The room hums with old stories and new nerve. We sit with Adam Ripogle, Chris “Bear” Green, and Craig Young—three Santa Cruz originals whose lives trace the arc from a golden era of surf and skate to sobriety, mentorship, and a creative second wind. The first act is pure place: Capitola as a melting pot, surf movies at the Civic that packed the town, river mouth bars that made heroes, and the shortboard and skate booms documented in grainy photos and backyard ramps. It’s loud, funny, and vivid; parties rolled from Day’s Market to the sand, and if you were there, you remember the nicknames.

Then the tide turns. We dig into what happens after the legend years, when the dimmer switch of substance use lowers the volume on connection and the ocean grows distant. Craig walks us through a 27-year tattoo run, world travel, and the moment he and Bear picked a date and stopped for good. No platitudes—just the quiet shock of clarity, the return of salt and sunlight, and the simple rituals that rebuild a life: daily cold dips, long bike rides, boards and art taking shape by hand. The creativity didn’t vanish; it was waiting under the noise.

We also talk identity and expression as Craig’s headdress, feathers, and handmade jewelry spark questions and conversations. What looks like provocation is actually presence: collecting, crafting, meeting strangers, and choosing love and humility while listening to concerns. The deeper thread is agency. If money, politics, and power are human-made narratives, so is the story you choose to live. Sobriety can be a fresh draft. Mentorship can be a plot twist that helps a kid paddle out—not just for waves, but for a voice. The ocean still heals. The town still breathes. And the best time isn’t only behind us; it’s wherever we start turning the dial back up.

Listen for history, stay for heart, and share it with someone who needs a nudge back to the water. If this resonated, follow the show, leave a review, and send it to a friend who could use a reset.

This one with Femme Futures founder Kyra Joseph isn’t just about surfing — it’s about what happens when women build the stage themselves.

Kyra came up in the WindanSea scene, found grit in rodeo, found her voice in music, and found clarity when she paddled back out in Cayucos and realized just how many women were ready to compete — if someone just opened the door.

What started as a small local surf contest became something bigger — The Diva Cup Surf Invitational, a collision of surf, sound, mentorship, and women’s health that’s as irreverent as it is important.

We talk about what equity actually looks like in the water — pro/semi-pro log divisions to balance experience, round-robin heats so everyone gets real time in the lineup, and the infamous “Men in Heat” event that flips old prize structures with humor and intent.

Kyra breaks down how Diva Cup connects newcomers with mentors, how check-ins turn into coaching sessions, and how normalizing conversations about periods and birth control side effects builds stronger, smarter athletes. The sponsors — Mamala Wetsuits, Keep A Breast, Mad Hippie — aren’t just slapping logos on banners. They’re in the lineup, helping fund product drives for women facing homelessness and backing safer surf culture from the inside out.

What comes through is more than a contest. It’s a blueprint for change — book more women on stage and behind the mic, make safety and recovery part of the stoke, and invite allies to help carry the load.

If you care about women’s surf, inclusive competition, or just real talk that moves culture forward — this one’s worth a listen.

Hit play, follow the links, sign up, volunteer, or donate — whatever keeps the wave moving.

And if this one hits home, share it, tag a friend, and drop a review telling us what your local lineup needs next.

From being a nervous beginner to competing on the international stage, 14-year-old surf prodigy Isla Hardy opens up in this laid-back, inspiring chat. She opens up on the podcast about how she went from crying on tiny waves and getting physically sick from nerves to landing airs at major events like Stab High in Japan—all with a calm confidence way beyond her years.

What makes Isla really stand out isn’t just how quickly she’s progressing, but her attitude. She keeps things real when it comes to competition and failure, and shares her simple but powerful mental trick: “goldfish brain”—the ability to let go of mistakes instantly. Visualization is another key part of her prep, and hearing her explain how it helps her stay focused is honestly impressive.

The convo also dives into Isla’s time surfing on the North Shore of Hawaii, competing at nationals, and growing up in the close-knit surf scene in Santa Cruz. Through it all, one theme keeps coming up: joy. “The biggest thing for me is having joy, so that’s kind of what I try to put out,” Isla says. And it’s clear—that mindset is what keeps her grounded and loving the sport.

One of the coolest parts? How she and her friends manage being both fierce competitors and close buddies. “We leave it in the water,” she says, showing a level of maturity many adult athletes could learn from.

Whether you're a surfer, a sports parent, or just curious about how young athletes grow, Isla’s story offers a fun, thoughtful look at what it means to chase success without losing sight of what you love. Want more? Check out her new YouTube channel, Scratching the Surface, to follow her journey.