In Episode 52 we speak with Mike Wood, a lifelong surfer who grew up in the cold, kelpy waters of Santa Cruz in the 1950's. Mike takes us back to that time and describes the beach and surf scene in Santa Cruz and what the line-up was like at famous breaks like Cowells and Steamer Lane. We hear of Mike experimenting with various ways to stay warm in the cold water, like wearing wool sweaters, before the wetsuit came out and what the boards of that time were like to ride (and carry up the cliff!). Mike shares his stories of interacting with Jack O'neill, hanging out down at the 'Surf Shack', and many other characters who made the beach their home back in the 50's. Mike tells great stories of exploring the rugged Santa Cruz coast and finding new, unknown waves and taking a surf trip with his buddies down to Southern California when he was 15 years old. A ton of great nostalgia and depiction of teen surf life during this golden era of surfing.
Thanks for sharing Mike's ocean life with us. There is some fun stuff on the This Ocean Life Instagram and Facebook pages. We are also on Twitter ranting about anything cool happening in the ocean.
This episode is sponsored by Burnout Suncare. A family-owned company based in Santa Cruz, CA that specializes in chemical-free, environmentally-friendly, reef-safe sunscreens for water sports athletes and health conscious families. Check them out at www.burnoutsun.com.
Tony Rapacioli -- surf photography, Noosa longboarding
Patrick Webster -- underwater photography, conservation through story telling
Molokai 2 Oahu Stories: Part 2 - Gerry Lopez, Josh Riccio, Alice Henley, Jenn Lee, Mike Dilloughery
Hunter Pflueger -- Molokai 2 Oahu paddle stories
Troy Nebeker Part 2 -- 24 hours of paddling for cancer
Gerry Lopez -- Molokai 2 Oahu paddle stories
Mellisa Altenburger - living afloat in Bahamas, free diving, scuba, ocean protection
Steve Shlens Part 2: Molokai to Oahu paddle stories
David Ochoa Part 2 -- spearfishing guide, Indo, Madagascar, Mexico, filming underwater
Ryan Levinson Part 2 - muscular dystrophy at sea, living afloat in French Polynesia, rediscovering the bodyboard
Dan Haifley -- ocean activism, preventing oil drilling, preserving the wild
Stoked Grom Stories: Perlyn Brothers - surfing, fishing, diving, running a company
Josh Smith - marine biology, kelp forest changes, scuba diving
Ginaia Kelly - ocean protection, volunteering, surfing
Ryan Croteau - guiding surf trips, Guatemala, surfing Scandinavia
24 Hour Paddle Relay for Cancer -- Team Santa Cruz stories
Sachi Cunningham -- big wave surfing photography, film making, gender equity on tour
Alo Slebir - charging Mavericks at age 17, board paddling, spearfishing
Dan Semrad - Oregon freediving, spearfishing, training others
Molokai 2 Oahu Stories: Part 1 -- Lincoln Dews, Mick Di Betta, Morgan Hoesterey, Nick Franco, Leanne Horton, and Jeff Denholm
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Modern West
Voices of Misery Podcast
House of Whimsical Terror
Dairyland Frights
Stuff You Should Know
Timcast IRL