"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