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 10 - Ulu Boi and Giving Back
This Ocean Life, Episode 9 - Lincoln Dews and a Life of Competitive Success
This Ocean Life, Episode 8 - David Ochoa and Being in the Pursuit
This Ocean Life, Episode 7 - Morgan Hoesterey and a Life of Play in the Ocean
This Ocean Life, Episode 6 - Lidija Lijic and a Breathless Life
This Ocean Life, Episode 5 - Amadeo Bachar and the Intersection of Ocean and Art
This Ocean Life, Episode 4 - Dave Benet and the Many Dimensions of an Ocean Life
This Ocean Life, Episode 3 - Steve Shlens and 30 Years of Paddle Board Racing
This Ocean Life, Episode 2 - Mike Dilloughery and the 55-mile Unassisted Paddle
This Ocean Life, Episode 1 - Nick Franco and Molokai 2 Oahu
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