Basis Surf Podcast

🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds. https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan Matt Scorringe is a NZ surf coach, former sponsored free surfer, coach for NZ’s Olympic surf team, & founder of The Art of Surfing. We get into the single biggest technical mistake he sees in surfers, & why fixing your upper body often cleans up your legwork on its own. Matt shares the story of him & Jordy Smith trying to surf like Bobby Martinez, how Ethan Ewing generates so much speed w/ barely any arm movement, & the simple drill he uses to help surfers feel what their arms & legs are doing. Plus: why paddle strength, technique & mobility are non-negotiables for adult surfers, heat strategy at Raglan, preparing athletes for Teahupo’o, fin setups, sizing a magic board, & the best ways to train out of the water. Sign up for our free surfboard guide for sizing down volume, video library and newsletter Chapters 01:25 Who is Matt Scorringe 02:30 Coaching Ethan Ewing & Gabriela Bryan at Raglan 06:52 Heat strategy: wave selection vs. maneuver choice 09:47 Board choice in small, tricky Raglan 13:46 Elite mindset: pursuit of excellence & managing the unknown 19:33 Preparing NZ's Olympic team for Teahupo'o 23:17 The biggest problem in junior surfing: broken arm work 25:52 Style vs. arm activation (John John, Parko, Victor & more) 33:39 From filmer to coach: working with Josh Kerr 41:29 Trailing arm low vs. high on carves 45:26 The #1 mistake: the low back arm throw 50:32 Ethan's arm work, pumping & speed generation 58:02 Rapid fire: favourite surfers, fins & magic boards 01:03:24 Ranking surf training methods 01:09:49 What's next for Matt & The Art of Surfing Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more! Join our community of over 140k followers across IG, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube: Basis Instagram  Basis Tiktok

🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds. https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan Cindy Lai (@Cindylaifitness) is a New York-based fitness coach with over 20 years of experience helping people work through chronic pain. She's also a surfer who makes regular surf trips to El Salvador. In this episode, we get into why pain rarely starts where you actually feel it, and how something as small as an old ankle injury can end up affecting your body years later. Cindy also breaks down the posture issues she sees constantly in people who sit at a desk all day, and the simple practices that can help alleviate issues. She gets honest about being skeptical the first time she heard about the Basis Paddle Trainer, and what actually changed her mind thereafter. She talks through what happened after paddle training and how she felt when she finally got in the water in El Salvador. Her body felt different, her confidence increased, and her surfing changed for the better.  Sign up for our free surfboard guide for sizing down volume, video library and newsletter Chapters 1:57 Cindy Lai's Background: 20+ Years as a Pain & Movement Coach 2:16 Cindy's Approach: Movement Quality First 3:27 How Uneven Hips Create a Ripple Effect 5:51 The Kinetic Chain: Feet, Knees & Hips 6:49 Why Surfing Wrecks Your Body Symmetry 9:32 Desk Posture & the Hunched-Forward Trap 13:11 Spine Mobility Drills: Cat-Cow & Rotation 16:07 Patience, Prevention & Small Daily Fixes 19:31 Diagnosing Van's Hips, Feet & Ankles 22:17 "Just Get Strong" Squats, RDLs & Mind-Muscle Connection 26:55 Training in All Planes: The 90/90 Hip Drill 29:40 Feet-Up Theory & More Hip-Strengthening Moves 33:12 Cindy's Surf Journey: Rockaway to El Salvador 39:02 Skeptical No More: Learning Proper Paddle Technique 45:29 Feeling Lighter in the Water & Final Advice Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more! Join our community of over 140k followers across IG, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube: Basis Instagram  Basis Tiktok Basis Facebook

🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds. https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan In this episode, I sit down with Gold Coast free surfer and content creator Blake Neka to talk style, boards, and the mental side of trading competition for free surfing. Blake breaks down how switching from a standard thruster to asymmetrical boards and quads completely changed the way he rides, why he'd rather surf chopped-up, onshore junk than a perfect point, and how obsessively studying surfers like Julian Wilson, right down to individual hand placement, helped him develop his own style. We also get into just how physically demanding his home break really is: with crowds packed shoulder to shoulder, and how he surfs best when he’s most relaxed and tired, around 2 hours into his sessions.  Sign up for our free surfboard guide for sizing down volume, video library and newsletter Chapters 01:27 Welcome to Blake Neka & board shorts talk 02:52 Growing up surfing between Bali and the Tweed 03:54 What it's like having a pro surfer dad 04:43 Fixing a "crabby" style: Julian Wilson and Matt Banting 07:46 Skating, rugby league, and surfing like a skater 09:17 How asyms and quads changed his style 10:58 Why he loves crappy onshore waves over perfect ones 12:05 Surviving the Snapper crowds and localism 16:40 Leg burners and sweep on long point waves 18:36 Competing through the Pro Juniors and QS 23:11 Pickle forks, the shark tooth, and custom asyms 27:46 Lessons from competing and surfing best when tired 35:06 Fitness and training in the gym 37:42 Rapid fire: favorite surfers, fins, board sizing, and training tiers 44:03 Upcoming film and what's next Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more! Join our community of over 140k followers across IG, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube: Basis Instagram  Basis Tiktok Basis Facebook

🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds. https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan Adam Tory of Hurricane Surf Company (@hurricanesurfcompany) presents a unique perspective shaped by two very different coastlines. He learned to surf in Tofino before relocating to the inconsistent waters of Nova Scotia, and now coaches surfers of every level while competing for the Canadian national longboard team. We get into why river and lake surfers often out-surf people who live right on the coast, how Adam breaks down a backside cutback on a longboard step by step, why he's built his whole approach around surfing bad waves instead of only waiting for good ones, and how the Basis Paddle Trainer helped him stay conditioned through a foot injury heading into a tough contest season. We also talk about what separates top international longboarders from everyone else, how climbing and skateboarding carry over into surfing, and go through a rapid fire round where Adam builds his ideal surfer. Sign up for our free surfboard guide for sizing down volume, video library and newsletter Chapters 1:16 Adam Tory of Hurricane Surf Co. 2:11 Nova Scotia's Wild Seasonal Swings 3:47 From London Skateboarder to Tofino Surfer 6:06 What Makes Tofino's Beach Breaks So Consistent 9:12 Building Skills on Tofino's Closeout Beach Breaks 12:03 Moving to Nova Scotia: Quantity vs. Quality 14:58 Competing for Team Canada & the Nationals Barrier 16:03 Contest Nerves and a Lesson from a Lake Surfer 19:58 "Crappy Waves Make Good Surfers" 25:44 Reading Waves & the Hunter Mindset 31:03 Paddle Power: The Overlooked Fundamental 36:49 Pan Am Games & Lessons from Elite Surfers 45:53 The River & Lake Surfer Cheat Code 51:58 Longboard Footwork & the Backside Cutback 1:00:50 Cross-Training Secrets, Rapid Fire & Wrap-Up Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more! Join our community of over 140k followers across IG, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube: Basis Instagram  Basis Tiktok Basis Facebook

🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds. https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan  Gary McNeill is a lifelong surfboard shaper, who focuses on hybrid construction, environmental sustainability, and hand-shaped designs. He has been shaping surfboards for Dave Rastovich for years and in this conversation he breaks down exactly what goes into building boards for one of the most respected surfers in the world. Gary gets into flax construction and why it holds up so much longer than a standard board without adding excess weight. He also talks about what it actually takes to shape for a surfer as dialed in on volume as Rastovich. He describes the channel design behind his twin fins and why it changes how the board holds through a turn. We discuss why most surfboard companies have no interest in building something that lasts, and we also take a rare look into the thinking behind boards that have shown up in some of surfing's most iconic footage. Sign up for our free surfboard guide for sizing down volume, video library and newsletter Chapters 3:02 From Thruster Competitor to Shaper 5:01 Teaming Up with Dave Rastovich 7:03 The "Castles in the Sky" Board Story 9:19 The Taurus Channel Explained 13:25 RTT & Pip: Sizing the Twin Fin Fish for Any Wave 24:42 Developing the Flax Construction 27:43 Why Flax Outperforms Other Materials 30:50 Mass Adoption & Designed Obsolescence 33:43 Dane Reynolds and the Acid Surfboard Test 35:27 Advice for Riding Alternative Boards 38:48 New Shapes & What's Next with Dave 45:24 Quickfire Round: Perfect Surfer & Fin Preferences 49:07 Tier Lists: Board Sizing, Cross-Training & Sign Off Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more! Join our community of over 140k followers across IG, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube: Basis Instagram  Basis Tiktok Basis Facebook

🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds. https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan Matt Grainger (@surfers-compass) is a former pro-surfer-turned-coach who has worked with world champions and CT event winners. In this episode he walks us through Nathan Hedge's comeback story, including the training and mindset work behind his run to the semis at Teahupo'o, and how paddle training was fundamental preparation - something that most everyday surfers forget. We also get technical about frontside carves in terms of weight distribution and rail engagement, taking examples from John John Florence. Matt also explains why style comes down to keeping your personality in the water instead of copying anyone else's approach, and how slowing down and completing waves builds the muscle memory needed for progression in maneuvers. He also gets into board selection, land training, and the mental side of competing, pulling from decades of coaching everyone from grommets, intermediates, to pro surfers at the highest level. Sign up for our free surfboard guide for sizing down volume, video library and newsletter Chapters 01:07 Welcome & Meet Matt Grainger 02:32 Coaching Nathan Hedge's Comeback 04:53 Hedge’s Winning Trials & Facing Kelly Slater 06:51 Teahupo'o 2014: Facing Adriano de Souza 10:06 The Perfect Barrel & Board Rescue Drama 15:18 Reading Athletes: Mindset vs. Technique 16:46 Margaret River Prep & Wave Selection 21:01 Foot Pressure & Rail Engagement Explained 26:32 How John John Florence Redefined Surfing 33:49 Style, Personality & "Surfing Is Dancing" 40:12 Teaching Progression: Why Less Is More 47:12 Prepping for Teahupo’o & the Power of Paddling 59:47 Rapid Fire: Favorite Surfers, Fins & Boards 1:13:46 Land Training Tiers & Where to Find Matt Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more! Join our community of over 140k followers across IG, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube: Basis Instagram  Basis Tiktok Basis Facebook

🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds. https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan Robbie Rickard is an Australian free surfer known for his style and incredible power surfing. We start with his early years of competitive surfing, what it was like going up against names like Soli Bailey and Mikey Wright. He breaks down what he looks for in carves, and explains why timing often matters more than raw strength when it comes to powerful turns. We also spoke about the benefits of surfing longer boards, and how it helped him smooth out his own surfing. We discuss his relationship with SYSTM Surfboards, and the process behind creating his own model, the 6’5” Rob. Lastly, we discuss the shaping machines that he and his dad built for some of the biggest brands in the surfing industry (@surf.shaper).   Sign up for our free surfboard guide for sizing down volume, video library and newsletter Chapters 02:07 Growing Up in Fingal Head 03:23 First Heat Against Soli Bailey 08:41 Mentors: Jay Phillips & Poncho Sullivan 09:15 Riding a 6'3" for 3 Months Straight 13:02 Grinding Through the QS 17:25 Meeting Chippa Wilson at Caba 18:33 The Secret to a Good Carve 23:26 Experimenting with Panda Surfboards 27:57 Designing the 6'5" Rob Model with Kobe 33:12 Sizing Longer Boards & Tail Shapes 40:17 Building Machines with Surf Shaper 49:23 Rapid Fire: Favorite Surfer & Fin Setups 51:22 Tier List: Magic Boards & Training Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more! Join our community of over 140k followers across IG, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube: Basis Instagram  Basis Tiktok Basis Facebook

🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds. https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan Hayden Cox (@haydenshapes) is an Australian surfboard shaper, founder of Haydenshapes Surfboards, and the man behind the winning board in the most recent Stab in the Dark. Hayden walks us through exactly what he built for the contest, and what separated his board from other shapers when it came down to the final surf. We also dive deep into the design theory behind his rocker line for the DarkNoiz model, unpack his development of FutureFlex construction technology, and breakdown the shape and story behind the Psychedelic Germ. We close this episode with a rapid-fire round where Hayden builds his favourite surfer, ranks fin setups, rates the best ways to improve your surfing outside of the water, and tiers every method of sizing a board, including a very honest take on the under-arm test. Sign up for our free surfboard guide for sizing down volume, video library and newsletter Chapters 02:15 Introduction to Hayden Cox 02:24 Short Notice Before Stab in the Dark 04:12 From Taj's Board to Ethan's DarkNoize 06:09 Rocker Line & FutureFlex Feel 10:45 What Sets Hayden's Boards Apart 13:35 Center Line vs Rail Line Rocker 17:35 Subtle Millimeters & the F1 Analogy 20:00 Watching Ethan's Winning Waves 24:50 Construction: The Featherlight Poly Build 27:13 The Call That Changed Everything 32:40 Origins of FutureFlex Technology 46:11 Building the Perfect 3-Board Quiver & the Psychedelic Germ 54:28 Rapid Fire: Favorite Surfer & Fin Setups 57:54 Tier List: Magic Boards & Training Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more! Join our community of over 140k followers across IG, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube: Basis Instagram  Basis Tiktok Basis Facebook

🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds. https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan  In Part 2 of this series, Van Vu breaks down why some surfers seem to level up so much faster than others. He digs into the compounding relationship between paddle power and wave-reading ability, showing how catching more waves builds a mental "memory bank" that changes what you perceive as a makeable wave. Using a side-by-side comparison of two surfers with different conversion ratios, he reveals how that gap widens dramatically over just a few weeks, and explains the key shift in strategy every surfer needs to make as they progress. If you've ever watched a more advanced surfer effortlessly find speed and power on waves you'd have let pass by, this video explains exactly why, and what to focus on to close that gap yourself. Sign up for our free surfboard guide for sizing down volume, video library and newsletter Chapters 0:00 Recap & Building on Part One 0:39 Why Pros Look Like They're Playing a Different Sport 1:24 The Limited Opportunity Problem in Surfing (vs. Basketball) 2:03 How the Skill Gap Compounds Over Time 2:39 Building Your Wave-Reading Memory Bank 3:21 Surfer A: Taking Waves & Expanding Opportunity 3:56 Surfer B: Tentative Choices, Slower Growth 4:45 The Compounding Results After Weeks of Training 5:37 Beginners: Why You Should Prioritize Wave Count 6:17 Advanced Surfers: Shifting From Quantity to Quality Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more! Join our community of over 140k followers across IG, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube: Basis Instagram  Basis Tiktok Basis Facebook

🔥Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds. https://go.surfbasis.com/pb_freetrainingplan  Central Coast shaper Shea Somma (@sheasomma) is known for surfboards that make the most out of whatever the ocean throws at you. In this episode, we get into the DNA behind his designs like the Mini Super, a Mini Simmons inspired groveler built around an optimal length-to-width ratio that he reverse-engineered into a unique user-friendly board. He also breaks down how he won Best in Show at the 2023 Boardroom with his Bonzer-based Panza shape. We also talk about the most common mistakes surfers make when buying boards, and why the current obsession with surfboard volume might be one of the most misleading trends in the industry right now. Sign up for our free surfboard guide for sizing down volume, video library and newsletter Chapters 00:00 Intro 02:13 Shea's Central Coast Waves & Shaping Origins 04:13 Sharks, Colors, and Surfboard Superstitions 05:59 The Mini Super: A Mini Simmons Evolution 12:26 Fins, Concaves, and Hydrodynamics Explained 16:35 How the Simmons Design Spread Across Surfing 19:21 Winning Best in Show with a Bonzer 25:04 Building the Panza: Groveler to Step-Up 30:10 Twin vs. Twinzer: What It Actually Feels Like 36:19 Ocean Beach Guns: The OBG and the Judah 40:02 Biggest Mistakes Surfers Make Buying Boards 44:21 The Truth About Volume 47:04 Good and Bad Trends in Surfboard Design 48:59 Shea's Current Quiver, Board by Board 54:38 Upcoming Film Project and France Art Show Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more! Join our community of over 140k followers across IG, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube: Basis Instagram  Basis Tiktok Basis Facebook