Hardcore Surf History

Often overlooked for the warmer waters of its Hawaiian and Californian counterparts, the Atlantic coast of New Jersey has been home to surfing for 135 years, and in turn has held unsung influence over the history of the sport in America.” 

That is the Opening Quote for the newly released book “I Heard There Were No Waves in New Jersey: Surfing on the Jersey Shore 1888-1984” by Rizzoli Publishing and edited by Danny DiMauro and Johan Kugelberg. 

Our Guests for this episode of Hardcore Surf History are the contributors to this beautiful book and tribute to New Jersey Surfing. Book Editor a Danny DiMauro, New Jersey Legend, Mark Neustadter and Former Atlantic City Heavy, Mike May. May is a founding Member of the NJ surfing Hall of Fame and write the definitive story on Duke Kahanamoku protege, Sam Reid. 

All of them have contributed to this beautiful book. Drawing on archives of photographs and ephemera from private collections, and from those held in the New Jersey Surf Museum and New Jersey Surfing Hall of Fame, this book is a celebration of East Coast surfing, from its pioneering beginnings at the end of the nineteenth century to its heyday in the 1980s as the scene converged with skateboarding and a shared influence on street style.

It featured insightful texts that illuminate previously unheralded moments in the evolution of the sport, the book not only introduces some of the greatest unseen surf photography of the last century but also lets the Jersey Shore take its rightful place in the history of American surfing.

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It could have happened anytime, anywhere. But our guest’s story takes place in Santa Barbara, California from 1980 to 1983. Four short years that saw a giant leap forward in the development of West Coast surfing, design, performance and image. It was set off by a rare combination of individuals, innovation and illumination,against a backdrop of some of the best seasons of surf in two decades. 

Some have called this California’s Halcyon Days. But many of us may not have known about this giant leap in surfing had it not been for a modest 19 year old Texan with a slight drawl who just moved to Santa Barbara in late 1979 to attend the highly regarded Brooks Institute for photography. The Texan would go on to document a period in surfing that would go on to reverberate in the surfing world for decades. 

Our Guest Jimmy Metyko, from Houston, Texas, has maintained a multi-faceted, successful career path in fields of photography, art, graphic design, fashion design, brand creation, development and marketing by the application of one simple strategy: staying ahead of the curve. And in some cases, even designing the curve.

We could go on and on about his accomplishments and career both in and out of surfing but, we’re here to talk about a small slice of his life. His recently released book, Shaping Surf History, by Rizzoli Publishing, is out now and it documents a very special time and place in surfing. It is the Stuff of legend and lore. He documents the rise of a quiet and unassuming surfing savant, his mentor and shaper, a sudden arrival of a world Champion and a crew of surfers that would go on to shape the future of surfing. I am of course talking about Tom Curren, Al Merrick, Shaun Tomson and the Santa Barbara surf scene. Jimmy Metyko is our guest on this episode. 

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The great Phil Edwards once said something along the lines of, ‘My first wave was the best ride of my life. Everything after was downhill.’ Whether that was true or not, the point made was the first taste of surfing often leads to obsession that sticks for life. And like any addiction, the stories of how we get hooked are as varied as the addicts themselves. From Hollywood Films to cool older brothers, inspiration takes on many forms. Each of our odysseys have their own origin stories which colour our image of what surfing is and in turn, help shape the culture itself. And like Edwards’ downhill allusion, each career has their own trajectory. This may be me just trying to be clever, but I’m going to end this intro with question, is the way our wave ends in any way decided by the way it began?

In this episode, we ask how and why we started to surf? We explore various on ramps and off ramps to a surfing life. Was it luck? Peer Pressure? Or some mysterious force that has driven us to our destiny of a salty life? Plus, another round of Stump my bro! All on this episode of Hardcore Surf History. 

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It would be impossible to overstate the legend of Michael Peterson in the annals of Australian surfing. 1976 World Champ, Peter Townend, described him as: “Miki Dora, James Dean and Marlon Brando, all rolled into one.” At the time, he was regarded by many as the best surfer that had ever lived.

One of the most iconic images in surfing history is of Michael Peterson at Kirra in 1971 laying his board on rail in his iconic red trunks. The shot became the classic film poster for Morning of the Earth and was used as the cover of Tracks Magazine in February 1972. His Iconic turn consolidated his reputation as the fastest man to ever ride a surfboard. The Still image of this turn would go on to change the way surfers saw riding waves and would inspire infinite versions of it, generation after generation. 

In this special episode of Hardcore Surf History, host Tyler Breuer discusses the legendary Australian surfer Michael Peterson (MP) and the lasting impact of his iconic turn at Kira in 1971. Peterson's image became a hallmark in the surfing world, setting a standard for wave riding. To honor him, photographers Simon 'Shagga' Saffigna and Daniel Carmichael created the 'MP Classic Cutback Competition,' a global contest on Instagram where surfers compete to execute the best version of Peterson's famous turn. Esteemed judges include Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, Dean Morrison, Steph Gilmore, Tom Curren, and Mark Occhilupo. The competition runs from June to September 24th, with videos tagged #MPCCC24 and following @only_one_MP. The episode features in-depth discussions with Simon ‘Shagga’ Saffigna and Daniel Carmichael about Peterson's legacy, the competition's origins, entry details, judging criteria, and its impact on the surfing community.

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On this episode, Was surfing really better way back when? We explore the pros and cons of being a surfer today. We ask, Is our perception of the past a cognitive bias? Or was it really that much better? And did waves pump that much harder. Plus, Jamie and Tyler see how their past experiences stack up against each other with another round of Stump my Bro.

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On this episode of Hardcore Surf History Bonus Section, Tyler goes full on surf nerd with the legendary Matt George. They discuss his new book 'In Deep' and get the real story behind behind 'In Gods Hands', his win at the Mr. Hot Buns Competition at the Allentown Wave Pool competition and reflect on how the media landscape has changed. This is a not to be missed episode!

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On this episode, we tackle the essential question: What is Style and why does it matter? We ask What makes a surfer stylish? Where did we get our notions of style from? Who has it? Who doesn’t? and Why does it mean so much to us? We wade our way into the fraught and subjective topic on a matter of style. And of course… The Breuer Brothers try to out-vogue each other with Stump My Bro.

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On today's episode we look in the mirror and take a long, hard, sobering look at the image of surfing. How important is surfing’s image? Does it shape surfing’s culture? Does it affect who takes up the sport? Does it impact on the actual experience itself? Do these questions even matter? Then after we stare long enough at ourselves, Jamie and Tyler have a staring contest and try to Stump My Bro.

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At This year's Rip Curl Bells Beach Easter Classic’s 60th Anniversary, Tom Curren and Mark Occhilupo–two of surfing's most influential characters and rivals–competed in a special Heritage Heat. The Curren/Occy Rivalry is stuff of legends. Many middle aged men get weak in the knees just mentioning the two. But.. Why? Why do we care so much about this rivalry? What is its importance to pro surfing? Who are these two surfers that captured our imaginations and have inspired generations of surfers? We dive in and give context to surf history.

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On this episode of Hardcore Surf History, we dive into our Houses of the Holy: The Surf Shop. What have they meant to surfers over the years? How have they shaped surf culture? The history of surf retail and how they have evolved over time. Plus another round of “Stump my Bro.”

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