The Mindful Surfer

This weeks intro, we talk about how this winter will go down as a classic in the south west of england (yes the weathers been gnarly but WOW the waves!!)  Will then talks about how lonely and isolated a lot of his surfs have been this winter - in wind and rain!! He then talks about a shocker of a surf he’d had followed by an amazing one - and how normal that is! The ebb and flow of surfing (and life) is inevitable and how important it is to not fight with it.  Liam then talks about a recent surf he had with his son on a super fun 2-3ft day at home on the mashup - and talking about the virtues of sticking with a daily driver to be better able to measure your progress (rather than get confused with “is this me or is this the board?”). Will then talks about his love of all sized surf crafts - how how he’ll go from a 6’0 fish all the way to a 9’6 log and all sizes in between. Liam then talks about how memorable small waves can be when you’re with friends - super high vibes because the egos disappear and everything just flows.  Will then talks about his recent shoulder niggle and how he’s working out how to manage the inflammation whilst still surfing each day.  Liam shares insights on his latest fitness and nutrition routine and how awesome he’s feeling for doing an extended fast!  Stay stoked guys!  Will & Liam 

The intro is wild … wills naked , cold , full of cheese and in need of Liams help , the show will reveal all! Liam then talks about his recent fitness routine in how he’s trying to strip fat, build muscle and remain on track with his programme (and all the challenges along the way!).  Will goes onto share story about the up and down nature of his last few surfs (some felt like his own version of “best” followed immediately by one that was no where near and then explains why he performed better in some than others) Liam then talks about what winter does to your patience and gratitude levels for even the littlest glimmers of early spring coming or a slight lull and calmness in between swells.  In mind body stoke, Will shares his insight into preventing the winter slump , that just getting out in the sea , fields , trees - as long as it’s outside , it’s essential for our mental well-being!  Liam then shares learnings from his fitness journey and how his running and circuit training is paying off (and reveals what piece of fitness kit is INCREDIBLE for paddle fitness gains!)  Stay stoked guys! Will & Liam 

Straight out the gates, Liam shares a ridiculously funny story about his pay packet from working up north as a labourer for his dad! The boys then go on a mega long snake run of chat around the “it’s January … it’s tough… let’s be fitter and enjoy our surfing more” mindset challenge that faces most surfers at this time of year! We then talk about how to become someone who is disciplined with their training and diet but also manages to strike a balance with social / release & treat foods (without them hurting your surf performance) Finally, we delve into a recent dreamy surf session , the one you hope might come along and re invigorate , and it did ! Sun was out, head high sets, uncrowded, perfect shape, heaven! A reminder of why we surf! Stay stoked guys!! Will & Liam

This weeks intro , Liam talks about having an awesome session because he was frothing a previous surf that had been a bit busy and tricky.  Will then talks about his recent wave park visit and how much he loves the mashup. Liam also rides the mashup and comments on how well it paddles and turns sooooo easily compared with other boards he’s ridden.  We then continue to chat about getting the right board under your feet and why going for a little more foam and a slightly flatter rocker is never a bad idea for an average surfer.  We then talk about mid lengths and how much of a boost they’ve given surfers performance and joy recently too …  We then talk about Wills recent Bristol wave visit and how much it flares his ego looking at footage and what he learns from that.  Liam shares a hugely valid point - that there’s no such thing as “failure” but simply incomplete attempts and how that reframed the whole surf journey in our favour.  Stay stoked guys!  Will & Liam   

This weeks intro, we cover a super psychedelic series of nuances regarding Sesame Street and how each of the characters would surf! Liam then goes on to his most recent surf and how much kinder he was on his performance than last time out (and why not?! If you can choose, why NOT be kinder - it leads to gains so much quicker because you can give yourself room to learn)  Will then shares his recent nutritional discoveries in relation to his surf performance and how it has NOTHING to do with what he left out that was slowing him down but entirely doing something new (if you don’t change something - what can we expect ?!!)  The boys then go on to talk about recent fin and board tweaks which have led to new discoveries too. Liam then shares his challenge of being in a busy lineup recently and having concerns over a) the safety b) am I gonna get a wave? and c) can I be arsed?!!  Stay stoked guys!  Will & Liam 

This week intro Will talks about his recent trip to tenerife … in it he shares  1.  Healing knee pain  2. Dealing with huge surf 3. Letting go process creating exceptional results in the waves  Liam goes on to share recent local sessions stories and one where he found himself taking the surf photos way too seriously and all the insights that flowed from there.  In mind, body, stoke, Will shares how big an impact his vibe has been having on his surfs - what waves he gets, who he meets in the water - everything!  Liam talks about finding better balance with hacking his work/fitness lifestyle and using winter as motivation to be on it (putting on thick rubber will humble yoh quickly if you don’t train!).  Stay stoked guys,  Will & Liam 

This weeks intro, we talk about how surfing is so different to other sports in that , as, you’re normally still a participant as you watch footage (and therefore have so much more empathy knowing how hard that is!!).  We then go onto talk about how challenging we both find surfing (and therefore how incredibly rewarding it can be!).  Will then talks about a surf he couldn’t get a wave or even stand up at times but that he was able to use it as fuel to get extra motivated for his next session and make amends.  Liam is loving his FireWire mashup and is enjoying using it in every session - with the aim of seeing what he can do to progress his technique knowing the board will respond more and more reliably the more he rides it (rather than constantly changing up the quiver).  In mind body stoke, Will talks about his pre surf trip worries regarding his knee and whether he’ll be able to make the most of tenerife.  Liam shares wisdom about staying in the moment in life and in surfing - how that one main hack will create more progression in our lives than anything else.  Stay stoked!  Will & Liam 

This weeks intro Will shares recent challenges he’s faced with crowds in the ocean (and difficult people) and how he’s managed his mind through the process to regain calmness and get back to performing in the surf.  Liam goes onto talk about why stoicism is so important for dealing with other surfers - in letting people be idiots by turning a blind eye (but also honouring the need to sometimes step up to the plate if a line has been crossed!).  The boys also share insights from a recent surf they’d had together and the chat moves towards , guess what? Boards!! :) the nuances of them has us hooked for life!!  In mind body stoke, Will talks about how big an impact surf skating has had on his recent performance gains.  Liam talks about his recent training programme with kettlebells whilst aiming to strike a balance of being social and having the odd beer for his optimal stoke. Stay stoked guys! Will & Liam   

This weeks intro, Liam and Will surprise the hell out of them selves for getting very “mindful surfer” for a 30 minute stretch (rather than just talk about pubic hair management) by discussing the ins and outs of : a) what the ocean does for our minds  b) why surfing is like a form of church  c) why hormones play such a big role in the spiritual feelings we get from the surfing experience  d) how nature keeps our ego in check!  In mind body stoke, Will talks about his recent use of nicotine and why he’s using it for the time being.  Liam talks about getting back on the horse after a social week he enjoyed but is now ready to kick back into gear for the next swell run we’re getting.  Stay stoked guys!  Will & Liam 

In this weeks intro, we talk about manifesting the “ideal” surfing lifestyle and how when you have it , it’s already moved on because we adapt to our environment (and so therefore it’s doesn’t actually exist!)  Liam goes onto to talk about how that mindset of comparison and envy develops - social media!  In this weeks mind body stoke, we talk about boards and how challenging it is finding the right balance between a) performance end b) joy of paddle / pop up and speed down the line  Stay stoked guys!  Will & Liam 

This weeks intro, Will talks about breaking his surf record for the last 12 months (almost 200 sessions) and how much better he’s recovering from surf / gym / life at the moment due to lots of habits but a new one being ;  CREATINE! Liam then shares his personal experience with the supplement and the chat on Creatine recovery continues including dosage / timings and everything else in between.  We then go onto discuss recent surfs and how the boards we’ve ridden have affected them. Liam has been on his FireWire mashup which has really taken his cutbacks to a new level and with Will he talks about trying to dial in the right board for the right occasion and how tough a balance that can be.  Stay stoked guys!  Will & Liam 

This weeks intro we cover :  1. A comprehensive wetsuit review (surprise package comes in here!!) 2. We talk about recent surfs and how Will was being triggered and how he managed it (with other surfers!)  3. Letting go of joy - of that special surf and how just like in life, the highs come and then they go .. we’ve got to grow in acceptance to allow this flow (rather than try and cling on to joy)  In mind body stoke, we cover body fat and how it relates to surf performance In surf media , Liam talks about a Kelly Slater clip and everything he’s put into his longevity programme (we CAN surf well as we get older but we’ve gotta be coachable!)  Stay stoked guys! Will & Liam 

This weeks show is a step by step from what we’ve learned from the last 3 weeks of crazy swells…  Here are the 5 key pointers we cover in the show ;  Sugar / alcohol is the no1 enemy to surfing gains because it ruins recovery & increases inflammation The quiver plays a huge role in your progression ; keep tweaking it forward (and don’t forget to include fins!!) If you’re not enjoying a surf, change something Fear is excitement with the breaks on - get in and have a crack but if you feel like the fear is too great , then be honest with yourself The best surf of your life is when you least expect it - the state of appreciation is already enough stay stoked guys!  Will & Liam   

Different format for today!  We discuss our 3 fave grovellers of all time as well as what we consider the 3 worst too (the ones that get marketed at us as grovellers but in reality need Noel Salas at Lowers to get them moving!)  Stay stoked and enjoy!  Will & Liam 

This weeks show we talk about our recent trip to the Bristol Wave park and all the nuances that unfolded.  Liam was undecided about which board to ride - the one with more float and fun vibes or the one with lower float and maybe trickier to ride… Will talks about how hard he found the first surf vs the second one - and why everything shifted once he adjusted his mindset The boys then talk about how important it can be to experiment with new gear (but that it can backfire if you change it too often)  Will finishes with his CSC programme for better surf performance he gets with his clients :  Core Squat  Cardio  and chats through how to navigate these for more performance and therefore more fun! Stay stoked guys!  Will & Liam 

This weeks intro, Will shares a pre surf poo story (nothing new here) and then the boys go onto share recent surfs! Liam was frothing on Wills mashup and had an absolute blast on 2-4ft mushy fun waves!  We then go onto talk about boards and how big an influence they have on your progression and how important it is to work on a) changing your boards up until you feel amped on one but b) not changing them too often so you don’t get the benefit of learning the one your on (we then share how to find that balance).  We then talk about how much the surf industry has us gripped by the “next best thing” and how to a) have fun with that but b) not be pulled into so often you’ve not got any sanity or money left!  Stay stoked guys!  Will & Liam 

This weeks show, we intro on how sweaty we are downstairs in the heatwave we’re having then get onto how important it is we say No to things when we’re in a mindset that’s anything other than HELL YES!  Liam goes onto share how powerful the right decisions can feel for your surfing life - that when you are braver and more aware of the people pleaser in you , you can feel so much happier by making sure who you surf or hang out with are absolutely the best people you could be around - they allow you to shine and be who you are fully.  We also explore mid lengths and discuss what they can do for your progression journey into more authentic style which is where SURFSKATES also come in!! They ;  - are fun - make you fitter for surfing  - help you work on your turns  - AND most importantly help you work out how YOU want to move your body and craft your own authentic style.  Stay stoked guys!  Will & Liam 

This weeks intro, we dive into what it means to “be successful” and how our egos perceive it based on our results - high when they’re going well and lower when they’re not (which isn’t how it has to be - there’s a MUCH calmer way if you’re willing to pause).  We then ask the question “what is subjective well-being”? and how does that relate to our daily happiness as surfers with the illusionary destinations we create such as “when I surf more, then I’ll be ….” and how we get there and discover nothings changed.  In mind body stoke, we talk about the power of breath work for a calmer mind and body and also how that enhances your surf performance.  Liam goes onto share insights around how much he’s enjoying finding a good balance between present happiness (friends/beers/time by the beach) and his future ambition (training & surf performance).  Stay stoked guys! Will & Liam 

This weeks intro, we dive into the end of our first podcast era and how we’re gonna work on bringing the next stages of refreshed and more regular content to you - the listener!  We touch on the launch of our “buy me a coffee” idea of a donation based podcast rather than flog products we’re not a fan of ! (Especially when crappy vissla wetsuits keep knocking on our door!) We then dive into “riding the waves” of a surf as well as life - how our performance on a wave relates to how we perform on land too…sometimes we’re on fire, sometimes we’re not but it’s about being patient with ourselves because all waves pass, as do thoughts and emotions. In mind, body, stoke Will shares his thoughts on getting the balance right between riding boards that test your ability vs pushing it too far and not enjoying your surfing as much (and that there’s no perfect answer - one must just keep on testing, testing , testing!!) Liam talks about how much he’s been benefiting from getting in more heavy lifting again recently and in feeling stronger he feels younger and the question becomes “is lifting weights the key to longevity as a surfer?”  Stay stoked guys!  Will & Liam 

This weeks intro, we dive waaaaaaaay too deep into the nuances of pubic hair and why we discuss (well, why Will discusses) it on our show!  We then dive into Wills recent wave pool visits and how insanely difficult he found a session there riding a more performancy board and how much it knocked his confidence (there is a come back story to this too).  Will goes onto sing the praises of one of his surf coaching students - who’s ability to come back with persistence to “have a go” over and over is super impressive and helping him make hug strides in his surfing! Liam talks about playing it safe vs testing your boundaries and why it’s so important to keep testing them.  Liam also shares insights from recent surfs in Cornwall and at home and how much he’s still loving the seaside for flow and speed as well as loving his fitness work whilst things have been flat at home. He explains how much it’s helped his mindset knowing he’s staying fit despite our flat spell.  Stay stoked guys!  Will & Liam