Jamie O’Brien, Pipeline, Pipe Masters, core surfing, Catch Surf, soft-top surfboards, surf culture, YouTube surfing, Red Bull, North Shore Hawaii, Backdoor, Ben Gravy, Jack Johnson, Rob Machado, Kelly Slater and the future of the surf industry — this episode of Pinch My Salt goes straight into one of the biggest debates in modern surfing: what does it actually mean to be a “core surfer” anymore?
Sterling Spencer and Cousin Ryan react to Jamie O’Brien’s comments about sponsored surfers, being core, chasing swells, making money in surfing and the evolution of his career from Pipeline legend and self-produced surf movies to YouTube, vlogging and the Catch Surf soft-top era. They debate whether surf YouTube and soft tops helped grow surfing or changed surf culture for the worse, how JOB influenced the next generation of surf creators, why traditional surfboard design still matters, and whether the surf industry has traded progression, style and craftsmanship for clicks, viral videos and easy money.
The boys also get into Jack Johnson trying to connect them with Jason Momoa, Rob Machado’s legendary hair, Kelly Slater, surf-industry sycophants, Instagram surfer culture, old-school surf fights at Lowers and Trestles, surfboard design, environmental concerns around foam and soft-top surfboards, and why surfing still needs to protect the magic that made everyone fall in love with it in the first place.
Jamie O’Brien has been one of the most influential surfers of his generation — from Pipeline and Backdoor to his early self-produced surf films, DVDs, viral surfing videos and massive YouTube career. But has the rise of surf influencers, vlogging, soft tops and viral content changed what being a professional surfer means?
Sterling also tells the story of surfing Backdoor with Jamie years ago and trying to convince him that the future was the internet — while Jamie was still making money selling surf DVDs.
Plus: hardboards vs soft tops, Catch Surf, Ben Gravy, Blair Conklin, surfboard progression, old-school surf culture, North Shore stories, surfing fights, growing up in surf shops, the future of surfing, keeping surfing core and the eternal question:
Can you make money in surfing without selling out?
Welcome to Pinch My Salt.
👇 LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS:
What actually makes someone a CORE surfer?
And have soft tops been good or bad for surf culture?
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