Jeff "Jiff" Morris - semi-retirement in the Land of the Long White Cloud.

What’s the next dream surf destination on your bucket list? Once all the current Coronavirus / Covid-19 / zombie apocalypse craziness is over, where will you go? 
Well, you can listen up to the Smorgasboarder podcast for plenty of inspiration. We talk with none other than Shaun Levings, the former founder and owner of World Surfaris, along with his son Jai who have just launched a bespoke surf charter - Island Hop Maldives Experience - cruising through the Maldivian Atolls. 

Details and links at smorgasboarder.com.au

Wooden surfboard enthusiast, board builder and Alley Fish Fry founder - we talk with Grant about his passions and what motivates him to lead rather than follow.

Links and details on smorgasboarder.com.au

They say 'variety is the spice of life" and we wholeheartedly agree. That’s the reason why, years ago, we were immediately drawn to the work of a bloke called Dave Verrall - the man behind Diverse Surfboards. We chat to Dave about diversity amongst other things. 

He shapes all manner of custom surfboards but all with a performance orientation in mind. Recently Steve Del Rosso cut the power to his planer for just a little while to shed some light on the focus of his designs. 

Not too long ago, Steve opened a Clearwater Surfboards retail shop at 46 Currumbin Creek Road. Part of the reason was to have some stock boards on display so crew could view and get a feel for his boards. The main reason however was to enable him to dial into his designs even more. Steve picks up the conversation.

Ash Keillah just oozes positivity. It’s infectious and inspiring, because positivity is fundamental when life throws a spanner in the works. More commonly known as ‘The Friendly Pirate’, Ash is a surfer who rips, was a contestant on My Kitchen Rules (MKR), is a soon-to-be father, and someone that has overcome an incredible ordeal that risked to ruin his competitive surfing career. We recently sat down with the Friendly Pirate to find out more about his story and how we can be as happy as him.

Interview by Alex Benaud

 BIG GHOST FANS

Talking to Shane Atkins, we find out what Mark Richards, Gary Elkerton, Rob Machado and Hawaiian big wave charger Jamie O’Brien have in common.

More on smorgasboarder.com.au/podcast

Also, new Smorgasboarder t-shirts and hoodies are available! Check them out at smorgasboarder.com.au/shop/

Nick Muntz from Pistol Surf Co talks about what its like to be a part of today's surf industry and gives us an insight into their latest range of deck grips, traction pads and gear. We also discuss the Pistol Surf Crew’s recent epic trip to the North West Coast of Australia which resulted in a ripping film called Desert Blue.

Links and show notes: smorgasboarder.com.au/podcast
Photo: Jack O'Grady

GUT FEELING

You’ve heard the saying, well now gain a little more understanding of what it means. Alex Benaud talks with Jess Gardner, a qualified naturopath who is furthering her studies into human nutrition about how our diet - and certain foods we eat - can not only affect us physically but also emotionally. Jess also discusses how our environmental footprint can be linked all the way back to how we think and feel.

Links and show notes on smorgasboarder.com.au/podcast

Dave talks with legendary surfboard shaper Mark Rabbidge and fibreglass maestro Neal Cameron about all manner of stuff from the evolution of surfboard industry through to the emergence of the modern day longboard, the merits of surfer shapers, the guise of protech finishes and what’s maintaining their surf stoke nowadays. 

Internationally acclaimed and award-winning photographer and former editor of New Zealand Surfing Magazine, Craig Levers, gives us his perspective how the surf media landscape has irreversibly changed over the past decade. In turn we talk about Craig’s favourite Kiwi surf breaks, what freaks him out, the white shark named KZ7, his photography and his equipment along with his series of coffee table books, which are simply out of this world.

Links at https://smorgasboarder.com.au