I was born and raised in Hawaii and surfed a little bit growing up. But I hadn’t surfed much since moving to Seattle in 2012. When the pandemic hit, home felt farther away than ever. And that led me to paddle out in the Pacific Northwest for the first time. And I wondered how did surfing get here? Who’s out there now? And what keeps them coming back?

Surfing PNW shares some history of surfing in Hawaii -- from surfers in ancient Hawaii to Hawaiian royalty surfing on 800 pound boards. Then we meet some of the first surfers in Washington: Boys from Hawaii who made red cedar surfboards in 1903. We’ll hear the backstory of the one and only Big Al, who started the first surf shop on the Washington coast. And we’ll hear stories from local surfers about what inspires them to suit up and paddle out.

Series Intro: Surfing PNW

Episode 1: How Did Surfing Get To Washington?

Episode 2: Who’s Surfing in WA Now? And What Keeps Them Coming Back?

Show Notes:

This was my capstone project for the Master’s of Communication in Digital Media program at the University of Washington. THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to speak with me and share your stories. A huge thanks to my advisor, Jessica Partnow and classmates who helped me edit and polish this project. And thanks to my friends and family who have listened to me ramble about this project nonstop for six months and listened to countless drafts. 

Episode 1:

• Tom “Pohaku” Stone

• Ian Masterson

• Learn more about Emersons, Doles and their red cedar surfboards. Ralph Emerson’s board still exists today and can be viewed at the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center in San Clemente, California. 

• Archival Footage source: PBS - Queen Lili‘uokalani - The First and Last Queen of Hawai‘i

• Duke Kahanamoku - There are a million stories about him. For starters try Stuff You Missed In History: Duke Kahanamoku part 1 and part 2

• Check out Al’s Shop - The Surf Shop

Episode 2:

• Surfer’s anecdotes:

  • Nathalie Minerva - Check out her ocean-related artwork. It's really cool!

  • Ian Smithgall - local surfer and volunteer with Warm Current

  • Lydia Herberling, PhD - whose research focuses include Native American literature and surfing in indigenous communities. Hopefully future episodes will include her insights on this subject. For the record, she was talking about a shark in California. 

  • Gavin Kogan - California surfer who comes up here occasionally. Hear his family’s story of surfing in 1903 in episode 1

  • Paul Anderson - Local Surfer

  • Stephanie Terrell - Board member, Warm Current

  • Kelly Potts and All Are We Water Collective 

  • Ian Masterson

  • Emma Hansen, local surfer and Warm Current Volunteer

  • Al Perlee, local surfer and owner of The Surf Shop

  • Lydia Herberling, PhD

Music: 

• The Best Time, Mark July

• Take Me To The Ocean, The Movement

• Surf, Ka’au Crater Boys

• One Hour of Best Surf Rock Music, Lewis Luuong

• Reflections (Acoustic Guitar) by Peter Miller Music

• Duke Kahanamoku, Josef Landa

• Surfin USA, The Beach Boys

• Lahaina, Loggins and Messina

• Inspirational Uplifting by Novvak

• Liberate by Immersive Music 

• Most Amazing Things by Young Presidents