave is like spitting and I and then all of a sudden I was like somehow kind of close to the lineup and there was nobody paddling there was two tow teams surfing and then I was like well fuck it I guess I'm already in the lineup I'm just gonna paddle out a little bit and I but I ended I end up being further out than the inside bowl. It was like in between the very outside and the inside bowl or the West Bowl and I'm sitting there and a huge set starts coming and everyone on the skis starts screaming. I'm not this is so weird like it's weird thinking about it and remembering it because it like makes the hair on my neck stand up um because I was terrified. I didn't know what to I had never caught a wave out there paddling you'll buy it no shit like a 25 foot wave comes in and I like I go up the first wave it's like an 18 footer and because there's huge sets and everyone's screaming and I'm just thinking I just need to get over all these waves right and there's a two tow teams and there's a guy on the wave and he's towing and he's like a hundred yards out from me and he sees me and he kicks out and goes go go go and I'm sitting there on my brand new 106 with like fresh wax and a like a suit that I have no idea if it works. And it's like a no shit it's proper 25 foot wave proper I'll send you guys a text later and I was like in the perfect spot and I just was like well I guess I have to try and I put my head down and I somehow like Albi you know how you guys both serve Jaws like it is so hard to be in the perfect spot for a giant wave I was in the perfect spot on the first wave I ever caught out there. I put my head down and just started paddling and my board was like a freaking rocket ship. I somehow was like perfectly in the spot perfect drop like a textbook drop little feather takeoff I was like way up on the front of my board my board just felt like magic carpet like instantly came off the bottom fully like didn't track going straight set my edge halfway down started bottom turning giant like a big pocket ride. I wasn't deep in the barrel but it was a humongous 25 foot wave and I was fully in the pocket and then I got like that steep coming down like out of it and I got like it was like speeding behind me and I rode the wave like right to Ian Walsh's um jet ski and we just like hugging and all excited and we both went back out and then we we ended up catching like I don't know we each caught like 10 waves that session it was like a magic session. There was like Carlos Burley was out there um I think Kai Lenny was out there. I don't know if you were out there Alby I think it was maybe before you were out there um Greg Long was out there um bitch yeah and that was that was the first time I ever surfed it but man it's like imprinted in my brain and but that was my thinking I just I was excited to try and then I got a board made and then that first way that first that first session came that those guys got um uh Danilo Kuto got a really good wave on that first session that that I missed giant right um and then I was like man I had crazy FOMO that I missed that first swell that I say the first swell there was guys paddling before I was paddling and before you know our whole crew was paddling but not at that scale not at that the size of jaws all of a sudden that we were paddling it was totally different for sure. So what was what was okay so you're at the back no one's really it's incredibly new paddling jaws at the riots especially what was going through your brain when that moment happened where you're like oh my goodness I am in the spot I've been like thinking about this for so long I'm in the spot I've got this board I've got the the the suit I've got everything like what was going through your brain I was just I was excited but fearful and not a lot to be honest but I'll tell you what Jack I kicked out of that first wave and I was like it is on it is on like it is all the way on like I was breathing fire like you would not believe like you imagine like like like Billy at a at a like a 10 out of 10 that's how I was I was like there was there was wakes coming off my board paddling back out to the line and there was nobody in the water literally not a single person paddling I was paddling like white water was coming off my board. I could not wait I wanted the biggest wave of the day I was so fired up but I was like younger right I was like I don't know what I was I would have been like 30 35 years old 38 years old I was like in really good physical shape and really like surfing a ton at that time surfing really heavy waves and so I like wanted it super bad. And then all of a sudden it was like delivering and I was like I felt like I had my equipment was right my mindset was right my physical fitness was right and the the that swell was insane like man it was a really good day and like I just was like one of those by far more one of the most um memorable most memorable days and most memorable sessions of my whole life for sure.

SPEAKER_02 27:16

That's what I was going to say like where does that rank in your like whole surfing career where does that one moment rank?

SPEAKER_00 27:22

That's in the top five sessions of my life for sure.

SPEAKER_03 27:24

Maybe in the top three did you know immediately like okay like this like because I mean as a spectator and someone who was there you know because I remember the first time I saw that session where like then you look out the wave and then we had a session and but the first time I ever piloted I borrowed Marcio's board and there was like a medium day in between those two the day you went out the big one and I got like my first like 12 almost maybe 15 footer and I was just like I remember kicking out of that wave and it like obviously nothing like your wave at the time was very very early days for me. I was like 18 or something or 19 but I remember just being like oh fuck I'm burning my toe boards like fuck that like and I just like is that how you felt like you were just like oh like because there was like this weird thing where it's like you know jaws is our like home even though like you're big on but it's still your home and it's just like it wasn't ours for a while because of the circus and it was just like I just remember thinking like oh it's gonna be ours again like I don't know like what was your like did you ever think it was gonna be a towing thing again no I was like this changes everything.

SPEAKER_00 28:37

That's what I kept telling myself I was like this changes literally everything. Is it all changed today? Is it because you broke that narrative like it let's see it kind of feels like you guys broke the narrative like okay Jaws is not just paddleable I mean not just toe you can paddle this yeah and you know obviously it's it's it's when it's windy it's it's not like that like you you need the it needs to be big and fairly light winds out there in order for you to paddle it yeah so it doesn't change it like when it's super windy trade winds it's still just a toe wave but I was like I was thinking like okay dude I'm like fully wanting it to be bigger right now and it was like oh well over 20 feet and I was thinking I just caught the biggest wave of my life first wave I ever caught out here like what does the next five years do? Like I'm gonna be over here with on every swell I'm gonna get like five more boards made just like this I'm gonna get like 10 more suits I'm like on like I was like so excited. I couldn't wait to I honestly I what I really wanted I had this vision of catching like the best wave of my life and having like Laird and Derek Doner and all those guys sitting in the channel on a jet ski watching that's the same tree but different careers over the account that's so good.

SPEAKER_03 30:02

I've had so many moments when like especially because tow teams have started coming back out there in the last couple years where I see someone towing on a wave even if it's Kai because he always toes in the mornings now I'm like I am fuck five times more likely to go on this wave if someone's trying to tow this yeah for sure.

SPEAKER_00 30:19

It's cool though like it it's cool though because that that same window of time like Albi was super young. Albi you were probably like 16 right during that time which when we started 17 I was 18 when we started the when you guys started but like you guys were like you and Kai and Billy were like kids dude like I remember I remember being out there on those first sessions like at you know so like the next few sessions after that like you guys were out there every single time and I remember going this is so sick like these these kids are like young and they're already freaking psyching. They got big boards they want the good waves they're all fired up they're all excited and they got a little posse like it was so sick. It was like a I think it's very unusual I think in big wave surfing where you got a young up and coming posse that all hangs together is pushing themselves. And then you also have like older mentors like Ian and I were older and like Greg Long and Twiggy and like all these older guys who kept coming over for all the jaws swells were like I felt like we were super encouraging and not like we weren't like no I don't think I felt ever felt threatened by you or Kai or Billy or even Ian like all the younger guys I was so excited that there was like this fresh energy and all these young guys coming up surfing Piahey you know I just thought it was sick.

SPEAKER_03 31:38

Well I was kind of talking about that with Jack on our our first one and it was just me and him it was like it's so much different than it is now because it was it was like a moon mission where we were all together on it, you know like it wasn't because it was so new and we were so like remember so like there was those couple swells the first year um and it was the end of the year. And then there was like a summer where it was like all any of us talked about because everyone had gone a couple ways and we're like holy shit what is possible and there was like that you know five months six months or whatever and everyone ordered boards everyone got excited and then there was that it was like January 4th 2012 I think it was was the first day where we all paddled out and there was like 50 of us or something. It was like kind of a shit show but we all paddled out and no one knew if we were gonna catch a wave though because it was like a bigger the swell was forecasted to be bigger like that day you caught that huge wave was fucking huge but yeah I feel like this swell had way more hype around it you know how it is like the first swell of the year always has more hype. Yeah. And I just remember that though like it it's so funny to think about back on it now because like we weren't that like no one was stressed about the crowd. Because there was 50 guys out but we were all going like on this moon mission together in a way I mean that that dynamic changed kind of quick but like do you remember that day? Because you got a couple huge ones um and then Wasso got like the one big one he went straight on that he like won biggest wave. There's a couple crazy guys and then that was the first time I snuck a Westbull barrel and realized that was my home.

SPEAKER_00 33:13

Yeah I remember that and you're right it was like even though there was quite a few of us out there I remember that day there was a ton of waves actually there was like a lot of waves being ridden and it was like I don't know it was like so early that like everybody was so fired up about like everybody getting good waves. Like I said it wasn't like I don't know you go out to Mavericks and there's a lot or even like Waimea or all these other waves and like there's like this weird pecking order deal and like a lot of egos in the lineup and you get that on at Jaws too but I feel like those early sessions like there was like just this electric energy that was like we were so stoked that we could paddle it like we were all paddling we all were there together the the it was even Steven there wasn't like one guy on a jet ski that had like pulled rank over everybody it was like we were all out there and if a killer wave came and somebody wanted it they were going it was terrifying but that person really wanted it they're in the spot they're going and I don't know it was just really exciting. It was super fun it was like a I'm really really grateful that I was around and excited and involved in that era of big wave surfing because I feel like historically speaking we'll look back at that though that handful of years like that five year period as super pivotal and historic in like 50 years. Like honestly like I feel super grateful to be part of that like nucleus of people that were all psyched at that same time.

SPEAKER_03 34:43

Yeah yeah it was like it was like the freaking chalkboard got erased and everyone was starting from scratch again and it was like so cool to be a part of the and you moved the needle if far along yeah I mean and then you've instantly got you we were pretty quick to rise to the top of that where it became your thing were you tripping out that it was like because for you you quit the tour to become the best big wave surfer and like you were obviously one of the best but then like that movement happening at that time was like a divine thing in the world of shade like I've never seen something like in in all my years of surfing like there's a few times where I'm just like oh that happened exactly when it should have and was like almost made for that person.

SPEAKER_00 35:25

Yeah yeah I mean I I think it's just some things in life like you have good timing and you know I don't know how to say that any better but yeah I'm I think my timing was good with quitting the tour my timing was good with like my my I guess my my goal of surfing really big waves was was right I was right on I was right on with that um because it was like the perfect timing. And then also like I was already like friends with Ian I was always already already going to Maui I was already excited about like getting a big board made for Jaws like soon after that. Yeah I just like all these things kind of kind of came together and like um yeah worked out really well for me to be honest. And from a career standpoint like looking back like I feel like the era of me surfing big waves or like is like definitely a highlight of my whole surfing career. You know like I spent like 12 years of my life chasing contests around and doing you know surfing and contests all year. But like I feel like the real like impact that I had is maybe say on the surf world looking back on it was definitely um surfing really big wave. So I'm psyched that I I was so active during those years for sure.

SPEAKER_02 36:44

And it was really good. For me like watching your career it was um like you did so good in the big wave career after the world your world tour career that it almost overshadowed your world tour career because you were such a you were such a like a a sick competitive surfer. Like I can remember watching your when I was warming up for bells I was watching you and Sunny like you know that's the videos I was watching like on how how to surf.

SPEAKER_00 37:11

So yeah I yeah I I I'm really I'm really lucky I was able to have a full um second act you know what I mean so I'm stoked for sure. Yeah yeah it didn't feel like that if that makes sense it just always felt like you were top tier you just you just have this grateful shift into just like this awesome shift into like okay he was like one of the best competitive surfers of agent now he's one of the best if not the best big wave surfer you know I mean it it's when it from the outside it's like it looks really like the transition's super smooth and all this stuff but it's like it took a lot took a lot of like work and a lot of you know like um pushing it uphill a bit with my sponsors to support me stopping the tour and you know it's always like there's a lot of work behind the scenes whenever you see someone doing something that works out really well you know there's a lot of work involved but yeah I'm just like looking back on it it was the right call for sure which is always a good feeling right in life like life is short like making the making the wrong call is not very fun and we all do that sometimes but when you look back and go wow that was like a really big decision I made I wasn't sure at the time and it was the right call.

SPEAKER_03 38:19

So you know was there a lot of second guessing between like because that five years between quitting tour and finding jaws as a paddle wave like was there any second guessing during that time because I mean I had no plan B, dude.

SPEAKER_00 38:30

I was like a surfer that's all I knew how to do so it wasn't like oh I'm gonna transition into like this other thing where it's like this killer career um you know I'm gonna have this killer job or something. I was just like dude I all I know how to do is surf and I I really want to like um do something I love to do. And it was like very simple. It was like really innocent at the time. It wasn't like super it wasn't like super strategic or anything.

SPEAKER_02 38:54

It sounds super simple when you say it but like what were the conversations like because I can only imagine because it was such a new thing no one would really done what was the conversations when you took the billball and like all your sponsors but they just like what the fuck like you want to go a little bit there the like the problem was there was no precedent.

SPEAKER_00 39:09

Yeah when you when you quit the tour back then you went into obscurity.

SPEAKER_02 39:15

Yeah that's kind of what it was like you just faded into the abyss.

SPEAKER_00 39:18

Yeah and there so there wasn't I wasn't like I I couldn't say hey see this other guy what he's doing I kind of want to do what that person's doing. Look at all the success that person is having I kind of it was like if I tried to use an an example of someone who quit the tour it was like these people would just disappear off the face of the earth. And so I was like look like it's gonna be a leap of faith on on on your part but I am incredibly determined and really hyper motivated to do some really cool things and I will probably I promise you I'll be way more valuable off the tour than I am on. And I was just like really hyper motivated and I didn't really ever overpromise historically with them. So they like but I will give them a lot of credit because they did believe in me and they stood behind me and they were totally super enthusiastic at me stopping the tour I'll I'll put it that way. So it was cool.

SPEAKER_03 40:14

Was your campaign two closing segment that was like kind of right after stopping the tour then huh? Yeah. Where does that rank amongst things because for me that was that was a big that was a big moment to watch I don't know that was I mean as far as like your accomplishments I'd put that right up there with like that October 9th swell 100% man.

SPEAKER_00 40:36

That was like um I feel like this podcast is like my greatest hits or something I feel like really bad talking about all this shit.

SPEAKER_02 40:43

Go for it. Don't worry we I mean yeah we'll gonna there's some no not there's no hard questions coming to don't worry.

SPEAKER_00 40:50

I feel like it's like a um I feel like it was going to be a lot tougher than this. I just feel like I'm talking about myself the whole time.

SPEAKER_02 40:56

That's what a guest does yeah exactly we're learning but if I don't worry I'm gonna deflate Albi a little bit but yeah we're just pumping you up.

SPEAKER_00 41:04

No we we'll make yeah Albi you're you're right though like when I when I look back at the the things I've done in in surfing that I'm really really super super proud of to be honest like um getting the final part in campaign two is like is like bigger than it was like it would have been like I on par with winning the world title believe it or not at that time. 100% at the at the time Kelly had had the last part of every Taylor Steele movie for 10 years. And so like it's funny it's a kind of a crazy story. So back then the the movie would be finished and Taylor instead of releasing it Taylor would do this like a tour like a like a premiere tour of like eight different nights in a row like up and down California showing it in like all these different places and I went to like the first five of them just to support Taylor and support his film and so did Kelly so did Andy so did Bruce so did like Jamie O'Brien was they there at all those and it was it was such a big deal to be in Taylor's films right just first of all if you were in his films you had a good contract you had you couldn't buy your way into those films. Like he either put you in them or he didn't he didn't care who you were sponsored by sponsors weren't helped trying to get Taylor to put you in his movies like he he either loved the way you surfed and wanted to include you or not it was kind of gnarly but so just to be in the movie was a big deal. And then at the time I wasn't young anymore so I was like kind of fighting to get the very best section I could and so and Andy was and Bruce was and Kelly was we were super competitive but it was everybody always knew that Kelly was always going to get the final final section because he always did and he was so much better than everybody. And so anyway I'll cut to this to the to the end but so at the first premiere and I at the at the end of my filming right before the the cutoff date for filming I went to Tahiti and I got like three crazy gnarly super heavy waves and and they got into my section and I was like oh my God I was so stoked because those waves like really ramped up my section made it like more exciting and it was really there's a lot of variety there was like backside airs and frontside airs and barrels and turns and I I was just super stoked on my section right because I put a ton of work into it as you guys know how hard that is to do um and I was like yes I finally have a section I'm super super proud of and I went to the first premiere it was in like LA like Malibu or something and I I had like the third to the last section which I could not believe because like it ramped up at the end it was like it got gnarlier and gnarlier and gnarlier and then the last guy had that the gnarliest section always and I could not believe I had the third to the last section I baffled like holy shit and so I was like I was it was such a win I was like oh my god I can't believe this I was like right there with like Bruce and Andy and Kelly. That's sick and then and then um And then the next time it was like in in uh at uh at in uh in Solana Beach at the I forget the theater of the name, but the um right there where you where all those surf films were were always at. And we went and it was like the next night or a couple nights later, and we're all there again, and uh, and we're having a couple beers and we were all there like cheering for Taylor because it was like in his hometown, and we're there was like this the place was completely packed, and I remember just like this crazy electric energy. Um, and the movie was really good, like everyone had six sections, and and so anyway, it came time. I was watching it, and Taylor Steele came up to me, and he was kind of like kind of loose, he had a lot of beers, and he was like, You're gonna really love it tonight. And I was like, Oh, Taylor's had a lot of beers, like I've already seen it, and uh I've already seen the movie, you know what I mean? I've already seen it, it's sick, I do love it, and I all of a sudden it was supposed to be in my part, and it was like Bruce's part. And I was like, I swear this is supposed to be my section, and then it got to Andy's part, and I was like, it's weird, I'm like getting emotional right now. It's like that nuts. And I remember like going, what the fuck? My part's gone. And then like Andy and Bruce and like Kelly were all there, and they all came over to me and they were like started like hugging me. And then I had the last section.

SPEAKER_02 45:29

Holy that shit. Yeah, dude. Are you kidding? I just goosebumps out of that shit, dude.

SPEAKER_00 45:34

And uh, and I guess what happened with Andy and those guys were telling me is like they l legit thought I I should have had the last section, so they talked to Taylor afterward after they saw the first the first one of it, they said we think Shane should have the last section.

SPEAKER_02 45:49

Are you serious, man? That is the coolest story ever.

SPEAKER_00 45:52

Yeah, it's pretty crazy. I was not only was it like the craziest, like um, the craziest accomplishment ever for me from a from a surfing career standpoint, but also that like all those guys, like, you know, it was a lot of egos at that time. Like, we're all super competitive, and it's really difficult to like get everybody to like put their egos away for a moment. And so, like, for those guys to like make the case that I should have the last part, like meant a lot, a lot to me.

SPEAKER_03 46:20

That's the best way that could have possibly happened. It was like you got by your ears for it, not just Taylor.

SPEAKER_02 46:25

And not to mention, like, the P is at that stage, yeah. Like the P like, you know, that's insane.

SPEAKER_00 46:32

But yeah, so to answer your question, Alby, that was like a 10 out of 10 like top moment in my career for sure.

SPEAKER_03 46:38

Wow. Okay, good. I was worried that because I don't know if you remember when we were in Scotland, I put one of your songs on from a movie part with you and Taylor in the car, and neither of you recognized it, and it was like a very honic part in my life. And I was like, what the fuck? These guys didn't care.

SPEAKER_00 46:56

It's not that we didn't care, but like I I don't I don't know. Like, I don't know, yeah. I I guess my there was a lot of those movies too. There was a lot of the movies. Like, you know, Taylor had like eight or ten movies in a row, so like trying to keep all the songs straight was not that easy.

SPEAKER_03 47:11

Every one of your songs from every one of those movies.

SPEAKER_02 47:13

That's cool because it just that that's how pivotable the pivotal uh uh pivotable it was pivotal on the next generation of surfing.

SPEAKER_00 47:22

That's and that's that's that's something that I really miss, you know. I think a lot of people who are listening to this that are older can can really relate to that. Like it was such a big deal when those films came out because there was no other content out there. We weren't doom scrolling surf porn 24 hours a day of A plus clip after A plus clip. We didn't have that. So like kids like Albion you guys were like watching those films, going, like, well, these guys are the best surfers, and look at this guy's part. Like then the song they watched the, you know, all the kids then they would watch those parts religiously and get psyched to go surfing, and they would memorize people's parts and they knew every single wave that there was that was coming up and everybody's song, like it was such a big deal, and it was just a really special time in surfing. I feel like you guys are like the last generation to really enjoy that, you know?

SPEAKER_03 48:09

Yeah, well, I remember it was just like I feel like because surfing progresses now, but it's it's in a weird different way. Where like back when those films came out, it was like the whole year everyone was kind of surfing the same, and that film came out, and then like if you went to like your local spot two weeks after one of those films, everyone was trying something new. Like all the stuff, like you know, it was just like it was just leaped. Like, I remember that for campaign one, campaign two, especially Stranger Than Fiction, like all those I remember just like that's so sick different stuff.

SPEAKER_00 48:42

That was a great chapter in surf history for sure, man. I'm stoked to be a part of it.

SPEAKER_02 48:47

Yeah, that's so awesome, man. How does it like I guess one thing I wanted to talk about, like seeing like being as pivotal, uh as pivotal as you were? What's up with you in that work? I don't know, it's a tongue twister. But like how do you like having a you know a family and all that, navigating family life? Because uh like for me when I was on tour, a big part of me like kind of losing my my love for surfing competitively was like having a family. Did that ever affect when you when you were on tour? Did that because you were you having kids like as you were falling like as you were like losing your love for the tour as well? Were you like focusing on family?

SPEAKER_00 49:26

So I I waited until I was done competing before I had kids. Oh, okay. Okay, gotcha. Yeah, but it it also like kind of wreaked havoc on my um my mental state surfing big waves. I was really it was really, really hard to focus and go all in on surfing big waves feeling like um irresponsible as a father, you know? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 49:52

Yeah, well that's why you probably made that vest that saved everyone's lives. 100%. And then that made Charles way more crowding than Natal.

SPEAKER_02 50:01

Like being being you, and like that's that's the crazy thing to me, because like, you know, um in like kind of embarking on like trying to paddle a few touchdowns of jaws, it's like it's so crazy how it made it so much more accessible for people with not the right talent level.

SPEAKER_00 50:17

Oh yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 50:19

Do you ever get do you ever do you get like do you ever see people out there be like you should not fucking be out here?

SPEAKER_00 50:25

Yeah, of course. But at the same time, like there's there's all anytime you anytime you introduce something new into anything, whether that's like a something that makes things safer, yeah, race car driving or whatever it is, like you're you're always gonna get something that's gonna be good, it's gonna get it's gonna impact it in a good way, and it's gonna impact it in a bad way, always. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 50:47

Um it's called a placement effect. I knew this because I asked this question to an economic podcast. It was like seatbelts were the most classic example of that because everyone thought you're gonna drive so fast that the roads were actually gonna be more dangerous. Right. But every time it's a net positive.

SPEAKER_00 51:04

That's exactly right. You have to remember like the the like the net positive is the is the big one, LB. Like big one. That's that's everything about it. Think of all the people that would have died if that wasn't there. Honestly, like it's really, really hard to die with one of those suits on. Really hard. Like, really would have a lot, a lot of weird shit would have to sort of go wrong. And the proof is in the pudding because we've never had someone pass away wearing it. Um, there's been some close calls and stuff, but just in general, if it's if it works correctly and it's operational, um, you're coming to the surface. And if you're on the surface, you're they're gonna find you fairly quickly. Um, so it does, it makes it makes it safer, and then and then also like from a surf performance standpoint, like think of all the crazy waves that people have gone on. That no chance you would ever go on those waves without it.

SPEAKER_02 51:55

Oh, that's kind of how I felt being out there. I'm like, oh, I've got this thing, I've got this safety harness basically attached to my back. I'm good.

SPEAKER_00 52:02

And the performances, like the the imagine how like how committed Albi is when it's big and how committed it, dude.

SPEAKER_02 52:09

I've seen it with mine too. I agree. I agree. It's it's probably one of the I think the the best thing.

SPEAKER_03 52:18

What would you think if I like out there without one just to surf differently? Do you think it would be just stupid? Because I've always thought of that like I'll take it on a day that's like Especially the way you surf it's a lot of people. But I'm saying a day that wasn't a day that wasn't firing or whatever. I've always thought like, oh, I kind of want to go out there and just have a little impact vest and just like I would surf differently, but just to experience it in a different way. Because there's I mean there's parts of it, I knew it'd die. I didn't have a vest at October spell when you got your crazy wave, and I got one of the best waves of my whole life.

SPEAKER_00 52:50

I think that you'd be fine in general, in most cases, and it's this is gonna sound super weird, but at at Jaws specifically on the West Bolt, the the way the wave breaks, it's has a super intense impact and then goes super mellow fairly quick at the end. Like, so if you take off where you normally take off Albi and you get super barreled and then you eat shit, yeah, you get pounded, but it's not the same as eating shit at the peak where it's apexing into itself. Like if you go on like a 25-footer from the deep part and you eat shit on the drop, it you're gonna drown, dude, with no vest on.

SPEAKER_03 53:25

Dude, I don't know. Yeah, no, there's only one way to find out, but I I really I have an exact wave where Tom Lowe and Tori took off and they both went. And I remember watching Tom Lowe come up in like five seconds, and Tori just got smoked all the way in. So I think it depends on the wave sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 53:44

I think you should do it, and if you do it, you should smoke meth. You should smoke meth before doing it because dude, I used to watch Flea out at out at Mavericks, and the shit he used to do with no vest was insane, and the confidence that he had was through the roof.

SPEAKER_02 54:05

So yeah, far out, man. I don't know. It's so hard to work backwards, like knowing that it's there and just being like, yeah, you know what?

SPEAKER_03 54:12

No, I can use it.

SPEAKER_02 54:14

And yeah, you're right. You need to pick up the meth pipe instead of in there's zero chance you're gonna surf the same, LB.

SPEAKER_00 54:19

I mean, I could be wrong, but I would bet my life savings on it that you're not gonna have the same attack mode. You're not gonna have the same confidence, you're not gonna, you're not gonna be locked in as hard if a freaking 25-footer comes.

SPEAKER_03 54:31

No, no, no, I agree with that, but that's part of my thing, is like, is I take a lot of well, because I think a lot about my brain health, and I like I have so many more concussions because I'm not scared of drowning. So like I remember going two or three seasons when I was just wearing a little XL vest without fucking falling once. And I was like, I didn't get it crazy of waves, but I was like, my body took no damage. And I was like, So there's like I it's just something I I'm not like super into it. I was just curious what you thought about it. Like, it's not like I'm gonna go. It's just an interesting thought, I thought.

SPEAKER_00 55:03

It is, and I think on smaller days you probably get away with it just fine. And and especially if you're a straight strategic about the waves that you go on, and you're you know, you're you're pretty choosy, and I think you probably wouldn't fall that much. And if you did, you'd probably fall at the very end of the wave and it would be pretty mellow.

SPEAKER_03 55:20

Yeah, exactly. I think it would be like it could be a net positive on smaller days because like when it's small, like and I have a vest, like I feel too invincible sometimes, and I feel like I make a lot of dumb mistakes. So that's just a thought. Uh yeah. Yeah. Talk about the void you left out of Jaws when you guys finished. Yeah. You know, like, dude, uh John John had the funniest quote. I when I was like hanging with them yesterday, we were talking about like just some Jaws drama that had been going on. Uh but he's like, he just kind of like snapped at me out of her. He's like, you know what you guys' problem is? Is you, Billy, and Kai and Ian all think you run Jaws. And I was like, dude, you're totally right. But it was like it was a trippy thing when you and kind of Greg and like Twiggy and just and even Healy and stuff, like that kind of crew left. Bruh, there was like a crazy, like clamoring, like just everyone trying to grab the throne in a weird way that's like never been sorted out.

SPEAKER_00 56:19

That's funny. It's like the it's like the cartel guy gets killed, like the head of the cartel, and then everybody scraps.

SPEAKER_03 56:26

Yeah, you're fucking El Chapa, dude. So is it anyway?

SPEAKER_00 56:32

I never thought about that, but um, yeah, I because I haven't been there much right afterwards. But uh, I mean, from what I see, like you guys are crushing it. And you know, I mean, it I think that that healthy, that healthy competition and that competitive vibe between all of you top guys out there is rad. It's rad to watch from the from the from the sidelines as a fan. It's rad. Like you guys push you push each other like crazy. It would suck if there was only one of you and then it was a bunch of scrubs out there.

SPEAKER_02 57:00

Okay, so with within saying that, top three right now, modern era of this modern day surfing of jaws. Who's your top three, you reckon, Shane?

SPEAKER_03 57:10

Oh, he would you'd have to leave someone out to do that. You can do it to me, it's fine, Shane.

SPEAKER_01 57:15

No, let's uh let's have it out top five then. We'll get yeah, we'll get top five. Top five.

SPEAKER_00 57:22

Oh, that's pretty easy, I think. Um that's actually not that easy.

SPEAKER_03 57:28

But uh honestly, like I think I just want you to know that.

SPEAKER_00 57:36

Well, it obviously like um I think Billy and Alby and Kai are are in the top three. Yeah and I think if you asked a hundred people, there uh everybody would have a different um a different top person. I honestly think that like the shit that Kai has done out there, like his pinnacle points over the last like eight years are pretty gnarly, man. Um and his approach is so weird and so different and so hard to like understand because of his background and different like wind sports and stuff. But like I think top five is like obviously Albi's there, Billy's there, Kai's there. Um and then it gets murky, I think. Um I'm trying to think. Like consistency-wise, it's hard.

SPEAKER_02 58:33

Um there's been so many good efforts over the last like there's been so many good performances, and there's so many guys.

SPEAKER_03 58:39

Yeah, because Ian had the craziest year ever during El Dinho, and that was like a crazy one.

SPEAKER_00 58:45

Ian, when you stack up his best rides, is way up there, and then the other person I would say, well, the person who had the top craziest wave I've ever seen out there is freaking um is Twiggy.

unknown 59:00

What?

SPEAKER_00 59:01

This wave, I think, is the gnarliest wave any humans ever caught with their bare hands.

SPEAKER_03 59:05

He fell. I fucking hate that give that wave credit, dude. He fucking fell. And he like on that wave, you would have made that drop so much easier and made the barrel. I hate that we give a wave that was a mistake so much credit.

SPEAKER_00 59:18

It's not that he fell. The the the fact that he almost made it doesn't even bother me. It's the fact that if you put even all those guys I just said, the top five, in his spot when that wave came in, maybe a one other person might have turned around and went if I was gonna like put my money on it. And who would that person have been gone? He's crazy, dude. Hey, you say that now. But when a 30-foot double up 30 foot close-up, that's okay. When a 30-foot double up comes your way, it's talk is cheap, dude. Like he he doesn't have to talk, he did it.

SPEAKER_02 59:58

Do you reckon Albi would go?

SPEAKER_00 1:00:00

Try and watch that wave again. I've watched that wave again. Do you reckon Albi would go shade? I mean, I it that's just like speculation. It's you don't know. You I like to think that I would go if I was like in my prime, but um man, it that wave was really different. Very few waves that I've ever seen anyone ever paddle like match up to that wave ever.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:25

That's pretty yeah, it wasn't for me.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:27

That's my personal that's just my personal um yeah. I just I tend to think of not the barrel so much like barrels, like comparing it from a barrel standpoint, but just the the the giantness and the terrifying element of that particular wave and the shape of it, how when he paddled into it, he had no chip shot. It was a straight up double up, and like there was a really high probability that he was gonna eat shit super bad on that wave is very similar to that wave that Nathan Florence got at Chopo on his backhand years ago paddling. It was like he was almost certain that he was gonna have a horrible wipeout and went, and that's what that's what that's how Twiggy's wave was.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:07

That's that's insane. So top five is Billy, Albi, Kai in those particular order, and then Twee. I think Tweiggy's up there. That's a solid top five.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:21

Yeah. What do you think, Alby? I always threw Greg way above Twiggy. And he has like the waves he caught. Like that wave he caught the day after in October where he like just fell out of the end of the barrel, because that was different than falling on the wave. He he finished the wave and he didn't get palette or anything.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:38

It's easy. Yeah, it's easy to put Greg in that conversation as well. He's a hammer.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:42

That's what I like about what you said. It gets so murky at the Form 5 because you're like, gosh, there are so many guys who could kind of fit that void right there. For sure.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:50

Does Jackson have any? I think I asked you this before. Does he have any desire to go out there and surf? No. Really? Do you think he will one day?

SPEAKER_00 1:01:59

No. He's a he's he's like a high performance surfer. He's like uh, he's focused on like he he just has no um, I don't think he has a desire to surf it. And then I don't think I've had anything to do with it, to be honest, but I think I've done a good job of taking pressure off him thinking about it because I've always been like, you know, like it's it's if if it's not really what you want to do, then you shouldn't do it. And yeah, you know, and I've and I've actually really tried to convince some of Jackson's friends to go over there, like like Legend Chandler and um and like Luke. Yeah, like Luke Tima and Nalu, the some of the younger guys on Oahu that are surf really good in bigger waves. I've tried to convince them to go to Jaws recently because I know that they actually do want it. And those guys would be gnarly out there. But yeah, Jackson, Jackson could do it, but unless you have the desire and it's in your heart, you shouldn't be out there. He would be another one of those guys who's doing it for the wrong reasons, and that would suck.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:59

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that was actually one of my questions. Uh, you know, just being you and having a son who's kind of following in the competitive footsteps. Um like how do you how do you go about like managing his expectations on the whole QS, like chasing the QS and to a life and all that? That's a hard question, Jack. Um because I'm a parent myself and like you know, one of the you know, learning from you I feel like this is not a hard question.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:28

It's just like a um it's a tough one because Jackson's gone through a lot of adversity. It sounds super funny. Like people listening to this are like that kid's not gone through any adversity. Um, because he's been super lucky in life for sure. But like from a competitive standpoint, you know, he has he hasn't had a lot of um success and he's had a ton of like hard losses that he really takes tough. Like he's one of those, you know, we've all about we we're all sore losers, right? We all hate losing, but he really, really uh he's been doing a lot of losing the last few years, and and he has a lot of friends that are have been doing a lot of winning. And um, he's really good friends, really good friends with Aaron Brooks and Dane Henry, and a lot of these people that are qualifying and making on the you know, like the challenger series and making on the CT, winning CTs at 17 years old, you know, stuff like that. So um, yeah, he's part of a friend group that is all like really good at competing, and he hasn't really found his footing at competing yet. And so I've been I've been trying to just be a voice of reason of like, dude, like, you know, and when you're losing, you feel like you you don't have anything to give and you don't belong, and like you get imposter syndrome of like, wow, like I can't believe I have sponsors and I'm losing, like all that stuff starts coming to play. Like we all we've all been there, every last person, but when it's happening to you, you feel like you're the only one that's ever felt like that and it's horrible. Um, and it's it could get depressing if it happens over and over and over for years, literally. So um he's been going through a lot, and um, I'm proud of him because he still has a a crazy joy of surfing. Like he just broke his jaw and had a wired his jaw was wired shut for eight weeks straight, where he was literally sipping his food for eight weeks. And um his board hit him, his board hit him in the jaw. And so he couldn't surf for a while and he was like stuck at home, bummed out, and and then so but now he's got a couple surf trips that he's going on and he's so excited to go surfing again and so fired up to surf with good surfers. And I don't know, it's just um, but yeah, it took so so to to answer your question, Jack, man managing that is more just like being a father, like being like, hey, like, dude, you know how lucky you are to be able to go surfing like all the time. Like even erase that it erase that your it's currently your job, but like the fact that you just get to go surfing every day, dude. Like literally, there's like drone strikes happening on this earth right now, and you're going surfing. Like, fuck, we're so lucky, like crazy, right? Like, yeah, this world that we're in is so insane and so crazy, it's hard to believe. So, all of us that are not living in a third world country where you know there's like drone strikes happening and we're we're we don't have anything to do with it, but people are getting blown up and people are fighting over like crazy stuff, man. I just I can't believe we're living on the same earth as people that are dealing with that. And I just think it's important to keep that perspective of like how lucky we are. I can go outside right now and go for a surf or go, you know, go go golfing or go hang out with my friends. And uh it's just like you gotta you gotta keep it in perspective. But when you're when you're 19 years old and all you care about is surfing and you've always dreamt of being a pro surfer and on the tour, it's you know, when it's not happening, it's it's not easy.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:50

So yeah, I mean that was a sick answer. I thought for me, it felt like you've done a really good job at managing his expectations with appreciation, which is I think is like so cool. Like that was I feel like that was a really cool answer.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:04

It's hard, you know, being a father is hard. When you when your kid's going through a a tough patch, like a really tough go. Um, you know, it's it's it's it gets real, you know what I mean? And and you don't you never the worst thing ever is like to see your kid get hurt or in pain or not being not successful or having their dreams crushed over and over and not knowing what to tell them. But like I think adversity is really good for our kids. I talk about that a lot with people, but like my kid breaking his jaw or my kid having like a hundred first lounge first round losses, like as horrible and as how how bad it hurts and crushes your heart every time. Hardship in our lives is really good. Not having an easy life is really good. Like getting uncomfortable is where all the growth comes from. That's how the people that that we all look up to, like the only way they got there is through tons of tons of experience of experiences of them putting themselves in really hard situations and failing a lot and not giving up, you know. So I just I think it's good with our when our kids, like as a father, I think it's good for your kids to go through a lot of adversity, but it's the hardest thing ever to allow them to do so.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:18

Yeah, I can only imagine, man. Um it seems like it, you know, for me, I feel like he's Jacko is still really like he's really young, and I feel like he'll bounce back from this and he's got all the potential to make it.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:30

He's also having fun, dude.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:32

He's got like he's so excited about like if they're having fun, dude. Like that that is the coolest thing in the world.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:39

I like it. And I'm like, dude, life is short. Like, yeah, if you if you if you get to go on surf trips with your buddies and we get to do a couple surf trips once a year, I mean that's huge, dude. We're gonna remember that for the rest of our lives. And so, like, just really appreciate all the opportunities you get and surf as much as you possibly can.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:58

Yeah, that's awesome, man. That is so freaking cool.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:02

I love that. We can probably let you go there though.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:04

Yeah, it's like a good wrap-up.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:06

Sick. Well, congrats, you guys, on the podcast. Congratulations on the new show. It's I'm so psyched for you guys. You guys are great at it.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:12

Thank you, brother. That was sure. Thank you so much for um giving us some of you of your time. We know it's valuable, dude.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:20

I know, we know you're still working on it.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:21

Staying shiny, dude. Staying 100. That's a good thing.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:26

I'm always all the time.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:27

I'm always up to talk to you too, man. So yeah, every single time I hear a Rick Ross song, I think of you. Ditto.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:35

You wanna plug your fitness app?

SPEAKER_02 1:09:39

Yeah, so yeah, so yeah, hang on. Talk to us about what you got going on. You know, think about it. Yeah. Are you serious?

SPEAKER_03 1:09:45

Yeah, I really do.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:47

I love your post, by the way, Alby. That was amazing. Um I was hoping you got one subscriber from it and then you'd find it funny. I love it, dude. I I love it. But you know, that it I I but definitely put myself out there with this, and like it's you know, whenever you do that, like a lot of people are gonna troll you and heckle you. And, you know, the the only way to not get haters and trolls is not getting out of your comfort zone. So yeah, I uh I I I recently started doing some online fitness coaching. So I my clients are men in their 40s and 50s who want to stay in shape or get more in shape for for all different kinds of reasons, but mainly for surfing.

unknown 1:10:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:29

So, like a lot, a lot of my guys are like people who have families and they work super hard and but they want to go to Indo once a year or go to Mexico once a year, and they are super psyched to get super fit for their surf trip. And so it's really fun. I I love I've always I've been super into fitness for a long time, and I'm really into like longevity and wellness and stuff in my own life. I'm like obsessed with it, so it's it makes a lot of sense. And I I've been coaching, you know, surfers and I I was coached at the Olympics and stuff, and I love coaching people, so like like those two worlds are kind of kind of coming together, and it just makes a lot of sense. So it's a lot of fun.

unknown 1:11:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:06

You should um, I don't, yeah. It's something that now that I'm a little bit older and you know, like mid-30s, like we asked everyone who what they would give their younger self-advice. Yeah I wish more than anything I like take took care of the my body the way I do now, like 10 years ago. Did are you ever thinking about expanding it to like a ground thing too?

SPEAKER_00 1:11:28

I mean, no, I'm not, but the there's so there's a zillion fitness coaches out there, right?

SPEAKER_03 1:11:34

And there's there's actually my point is like they might listen to you. Like yeah, like like Tori did, you know, like presentation ignoring. Yeah, like I I don't know. There's because yeah, I just wish no one really told me, or like even surf culture at the time, like there was only a couple of people that are training all the time, and I didn't want to fucking surf like them. You know, like I wanted to surf like when you're younger, you don't have an appreciation for how important it actually is. Yeah, yeah, I guess it's I I guess it's not really a thing you can communicate to like younger kids in in a meaningful way, or it's like really hard to take.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:12

And and like Alby, like you thought we were coops for training back then. You know what I mean? It was koo, it felt kooky like in surfing. Like if a guy was training super hard, like it they seemed like a kook back then. Where like you know, now it's like you you see these people that you know, like I think when I was when I was like 20, I remember being on the tour. I'm going back now again. I mean I remember being on the tour when I was like I was like 21 and Potts was like 27. And I remember him retiring, and me and Kelly were like, Can you believe how old Potts is? We everybody thought everybody thought Potts was super old and he was 27. Gurlach, he retired at like 28 years old. Dude, like they were they were retiring from the tour like at their highest level when they were like 28 years old. They were like in their 20s. I mean, they weren't even prime yet, essentially. That's right. And so, like, I guess what I'm saying is now you realize like that like our prime is way longer and later than we all thought. And if you take care of yourself in an intentional way, you can like extend not only your career, but just your stoke and your ability to go surfing with your kids. And like, I want to go snowboarding with my with my kids when I'm in their my late 60s. I want to be shredding down the mountain, I want to be doing surf trips in Mexico and Indo for the rest of my freaking life. And I you I won't be able to unless I take care of my body, so it's just that simple to me.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:37

Yeah, that's amazing. I mean, I'm like a perfect case of just someone who was just so stupid about that, and then like I guess it was head surgery that made me see the light, but like it's something like oh, I wish I could communicate what I learned to younger people, like, but I just don't know if you can. I think it's something you kind of have to figure out on your own on some level.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:00

Alb, the the the way that I discovered that I have some sort of interest in doing what I'm doing now, you could be having that moment in the next few years, dude. Like that that could be something that you I'm I know it sounds weird, but I had this moment not that long ago, like five, six months ago, where I was like, it went from like that's super weird, even consider that to now I'm doing it. I have a full-on business. It's wild. But like maybe that's something that you're passionate about. Maybe like share your love for freaking getting in shape and your fitness and your longevity with the younger generation, dude. It's freaking sick.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:33

Love at what you do. Well, yeah, I'm also like a newly sober person and turning over these different leaps, uh, which is a whole other story. I'm eventually gonna tell this podcast that didn't well for me.

SPEAKER_04 1:14:42

But even better, dude.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:45

Even even more so. That that's even like a that's a stronger message that res resonates with that many more people. That's even more reason. But if you're passionate about helping people, dude, and it's you're living your life that way and it's authentic, it's fucking real, dude. Sick.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:59

Yeah. Well, this podcast is one thing that I did not. It took them a long time for me to buy into this. I was like, oh yeah, like I need to fucking talk more. All I do is get in trouble when I do that. Um, but well, I mean, it's it's been really freaking fun so far. And like, yeah. And plus you don't get to have like this is one of the only like setups where you have like two hour conversations where no one's looking at their phone or anything. Yeah. Unless you've been scrolling this whole time.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:24

And like we said, like I was saying earlier, like um just like getting out of our comfort zones is is where all the magic happens. So, like for you guys, you guys are getting out of your comfort zone. That's that's that's awesome, dude. So congrats.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:38

I want to tell you.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:40

At some point in the future, I want to be on to do your show again. So many more questions to ask you, but I feel like that's another podcast in itself.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:47

We want next time you're home, we want to get you in person.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:49

That's fun. Yeah, we've got to get you here. All right. I'll come in the studio. Yeah, this would be so sick.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:54

Yeah, I thank you so much. That'd be so good.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:05

Love you, Shannon. You're the mim. Love you guys. Thanks for having me. That's all right. Thank you, brother. All right.