49: Surfrider Foundation vs. US Steel with Mitch McNeil

Wow it's almost the end of 2019. After publishing a podcast every week this year, we're taking a break and enjoying the holidays. We’re also super hung over from last night’s Xmas party! So sit back, relax, and enjoy the final episode of Season 1 of Get Out and SURF with Joe Walsh, Niki Hurren, and Patrick McNulty. 50 episodes in 50 weeks… So what were some of our favorite episodes this year? -  Episode 11: Mark Cunningham: Lifeguard, Bodysurfer, Artist -  Episode 33: Great Lakes Surf Festival 2019 -  Episode 49: Chicago Surfrider Foundation vs. US Steel with Mitch McNeil -  Episode 36: 1 Motorcycle, 2 Surfboards, 3 Years and 10,000 Miles Special thanks to Ray Finley, Adam Greenman, Robert August, Bird Huffman, Sean Mattison, Pancho Sullivan, Peter Cole, Doug Cole, John Becker, Adrian Fernandez, Larry the Cheese, Frank Lemes, Gordon Beh, Andrea Diaz, Ryan Waldron, Paco Vega, Mike Clifford, Katie Rice, Happy Walsh, Kristen Brown, Andrew Cotton, Mitch McNeil, Eric Sharman, Jamie Bott, Grant McCartney, Amber Shaffer, Greg Gordon, all of the other guests that we had in 2019, and of course all of our listeners. Pura vida! We took some awesome surf trips in 2019. Here are the destinations we’ll be putting on the Wheel Of Waves for 2020: -  Colombia -  The Amazon River tidal bore -  Sardinia -  Cleveland -  Hainan, China -  Alaska -  Nova Scotia -  Kiribati -  Brooklyn If you’re a surfer, you’re an environmentalist. Please join your local Surfrider Foundation. What is Season 2 going to look like? Tell us your thoughts. Email the podcast at [email protected] This podcast has been brought to you by Witch’s Rock Surf Camp in Tamarindo, Costa Rica https://witchsrocksurfcamp.com/

20% of the planet’s fresh water can be found in the Great Lakes. This area is also home to some of the US’s biggest industrial manufacturing complexes. For over a century, many of these companies have been dumping lethal chemicals into the watershed, destroying eco systems, and damaging the water supply for millions of Americans. So when the US government allows this to happen in the name of capitalism, what are we supposed to do? Introducing Mitch McNeil, Chair of the Chicago chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. Mitch, along with a group of hungry environmental law professors from the University of Chicago, have filed a lawsuit against US Steel for repeatedly dumping hexavalent chromium into Lake Michigan. Go google that shit and then you’ll see why this is such a big deal. Get involved! Join your local Surfrider Foundation or donate to the Chicago Surfrider chapter https://www.chicago.surfrider.org/ Questions or comments for the podcast? [email protected] Get Out and SURF is brought to you by Witch’s Rock Surf Camp https://witchsrocksurfcamp.com/

This week PMAC, Joe, and Niki hung out in the office with the recorder on and simply talked about what’s been happening at the surf camp, in the lineup, and on the podcast. PMAC shares recent green initiatives the surf camp has taken for 2020 and beyond in a quest to utilize more and more biodegradable plant-based materials, trying to eliminate plastic from the ocean and our food chain. The first NW swell of the 2019/2020 arrived this season and Tamarindo was booming. We dissect the current state of the Tamarindo Rivermouth sand bars and try to help listeners learn how to score this surf spot best. Hint: check the conditions constantly because she’s a fickle beast and can turn on in an heartbeat. The Get Out and SURF podcast is compiling our 2020 surf trip destination list. One trip we’re discussing is to the Pacific Northwest, to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the San Juan Islands. We’re not sure if we should be more afraid of the great white sharks or the killer whales, but Niki seems mostly scared of bears. Do you have any questions or comments for the show? What do you want to hear more of in 2020? Email the podcast at [email protected] This show is brought to you by Witch’s Rock Surf Camp in Tamarindo, Costa Rica https://witchsrocksurfcamp.com/

Joe, Niki, and PMAC catch up with Costa Rican surfing prodigy and Witch’s Rock family member Paco Vega. Paco joined Get Out and SURF on Episode #3 when we discussed transitioning from a longboard to a shortboard. This time around we talk about Paco’s new home and what life is like living and surfing in Los Angeles. Rubbing shoulders with Hollywood celebrities and crusty Malibu locals, it seems that Paco is right in the mix of California living. He lets us know what he misses from home and reassures us that he’s still Tico through and through. Grab a listen, pura vida! Email the podcast: [email protected] Get Out and SURF is brought to you by Witch’s Rock Surf Camp https://witchsrocksurfcamp.com/

This week we sit down with good friend and Costa Rican attorney Adrian Fernandez. Adrian is an expert in many areas of Costa Rican law and helps answer many questions that anyone who is considering moving to, working, or simply living in Costa Rica needs to know: How long can I stay in Costa Rica on a tourist visa? How do I get my residency? Should I bring my vehicle? Can I legally work in Costa Rica? What happens if I get in a car accident? What happens if I get arrested? Can anyone by real estate in Costa Rica? And more. You can contact Adrian Fernandez for a free consultation: [email protected] +506-8386-1698 (text) This podcast is brought to you by Witch’s Rock Surf Camp https://witchsrocksurfcamp.com/

The crew is back in the GOAS recording studio with Niki Hurren, PMAC, and Joe Walsh discussing one of surfing’s biggest controversies: Does it matter that so many surf industry brands are now producing surfboards in factories overseas in places like China, Taiwan, and Thailand? Does technology and production en masse vs. the working with your local shaper push surfboard evolution forward, or does it hinder the progress of the sport? And what about the environmental impact? We hope you enjoy this episode and ongoing discussion. Please send us your perspective as well! Email the podcast at [email protected] and we’ll include it in next week’s show. This podcast is brought to you by Witch’s Rock Surf Camp https://witchsrocksurfcamp.com/

*DISCLAIMER* Hi there, this is Joe Walsh from the Get Out and Surf Podcast. I want to make a disclaimer about this week’s episode. After 44 episodes of Get Out and SURF, I’ve gone out of my way to be as objective as possible and to not be promotional at all. I mean really, you’re not listening to this podcast to be marketed to, and I’m not doing this podcast to sell you anything. Yes its true that Witch’s Rock Surf Camp produces this podcast, and in full disclosure, I’m the founder and owner of the camp. But this podcast really has very little to do with the surf camp and everything to do with the passion we all share for surfing. Since our first episode on January 4th, we’ve had some fun banter, we’ve conducted some very interesting interviews, we’ve traveled to far away places, and we’ve covered lots of content about Costa Rica and everything else surf. But this week it’s going to be a little different. After being asked over and over again “What’s it like at Witch’s Rock Surf Camp?”, “When’s the best time to go?”, “How do I get there?”, “What else is there to do?”, etc, I figured we owed at least one episode to try and answer these questions. So, I sat down with Shawna Mullen, Julie Javelle, and Daniella Ortiz, three very lovely ladies from the Witch’s Rock Surf Camp reservations office to ask them all of the most frequent questions from prospective travelers interested in coming to Tamarindo and Witch’s Rock Surf Camp. For more information about Witch’s Rock Surf Camp: https://witchsrocksurfcamp.com 1-888-318-7873 (SURF) [email protected] Get ready for next week as Niki, PMAC, and myself will all be back together again right here in beautiful Tamarindo, Costa Rica. Questions/comments for the show? Don’t hesitate to email us at [email protected]

Joe and Niki continue their hunt for waves and surf culture in the British Isles. Joe loses a bet and shaves his head as a surf sacrifice, immediately leading them to strike gold with awesome waves at Fistral Beach In Newquay. They then travel back up to Devon to connect with local legend big wave surfer Andrew Cotton, who has just returned to Nazare, Portugal to chase a new swell. Listen in as Andrew and the boys discuss the equipment, training, and mental strength needed to surf the biggest waves on the planet. So put your thermals on, get out of the wind, and enjoy this week’s episode of Get Out and SURF! Please send all questions and comments for the show to [email protected]

Joe and Niki threw destiny to the Wheel Of Waves and so this week’s episode comes from the beautiful coasts of England! Niki shows Joe around his native land, they take in a couple of cold surfs, culinary treats and drive the length and breadth of the Southwest peninsula. Sit back and relax as we discuss being unprepared for colder temps, the best time of the year to surf England, and what to do when the waves are flat. We also ask local surfers in the parking lot for some of that invaluable “insider knowledge” and what motivates them to surf in these colder conditions. Plus Joe has a near heart attack as we drive down old narrow country roads in the search of waves, while figuring out if the boys are real surfers or have just gotten soft from surfing too long in tropical paradise. Put on your 5:4 wetsuit and enjoy the show! Questions/comments? Email us at [email protected]

Welcome to another episode of Get Out and SURF! Join us this week as Joe and Niki wrap up their San Diego surf trip with special guest and local San Diego surfer Amber Shaffer. Listen in as we discuss San Diego’s surf seasons, the best local surf breaks, the best boards to ride, and the absolute best surf shops in the city. Want to surf in San Diego? Get Out and SURF has an awesome surf house that you can rent for your next trip. Email [email protected] for more information. And make sure you don’t miss next week’s podcast episode as Joe and Niki’s excellent surfing adventure continues in Cornwall, UK. Pura vida!