There was a time when surf magazines didn’t just report on surf culture—they helped create it. Before influencers, reels, blogs, vlogs, and even the internet, magazines like Surfer were our conduit to the wider surfing world. They told us who mattered, what was happening, where surfing was going, and what was worth celebrating, questioning, or remembering. And the editors were the stewards of that culture. Steve Hawk was at the helm of Surfer Magazine—the “Bible of the Sport”—from 1990 to 1998, one of the most transformative periods in modern surfing. The Momentum Generation was emerging, VHS surf videos were reshaping how we consumed surfing, the culture and aesthetics were changing, and the internet was about to upend everything. In this episode of Swell Season Surf Radio, Steve joins us to look back at those years: the beautifully chaotic Surfer newsroom, the rivalry with Surfing Magazine, the blurry line between editorial independence and the surf industry, and what it meant to help shape surf culture before algorithms took over the job. We also talk about what surfing has gained—and lost—in the digital age, the importance of community in the lineup, and Steve’s fascinating career after Surfer, which took him through Surfline, Swell.com, the Tony Hawk Foundation, HBO, Sierra magazine, and Stanford Business. Those seemingly disparate experiences all collide in Steve’s debut novel, Nearshore, a fast-moving ocean noir that brings surfing together with Silicon Valley, nuclear terrorism, AI, environmentalism, and some uncomfortable questions about technology, power, and who gets to shape our future. In many ways, Nearshore feels like Steve Hawk’s entire career packed into one story.And that gives us a lot to talk about. Steve Hawk is our guest on this episode of Swell Season Surf Radio. Follow Steve on his instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevehawk6211/?hl=enYou can Purchase his new book, “Nearshore” here: https://inkspellbooks.com/book/9798217062331  The Swell Season Surf Podcast is recorded by The NewsStand Studio at Rockefeller Center in the heart of Manhattan and is distributed by The Swell Season Surf Radio Network.  For more information, you can follow https://www.instagram.com/swellseasonsurfradio/ on Instagram or go to our website: https://www.swellseasonsurf.com/  Music:  Artist: David Bowie Song: The Man Who Sold The World Album: The Man Who Sold The World 00:00 Surf Magazines Matter02:08 Meet Steve Hawk 04:30 From Rookie to Leader 07:13 Learning to Manage 09:16 Money and Surfing13:04 Swag and Sponsors 15:50 Did Surfer Shape Culture17:39 Great Stories and Writers 22:05 Inside Surfer Office30:26 North Shore Slide Nights 36:01 Show Up and Be Kind41:14 New York Surf Culture 44:35 Rockaway Boardwalk Scene 44:54 Diversity In The Lineup 47:48 Surf Clubs And Community 48:45 Offline Culture Comeback 50:38 Surfing And Intellectual Life 54:13 Crowds And Finding Empty Peaks 55:36 Democratization Of Surf Media 01:01:16 Algorithms And Tech Oligarchs 01:06:54 Cambridge Analytica And Precrime 01:08:48 Billionaire Villain Blueprint 01:14:14 Nuclear Terror And Scapegoats 01:17:47 Ocean As Antidote 01:20:10 Unfettered Capitalism Critique 01:24:38 Politics In Fiction 01:25:02 Surf Authenticity Details 01:25:47 Real Life Stories 01:28:52 War Tech And Surfing 01:31:21 AI Fear And Control 01:33:04 Magazine Rivalries 01:35:34 Donut Prank Fallout 01:38:58 Split Cover Debate 01:42:51 Tudor Cover Myth 01:45:38 Surfing Future Predictions 01:48:09 Climate And Ocean Threats 01:51:33 Media Diet And Bubbles 01:55:49 Surfers Questionnaire 01:59:25 Where To Find Nearshore 02:00:58 Final Thanks And Outro

San Onofre’s nuclear waste may be one step closer to being relocated, but at least one of the storage canisters containing spent fuel rods appears to be damaged.

"The day I decided to quit surfing… it just popped in my head like, 'Huh, nobody just quits surfing. Like if I did, what would happen? Who would I be?'" On this episode of the Swell Season Surf Podcast, we ponder the question of ‘who would we be without surfing’ with our guest for this episode. Jason Borte is one of the true pillars of East Coast surfing — a competitor, storyteller, teacher, and lifelong ambassador of the stoke.  Hailing from Virginia Beach, Jason's journey began with a humbling first session in 1982 and took him all the way to ESA All-Star and ASP East Pro Champion. A Master's-level educator, surf school founder, Hall of Famer, and author of multiple books including Pipe Dreams, Virginia Is for Surfers, and his upcoming memoir How Surfing Ruined My Life, Jason now serves as Director of Surf Coaching at Atlantic Park — home to North America's first Wavegarden Cove surf lagoon — where he continues shaping the future of the sport through coaching, community programs, and youth initiatives. We dig into his transition from 15 years in the classroom to the surf world, new competitive formats at Atlantic Park like the man-on-man "Chlorine Clash," and inclusive youth programs bringing swimming and surfing to underserved kids through partnerships with Pharrell and Adidas. Plus, Jason shares the story behind his books and what led him to step away from the ocean for an entire year. Follow Jason on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jborte/ & https://www.instagram.com/howsurfingruinedmylife/And you can order his books here: https://www.diangelopublications.com/shop/p/how-surfing-ruined-my-life?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnwS6n5v2MNSz0xe1TwItCR6fqJtbX5BPAFsqKCHU6anR3-tQyJ62XdcaOkU0_aem_avjimMNgyzmKO-N9btLLiw The Swell Season Surf Podcast is recorded by The NewsStand Studio at Rockefeller Center in the heart of Manhattan and is distributed by The Swell Season Surf Radio Network.  For more information, you can follow https://www.instagram.com/swellseasonsurfradio/ on Instagram or go to our website: https://www.swellseasonsurf.com/  Music:  Artist: The Mountain Goats Song: This Year Album: The Sunset Tree 00:00 Guest Introduction 04:05 Kelly Slater Mixup 05:34 Leaving Teaching Behind 06:36 Maker Space Class 12:28 Surf Projects Surprise 13:49 Surf Camp Curriculum 17:07 Atlantic Park Origins 18:13 Typhoon Lagoon Break 22:16 First Wave Moment 24:59 Director Role Daily 26:49 Tom Curren Visit 31:27 Wave Pool Impacts 36:03 New Contest Formats 42:10 Community Access Programs 45:42 Wave Pools With Purpose 46:28 Ebony Beach Club Groms 48:03 Mentorship In The Lineup 49:08 First Surf In 1982 51:29 Virginia Beach Pecking Order 54:39 Early Contests And Drive 58:06 Parents Backing The Dream 01:00:52 Facing Kelly And Going Pro 01:03:23 OP Sponsorship And Rivalries 01:05:26 Bud Tour No Priority Chaos 01:12:26 Wes Laine East Coast Icon 01:16:59 From Pro To Surf Writer 01:21:33 Learning Under Steve Hawk 01:25:55 Writing Pipe Dreams 01:29:56 Research And Kelly Access 01:34:28 Slater Self Awareness 01:35:34 Rivalry And Book Sequel 01:37:33 Kelly Reviews The Manuscript 01:39:35 Press Tour And Career Choices 01:43:04 Self Publishing Kooks Guide 01:45:36 Virginia Is For Surfers 01:51:04 What The Community Revealed 01:57:05 Quitting Surfing For A Year 02:03:33 Withdrawal Compulsion And Perspective 02:08:40 Book Deal And Wrap Up

A great white shadows foil surfer Ron Takeda off Santa Barbara for a full 10 minutes as his friend Tavis Boise films the unnerving chase from just feet away.