Advertise on podcast: L8night with Choccy

Jack’s Surfboards in Huntington Beach, CA, was established in 1957 was Jack Hokanson, and Mike Abdelmuti and his family took ownership in 1975. In this episode of L8night with Choccy, we sit down with Osameh and Marty behind the Quiksilver Boardriders on Main Street in Huntington Beach in the heart of Surf City USA to learn about the history of Jack’s Surfboards. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest this week grew up like so many of us groms do, Surfing, Skateboarding, and Snowboarding.  But for him, snowboarding took the lead, opening doors to sponsorships and, more importantly, a firsthand look at product testing and R&D. That early spark turned into a lifelong path and what has now become an incredible 25-year run in design and product development. He’s helped shape product and creative direction for some of the biggest names in outdoor and lifestyle. He spent 13 years at Volcom designing across men’s, boys’, and outerwear, eventually rising to Global Design Director. From there, he went on to serve as VP of Design and Merchandising at O’Neill, then Design Director and Head Designer at Roark for six years. Along the way, he and his wife also launched their own design and consulting firm, The Designers Geary. About three years ago, he took everything he’d learned, from technical performance to timeless function and built something of his own: SPC/LST, PERSON-built gear for life on the road made with technical materials and functional essentials designed to last a lifetime. We’re fired up to sit down and hear about his journey, his creativity, and everything he’s learned along the way. Please welcome Mr. Danny " D4" Geary.

Our guest this week is a true creative hustler, a Surfer, skater, musician, and entrepreneur who has been building brands since high school. He got his start launching his first label, Mesa, selling tees straight out of the trunk of his car and even at Hobie in Corona del Mar while he was working there. After graduating from SDSU, he intentionally sharpened his skill set, working with companies like Havas Edge, Hewlett Packard, and Volcom gaining hands-on experience in website design, Shopify development, data analytics, marketing strategy, and production. In 2018, he channeled that experience into launching his own sunglass brand, SAD Eyewear / A Sight And Design Co. We’re pumped to dive into his journey from grassroots hustle to brand builder. Please welcome to the show, Mr. Kiefer “KILLA KIEF” Cohen.

Our guest this week is a true Surf, Skate, and Snow Core Lord, one of those rare guys who isn’t just a weekend warrior, he lives the lifestyle. He’s podiumed multiple times at the H2O, including a recent 2nd place finish, and continues to prove he’s still got it. He spent 17 years at Active Ride Shop, grinding from the sales floor all the way up to VP of Marketing, with stops as a store manager and marketing director along the way. He’s also worked at Neff and Arbor Collective, and most recently spent the last four years at Dickies as Director of Marketing for Strategic Accounts. Through it all, he has never stopped charging. Whether it’s stacking clips in snowboard parks, shredding wave pools, or chasing swell wherever it’s firing, he’s still out there doing it. We’re fired up to sit down with our good friend, Brent “FUTO” Futagaki.

Our guest this week is a Surfer, skater, snowboarder, and HSS alumni, turned 6-time Emmy nominee and 2-time Emmy Award-winning director. His work spans film, television, and global brand storytelling. He’s collaborated with heavy hitters like FX, Netflix, Apple Music, as well as iconic brands including Porsche, Nike, Levi’s, Microsoft, and Disney. His creative range even extends into music videos, working with legends like Tom Petty and cutting-edge artists like XG. He directed narrative pieces for the Olympic Channel’s Game Breakers, and has shadow directed on major productions like The Politician and the Emmy nominated, Producers Guild Award winning series Shōgun. Now he’s bringing that vision to his latest project, Lotus Point, a homage to 90’s Surf and Skate culture, inspired by classics like North Shore, Point Break, Thrashin’, Rad, Gleaming the Cube, The Goonies, and more. We’re fired up to dive into his journey, his creative process, and what’s next, we welcome to the show Mr. Joel Kazuo Knoernschild.

Our guest this week is a Surfer, entrepreneur, savvy businessman, certified Surf industry legend, and owner of one of the most iconic Surf Shops in Southern California, if not the world. It’s a true time capsule, both in its decor and in the fact that it remains one of the very few core Surf Shops still focused mainly on surfboards, wetsuits, and hard goods. They even have an in-house wetsuit repair shop in the back. Known for the witty satire on its legendary PCH sign in Newport Beach, Frog House has never been shy about stirring the pot. Messages like “Now Accepting Eggs as Payment,” “Our Wetsuits Didn’t Hang Themselves, Neither Did Epstein,” and “Frog House Daycare and Learing Center” have become part of the shop’s daily character and charm. Inside, the vibe feels more like a bachelor pad frat house full of Surf bums and lovable misfits than a traditional retail shop and that’s exactly how they like it. Since 1962, the Frog House has built its reputation on deep Surf knowledge, strong camaraderie, and hand picked employees trained by some of the best in Surf Culture. We’re excited to sit down and hear how this Florida grom moved to Huntington Beach during his senior year of high school, convinced then owner Frank Jensen to give him a job, worked his way up to shop manager, and somehow saved enough money to buy the shop in 1978. But that’s only part of the story. We’re beyond pumped to hear it all straight from the man himself, the “Core Lord,” owner of Frog House, Mr. Thomas “TK” Brimer.

Our guest this week is a surfer with a long history of accomplishments in PR, media, and marketing. Over the years, he’s worked across a variety of industries, from music and fashion to action sports, building a diverse skill set along the way. From the early days of print media to today’s fast moving digital landscape, his expertise spans brand content production, social media strategy, website development and management, customer service, e-commerce, and consulting. All of that experience ultimately led him to create an powerful AI digital platform designed to change the way people experience action sports—bringing together multiple applications under one innovative ecosystem. We’re excited to learn more about the vision behind it and hear his story. Please welcome to the show, the Founder and CEO of Flowstate, Mr. Luke “WALLY” Wallace.

Our guest this week is a Surfer, engineer, and inventor with a background spanning engineering, technology platforms, and executive management. He’s held a variety of leadership roles at Dell Computers and other tech companies, focusing on cloud data and application modernization. Along the way, he also earned a company-sponsored MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. So when you mix a highly analytical engineering mind with the everyday frustration of dealing with a wet, cold, and stinky wetsuit, the result is a smart, problem-solving product. His invention, Surf Dry, is a small but mighty two-unit system designed to dry your wetsuit or booties overnight. So you’re always ready for the next session. We’re pumped to sit down and hear the story behind the innovation and welcome to the show, Mr. Zac Backlin.

Our guests this week are two seasoned Financial Wealth Managers, each bringing over three decades of experience helping individuals and families build, protect, and grow their wealth. Recently, they partnered with the Huntington Beach Boardriders Club as a proud sponsor, generously helping launch our very own investment fund. This fund is designed not only to strengthen the Club’s long-term financial future, but also to provide meaningful college scholarships for our youth. Beyond investment and retirement planning, their expertise extends to establishing Living Trusts—helping families protect assets, preserve family heirlooms, and avoid the costly and time-consuming probate process. We’re excited to work alongside these trusted experts, who will be an incredible resource for both our community and our listeners. Please welcome to the show, Allison Taylor and Chris Latham of Grow Wise Financial

Our guest this week is a surfer and former pro skater turned creative marketing executive and brand builder. During his impressive 17 year skate career, earning five magazine covers. He was already mapping out his future through roles in Team Management and Skate Marketing. In 1995, he played an huge role in the early days of Nike Skateboarding, helping assemble the team, shape go-to-market strategies, and contribute to the launch of Nike’s first skate shoe.  He also spent more than 30 years with Volcom, serving as SVP of Global Skate Marketing, where he oversaw everything skate-related. From managing global rosters and marketing budgets to producing skate tours, feature films, and building iconic franchise events and series like Damn Am, Wild in the Parks, and Mammoth Meadows. He also helped create and launch Volcom’s skate apparel segmentation, Stone Age. As a Creative Marketing Consultant, he has directed and produced a wide range of projects and campaigns with some of the biggest names in action sports and youth culture, including Warped Tour, Thrasher, TransWorld, Anti Hero, Baker, Toy Machine, and Red Bull.  We are pumped to sit down with Mr. Remy Stratton. 

 Our guest this week is another true industry powerhouse with over 30 years of experience.  He got schooled in business of retail at one of the most Iconic and Core Shops around “Surfside Sports” under the leadership and guidance from Professor “Duke Edukas”.   He went on to spending nearly half his career at Quiksilver, as he climbed the ranks from wetsuit sales rep, to in-house sales and managing the customer service department, to Director of Sales for wetsuits and accessories, and ultimately to VP of Sales. After leaving Quiksilver in 2013, he joined rival brand Billabong as VP of Sales, where he spent the next nine years continuing to strengthen wholesale/retail relationships.  In an ironic twist, Quiksilver and Billabong eventually came together under the Boardriders umbrella, giving him a unique and highly effective perspective, having helped lead both brands.  During that time, he further expanded his role, adding VP of Latin America and ECommerce to his already impressive portfolio. We’re stoked to hear about his journey from warehouse grom to VP for 2 of the biggest surf brands and his current role as General Manager at Salty Crew.  Please welcome to the show, Mr. Jason “SHELTY” Shelton.

Our guest this week is a former Pro Snowboarder who went on to work for many great brands, building an incredible career in an industry that’s given him so much over the past 30+ years. From Marketing and Athlete Manager at Quiksilver in the late ’90s, to roles with Dickies, DragonFly, Utopia Optics, and Alstyle Apparel. He’s been responsible for managing marketing budgets, executing campaigns, producing catalogs, athlete photo shoots, creating website and social media content, writing press releases, running trade shows, and events. For the last 15 years, he’s been at Mountain High Ski Resort, applying all of those skills and then adding snow park building, live events production, private and commercial on-hill film shoots,  and managing partnerships with some of the biggest brands in the industry. We’re excited to hear about his journey and the revival of one of the most iconic crossover athlete events for surfers and snowboarders, the H2O Winter Classic. We welcome to the show Mr. Todd  Proffit.

Our guest this week is an industry powerhouse with a lengthy list of accomplishments, with titles including (SVP, CEO, EVP, CMO, GM), at some incredible companies over the last 25 years.  Getting his degree from UCI and a Masters at USC Marshall School of business, it makes total sense he has applied those skills to the corporate world which pay dividends on his success.  He has strong relationships with Bob McKnight and Danny Kwok and got straight to work at Quiksilver where he honed his skills as Director of Marketing and later as SVP Sales Marketing Operations.  He was President and Co-Founder of SALT Optics and also helped numerous companies in developing strategic planning in Sales, Marketing, and business management/finance.  We welcome to the show our friend who has the most acronyms of anyone we know, Mr. Taylor “TAY“ Whisenand.

Our guest this week is a young rising star out of Huntington Beach. A recent high school graduate, she’s been dominating the amateur ranks. She has been racking up trophies and titles along the way, including two State Championships, National Titles, and a Bronze Medal at the ISA World Championships, helping Team USA secure a 4th-place finish. She’s been a pivotal part of the Huntington Beach BoardRiders Club success, and we’re fired up to hear her story and what she has planned next in pro surfing and in life.  Please welcome Sara Freyre to the show!

Our guest this week is the most Hard-Core Surfer we know. A true throwback who lives and breathes Core Surf etiquette. He stands firmly on the values of localism and isn’t afraid to enforce them. Quick to call out the kooks and keep the lineup in check, he backs it all up with real accolades, major contest wins, and zero hesitation owning every bit of it. His confidence is unmatched, both in the water and out. When it comes to scoring waves and winning over the ladies, he does it better than anyone. We welcome to the show the World Champion of Scoring,  the one and only “CORE LORD”  himself.