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.
This Ocean Life, Episode 30 - Ryan Levinson and An Adaptive Life in the Water
This Ocean Life, Episode 29 - Pia Oyarzun and Made in Water
This Ocean Life, Episode 28 - Mike Bolton and a Life with Sharks
This Ocean Life, Episode 27 - Josh Riccio and Strength on the Water
This Ocean Life, Episode 26 - Shavardo Wilson and All Angles of the Bahamas
This Ocean Life, Episode 25 - Leane Horton and Changing the Tides
This Ocean Life, Episode 24 -- The Rice Family and Living on the Sea
This Ocean Life, Episode 23 - Nick Ayers and Downwinding Loch Ness
This Ocean Life, Episode 22 - Grace Van Der Byl and Being Better in the Water
This Ocean Life, Episode 21 - Nick Dana and Challenging the World's Oceans
This Ocean Life, Episode 20 - Kyle Faust and Helping Others in the Pursuit
This Ocean Life, Episode 19 - Madelon Ruizendaal-Pilaar and The Waters of Holland
This Ocean Life, Episode 18 - Alban Cornic and the Rugged Brittany Coast
This Ocean Life, Episode 17 - Troy Nebeker and Going Because You Can
This Ocean Life, Episode 16 - Jenn Lee and Crossing the Molokai Channel 3X on 3 Different Craft
This Ocean Life, Episode 15 - Zach Wormhoudt and Going Big Because You Love To
This Ocean Life, Episode 14 - Shrek and the Noob Spearo
This Ocean Life, Episode 13 - Jonathan Steinberg and Style for the Ages
This Ocean Life, Episode 12 - Jonathan Cowen and Paddling Alone in Tasmania
This Ocean Life, Episode 11 - James Marko and Goliath Groupers
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