Advertise on podcast: SUP Surf Sessions Podcast

Elite SUP surfing coach, former pro competitor, and APP commentator Beau Nixon talks Progression: board volume, wave awareness, speed generation, and foot placement.    Following a competitive career winning Australia’s SUP national title in 2012 and competing on the Stand Up World Tour from 2013–2015, Beau has diversified into coaching, running tours, and commentating on the APP World Tour. Lots of great technical tips in this one! ──────────────── Detailed Episode Notes SUP Surf Sessions - All Links ❤️ Support the Pod ❤️⁠ ──────────────── Chapters 00:00 Meet Beau Nixon 02:32 Podcasting 04:26 APP World Tour Commentating 09:40 Competitive Fire 10:17 World Tour Backstory 13:34 Early SUP Days and Growth 17:18 Why Volume Helps Learners 22:08 Coaching Philosophy 25:55 Staying Focused in the Water 29:21 Mental Training Tactics 30:21 Reading Waves Like the Pros 33:29 Coaching Wave Selection 36:08 Fixing Foot Placement 38:35 The Future of SUP 41:46 Linking Maneuvers With Speed 43:30 Backside Pumping and Bottom Turns 50:20 Travel With A Paddle Retreats 54:24 Wrap

Erik Antonson brought immense stoke to the sport of SUP surfing ca. 2010. He lived in Costa Rica, coached and ran the Blue Zone SUP Surf Camp for a number of years, hosted the Paddle Woo podcast , made SUP films, ran video contests, and designed boards. Since that time he moved back to Florida and began a similar deep dive into the world of foiling. In this episode Antonson reflects on why SUP surfing was the perfect tool for accessing uncrowded reef breaks, how it broadened his view of ocean sports, and why he believes SUP’s popularity peaked around 2014–2015 amid lineup scarcity, stigma, and shifting industry support. He discusses why he started podcasting to learn directly from top performers and to find community, then shares practical SUP tips: get comfortable moving around the board, find the right center of gravity, improve rail-to-rail footwork, cross-train (skate/snow/wake), and use inside-paddle “slingshot” turns to force proper shoulder rotation, while developing style by removing excess movement. SUP Surf Sessions - Episode Notes https://www.supsurfsessions.com/episodes/ep6-erik-antonson SUP Surf Sessions - All Links https://linktr.ee/supsurfsessions Chapters 00:00 Meet Erik Antonson 01:35 Costa Rica SUP Origins 02:55 Foil Brain Takes Over 05:29 The Stigma Of SUP 09:12 Infinite Lines 12:07 Where Did Paddle Woo Go? 13:45 SUP Video Contests 20:53 Raising A WaterKid 23:06 Paddlwoo Podcasting 24:18 Finding Your Tribe 26:55 Learning Through Conversations 30:01 Flow States 35:08 Slingshot Cutback Explained 38:11 Intermediate SUP Progression 42:38 Board Design Step Decks 45:18 Falling For Stability 47:37 Style as Minimalism

SUP legend Rick Weeks (“SUP the Creek”) joins for a wide-ranging SUP Surf Session covering technique, mindset, and gear through the lens of a 78 y.o. surfer. Weeks explains his “drop-up” method, where to find the eject button, and how to prevent your board and body from breaking. We talk style, respect, and surfing with rhythm. And we also get into some of inspiration behind his board design collaborations with Sunova. And finally he shares how surfing helped him rebuild his life after losing everything at 62. It’s never too late to re-invent yourself. SUP Surf Sessions - Episode Notes SUP Surf Sessions - All Links Chapters 00:00 Living Without Caution 01:18 Too Many Words Rick 03:35 The Drop Up Technique 04:23 Pipeline 09:41 Hitting the Eject Button 11:51 Saving Boards From Breaks 14:03 Best to Surf Alone 19:11 Shark Risks 21:03 The Magic of SUP 28:40 Start on Flatwater 29:33 Tips for Bigger Riders 36:28 Rhythm, Flow & Style 39:37 Looking Legit in the Lineup 42:50 Designing Sunova Boards 50:18 Age Mindset 54:28 Wrap

Coach Jake from Oso Paddle Surf in Nosara, Costa Rica teaches us the importance of ocean and wave knowledge (timing, positioning, safety), efficient paddling mechanics, dynamic stance and footwork transitioning from paddle to surf stance, and the idea that the paddle should amplify maneuvers rather than create them. We discuss cutbacks, paddle placement, rail turns versus tail slides, learning from world champions at ISA events, and his camps in Nosara, Tofino and beyond. SUP Surf Sessions - Episode Notes SUP Surf Sessions - All Links Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Costa Rica 02:02 Becoming Coach Jake 05:37 Stance of a Fighter 18:24 What Makes a Good Coach? 19:26 Ocean Knowledge First 24:36 Footwork 29:25 Surf First Paddle Second 32:01 Roundhouse Cutback Options 37:03 Competing with the World's Best 38:09 Elite Wave Knowledge 40:56 Paddling Power and Catch 44:44 Going Vertical 49:16 Longboard SUP 50:57 Oso Paddle Surf Program 54:03 Travel Coaching and Wrap

Tiago Silva needs no introduction. He has been a SUP surf coach for over 15 years and is owner of Mauka Lodge based in Ericeira, Portugal - one of the earliest SUP surf retreats in the world. In this episode he describes a variety of coaching tips from video analysis and walkie-talkies in wave pools to dry-land training exercises on surfskates. SUP Surf Sessions - Episode Notes SUP Surf Sessions - All Links Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:58 Abu Dhabi Pool 03:39 Chicama Marathon Waves 04:31 Portugal Surf Beginnings 05:58 Why SUP is Better 10:25 Mauka Lodge Origins 15:03 Board Selection 18:05 Paddle Selection 20:38 Paddling Out Through Whitewater 25:12 Kicking The Board Over 29:57 Unlocking The Ripping Stance 32:37 Front Foot Drive 35:03 Surfskate Visualization 40:04 Progression 41:59 Therapy And Longevity 47:02 Travel Retreats Worldwide 48:32 Final Thanks And Wrap

Spicy, highly competitive, and talented - Lise Richard balances her hot sauce business with a passion to constantly improve at SUP surfing. She has followed her dreams to the highest levels - representing Team Canada at a number of international comps, including the 2025 ISA World Games in El Salvador. Lise reminisces about running into the pros (I mean literally running into them!) and learning from them in the line up. We explore the learning process of SUP surfing, including the benefits of journalling, video anlaysis and we also get into some detail about how to work with the top part of the wave. SUP Surf Sessions - Episode Notes SUP Surf Sessions - All Links Chapters 00:00 Stop Looking Down 01:03 Surf Canada 02:20 ISA Worlds - Heat One 05:22 Mid Heat Collision 07:22 Free Surf Chaos 09:09 Rail Turns 13:06 Stay High for Cutbacks 17:29 Big Waves 20:38 Olympic Dreams 23:41 Mindset Over Technique 25:53 Journaling Your Sessions 27:30 MOVE Your Back Foot 28:32 Shortboarding For Better SUP 32:02 SUP Is For Losers? 33:58 Etiquette And Safety Balance 37:44 Hot Tips 42:24 Enjoying A Wild Ride

Host Sean Cassidy launches the SUP Surf Sessions podcast and interviews his friend and mentor Alex Chandler, an early east-coast Canada SUP adopter and an all-around waterman -  introduced to the sport in Hawaii by Laird Hamilton. They discuss how SUPs and foils change lineup dynamics and how SUP surfers can coexist with prone surfers through skill, respect, and etiquette. Alex shares a Maui story learning etiquette after losing control of a big SUP and his evolution to earning respect from pro surfers in the water. Alex explainsthe ingredients of being a good water person. He also toucheson paddle length and stance techniques, SUP performance in bigger waves, and dealing with the thousands of sharks off the coast of Nova Scotia. SUP Surf Sessions - Episode Notes SUP Surf Sessions - All Links Chapters 00:00 Welcome 01:18 Cold Water Sessions 02:53 Should SUPs Be In The Lineup? 04:36 Laird Hamilton Origin Story 08:04 How to Earn Your Place 09:48 SUP Lineup Etiquette 12:27 Bottom Turns 14:58 Stance & Paddle Length Tips 17:59 Top Turns & Paddle Switches 20:03 Ocean as Medicine 21:07 SUP vs Pro Surfer 24:02 When to Paddle Out 27:02 Sharks in the Lineup 29:49 Ocean Awe and Presence 31:01 SUP Surfing is Legit 34:37 Attitude and Safety 36:18 Wrap

Monthly episodes starting Spring 2026. Follow @iceboxsessions