Corey and Sean are back for the ninth installment of the Beneath the Surface Podcast. The guys sit down with Chris Taloa, a native Hawaiian with a familiar face--you may recognize him from movies like Snakes on a Plane, Blue Crush, and Into the Blue--who embodies the BOTE lifestyle.

In Beneath the Surface Podcast: Taloa, get to know one of our favorite people and the most badass inflatable paddle board in the BOTE line up in the process. From growing up surfing daily to becoming a Hollywood artist turned family man, Chris Taloa's deep appreciation for his homeland of Hawaii and mentality of always remaining pure of heart has shaped his life and how he shares it with the world. He embodies the true spirit of Hawaii from the culture to the sport of surfing, his love for all things water, and the spiritual vibe that brings together people from all over the world.

In this episode, the guys recount the jam-packed videoshooet spanning Hawaii and California, SUP fishing adventures with Sean and Chris, the grittiness of North Shore ghettos, and terrifying close encounters with great white sharks. 

Links from the Episode

Chris finds his aloha again with a little help from the Rover Aero in BOTE Presents // Taloa. 

Live the Taloa lifestyle with the Rover Aero.

Learn more about Samoa and Hawaii’s North Shore.

Check out the Pipe House on the North Shore.

Fish for striped bass in the California aqueduct. 

Fishing miles off the coast? Opt for our GatorshellTM Rover instead. 

Who’s in the Episode

Lead Designer, Co-Founder, and CEO at BOTE, Corey Cooper is a licensed engineer hailing from Auburn University. Corey is the pioneer of the DarkRoom, assisting with the design of the machinery, concepting the layout and ultimately developing the workflow used in DarkRoom production. Corey’s passion for this project is so strong that on any given day, regardless of how busy things are at BOTE, you will often find Corey working in the DarkRoom.

Sean Murphy is the Director of Photography at BOTE and a world-renowned photographer based in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. After spending most of his career based in Los Angeles, shooting for brands like Adidas, Red Bull, and Toyota, just to name a few, Sean moved back to the Redneck Riviera. You can find Sean capturing gritty America and spontaneous moments that translate into visually stunning photography.  

Chris Taloa is the ultimate waterman. A Samoan who grew up on the North Shore of Hawaii, Chris Taloa is a Los Angeles-based surfer, actor, dad, and adventure fisherman who loves nothing more than exploring the area’s waterways on a stand up paddle board. 

Sound Bites

“I consider this place home in a lot of ways. I grew up here all up to the age of seven. You’ve never seen a kid with that much appreciation for his land.” - Chris Taloa