On Water: The Session Mag Podcast

Professional free surfer Otto Flores is widely known for his remarkable surfing skills, riding the waves of Puerto Rico and beyond with style and precision. But what truly sets him apart isn’t just his skill on a surfboard; it’s his deep commitment to his community, his thoughtfulness around land development and his passion to protect PR’s marine ecosystems. Through his philanthropic efforts, Otto has proven that being a successful athlete goes far beyond personal accolades—it’s about giving back, mentoring, and working towards the betterment of the world around him.

In this episode of On Wate...

Paige Alms needs no introduction. A frontrunner and a mainstay in the big wave surfing arena, Paige has set records for women’s surfing at Pe’ahi, competed in The Eddie at Waimea, chased surging barrels around the globe and - when at home - enjoys gardening and making sourdough bread. Paige’s insight and wisdom into the world of surfing comes from a lifetime of commitment to putting in the time on the water, dialing in her equipment with shaper/fiance Sean Ordonez, and training her body - and her mind - to be fiercely on point when the sw...

Pink beanies made from the dye of purple sea urchins? Biodiversity blocks to plant a mangrove tree?? Tapping into the business mindset to achieve audacious goals on a scalable, fast track plan to protect our coastal ecosystems? This is not your ordinary environmental non-profit. This is SeaTrees.

Business acumen + passion for the environment is what SeaTrees co-founder, Michael Stewart brings to the table for this skyrocketing non-profit who's end game is saving our coastal ecosystems and protecting planetary diversity. How do they do it?  By engaging customers in fun, innovative ways, offering multiple exciting projects at any g...

In this episode, Edo Tanas - last year’s inaugural Koa Kai Triple Crown champion for downwind foiling - gives his insights around the importance of equipment choices for competitive events, his recent travel escapades, love of fishing and what his future goals look like. One thing is certain: Edo will be found on the water either in Hawaii or around the world for 2025. His positive energy and good nature is the essence of stoke. His skill and wisdom around downwind foiling reflects the upward spiral of this new watersports’ discipline and his exuberant passion which is bringing young peop...

Kai Lenny's extraordinary skill set across multiple disciplines informs his approach towards board design and shaping. Plus, it gives him a unique perspective for always pushing the boundaries across the spray of watersports.  

For this episode of On Water: The Session Magazine Podcast, we find Kai at home on Maui developing his board shaping skills while enjoying the extensive R&D he is doing on everything from foiling, to windsurfing, kiting and big wave guns. His current focus is on fine tuning his own modifications to his equipment to perform at the highest levels. W...

Cornwall Free Surfer and Pro Longboarder Michael Lay takes us on a journey from surfing around the globe, chasing dreams and photographs, to reinstilling his original passion for surfing through digging into his roots back home along the U.K.'s rugged seascape. In this episode, we dive into Mike's decade-long career as a professional free surfer, his love of the wild Cornish coast and his commitment to sustainability through traveling less, and celebrating his own homeland along with the birth of his next child. 

Marguerite Hofmeyr offers a deep download of wisdom around ocean conservation and activism through her experiences as Managing Director at Ocean Sentinel Alliance, So. Africa's Board Member for Parley for the Oceans and more in this compelling conversation around her personal connection to water, the aftermath of Apartheid and how it has separated indigenous Africans from their relationship with the ocean, and her current, exciting work with Parley for the Oceans to map out and certify the largest Marine Protected Area to date along the So. African coast.  

Surfer/Author/Visionary John Angiulo explains how everything this made up of waves. In his recent book, "Surfing Saves" Angiulo outlines a bold plan to protect the planet by Connecting our wisdom and experience on the water to building communities worldwide that thrive on regenerative agriculture, Circular systems and the preservation of our planet.  

Author of Blue Mind, Wallace J. Nichols Delves into the Science and Philosophy Behind how Being on, in or near Water Positively Affects our Mental Health and Well Being.

In this episode, Dr. Cliff Kapono shares his dual passion for surfing and science. We dive into his current project at MegaLab - a non-profit ocean research facility in Hilo, Hawaii - which implements modern technology to map our world’s reef systems. The project's goal is to have over 1 million reefs documented by 2030 and train an army of citizen scientists to help.  As he says in this deep dive into reef mapping, “We have more information and technology working on the mapping of the surface of Mars than we do our own ocean floors.”

To watch live st...

Chase Lieder was awarded the WSL longboard wild card entry for the tour in 2023 after a mesmerizing performance at the Mexilog Fest in Salyulita. Now, this 19-year-old Montauk native is gunning for the Olympics.

New York big wave surfer Will Skudin recaptures the mayhem of tow surfing into a recent massive swell at Mavericks in this week’s episode of On Water. Skudin goes down hard under the lip in a smackdown on his second wave that day, which has already proven itself to be one of the biggest in recent history. The images of this wipeout are surreal. Will’s resilient attitude about getting back on the ski to whip his partner - Nic VanRupp - into additional waves that day is motivational. Skudin’s passion for surfing “from 2-foot faces at Maria’s...

Lindsey Tilton completes 48 hours at the Last Paddler Standing endurance SUP race in Sarasota, Florida. The previous female record was held at 13 hours. Lindsey talks about her mental preparation to withstand the rigors of Last Paddler Standing, her personal 'Why' for competing in the event (powerful) and future goals which include the 2024 Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis 80-mile event as a competitive solo female paddler. "You really can achieve anything that you put your mind to in life," she says as she overcame injury, a steep learning curve and personal loss. Strength and resilience on tap.  Lindsey Tilton will have y...

How do we express ourselves within the space of the lineup? What is our spiritual connection to the water and each other through surfing? These questions and more are developed in this week's deep dive into conversation with surf goddess Leah Dawson. Leah's unique style, exploratory thought process and water wisdom take us on a journey from the mundane to the mystical as we talk about shifting perspectives around women surfing, the importance of community and protecting our oceans. Easily one of the most thought provoking podcasts to date. Open up and get more than just your toes wet...

We caught up with a very tired Ben Gravy two days after his return home from Norway after surfing seven different oceans in only seven days.  From Japan to Indonesia to Australia to Texas to New Jersey to Norway took Ben and his team over 30,000 miles in the span of one week in order to surf the world's seven oceans, Ben Gravy style. In this episode, Ben unpacks the dream, the gritty reality of flight time and layovers, combined with surreal moments at legendary surf breaks around the world.  As ever, Ben's humor, pure stoke and honesty about this wh...

Chris Bertish dropped by the podcast studio in Montauk, NY on his North American inspirational speaking and book tour for ALL IN:  The Atlantic Standup Paddle Crossing, and offers some rich detail behind this monumental feat. In this episode of On Water, Chris talks about his motivation to paddle the 4050NM across the Atlantic, solo and unsupported, discusses the building of his unique standup paddle craft - the ImpiFish -, the creation of his film from the crossing "Last Known Coordinates and what he is planning next. Chris Bertish is a rare, enigmatic athlete who's drive to succeed at w...

Gaelin Rosenwaks was inspired at an early age to take action in protecting marine life through a transformative experience with a beached whale on Long Island. Today, this renowned Marine Scientist makes her mark by documenting research expeditions that bring to the public the science behind what is being done to protect our word's oceans.  From the deepest blue hole, to swimming with sperm whales in Dominica, Gaelin's ocean-centric life creates both impact and inspiration.

To learn more go to:  www.gaelinrosenwaks.com  

16-year old Noah is a Rookie on the USA Snowboard Team, training at the Stratton Mountain School in Vermont and spending his summers surfing the waves in Montauk, NY. Noah is a class act, full of fun, surrounded by friends who push him and grateful for the opportunity to ride for the US Snowboard Team.  He also has his sights set on going pro for the 2026 Olympic Games.  

Zane Schweitzer takes us on a deep dive into the days after the wildfires destroyed his hometown of Lāhainā. In this episode, Zane gives his first interview 8 days following the worst natural disaster in the Hawaiian islands' history and his personal story of how those days unfolded.  Zane's raw perspective offers a stunning glimpse into how his gratitude for life, the resilience of the Hawaiian people and the indominable spirit of aloha has the power to shift even a horrible historic episode into a story of hope, resilience and community connection.  The whole world is watching. #LahainiaStrong

Dylan Stott, formerly of NY and now a fixture in Ireland's big wave surf scene, contributes regularly to Session Magazine. In this episode, he details his childhood growing up on Long Island (Southampton) and his quest to challenge himself in larger surf, a search that sends him to Oahu's North Shore and then to the cold coast of Ireland where he now lives on a farm with his family within view of his favorite surf break. Thought provoking and entertaining, this is one episode not to be missed.

Brian Talma of Barbados is an extraordinary personality in the world of watersports. Filled with passion, an artistic nature, and dedication to his bajan culture, in this interview Brian shares about what it's been like to cultivate and live the beach culture way of life. From humble beginnings, this present day global watersport athlete and world champion leads with his heart. Learn more about Talma's Beach Culture World Tour and Global Organic Tourism where athletes and spectators are asked to give back to the local communities they visit. Brian's 2023 win of the Master of the Ocean championship is a...

"Life is for the adventurous. That's the attitude we take whenever embarking on a journey devoid of upfront details but rich in downstream rewards. Pulling the trigger on a trip with a list of unanswered questions is the essence of adventure. Such was the case of our Foil X excursion to Central America..." Hear Session Magazine Publisher Russ Scully retell the tale of the journey to a coveted foil destination somewhere in Central America where the only requirement is ... you don't tell anybody where you were. From the Winter '22 issue of Session Magazine. Read the article at: https...

In this episode, you will hear stories from a group of elite military men, including a former Navy SEAL and Army Commanding Officer as they relive the lessons learned by spending a week together on retreat in Punta de Mita, Mexico learning how to surf with the SUP Vets. From an article written in the 2021 Winter Issue of Standup Journal, this episode includes voiceovers from guests on the retreat. To learn more about The SUP Vets, check out:  www.thesupvets.org 

In this episode, you will hear author Evelyn O'Doherty read aloud an article written about "Surfing in the Dairyland:  Sheboygan Wisconsin" from the Fall '21 issue of Standup Journal.

In this episode, you will hear author Evelyn O'Doherty read aloud her article from the Summer 2018 issue of Standup Journal about her year of travel as press agent for the APP World Tour.  

In this episode, Session Mag Publisher Russ Scully and Editor-in-Chief Evelyn O'Doherty give some background on the history of Session Magazine. From its origins as Standup Journal, through the meeting of friends and decision to take on the magazine as a passion project, straight through its growth and the launch of Session Mag as an internationally celebrated watersports magazine this story will motivate you to begin that project you've been thinking about, lean in and get started. Session Magazine - simply and always - rises out of a love of water and the ways in which we engage in...

Justin Fornal is an international explorer whose focus is on bringing voice to marginalized or under-represented cultures through documentary films and also by completing extreme open water swims to raise awareness for these communities. He is co-founder of the History, Arts and and Science Action Network (HASAN), a nonprofit organization that focuses on relic repatriation, historic justice, and documenting vanishing cultures. As an explorer, author and extreme athlete you can say that Justin Fornal is a very interesting guy. We connected with Fornal at the March 2023 See Change Session social action summit in Burlington, Vermont where he was leading...

In this episode, we chat with extreme athlete and legendary waterman Chuck Patterson on his recent injury sustained while surfing 50' Cortes Bank back in Jan. 2023, his participation in the Pacific Northwest Ocean Safety Summit in Oregan, moving back to California after a year in Vermont, and marrying Trish Meyler.

For more stories like this, go to: www.session-magazine.com 

Show Notes: 
00:00-01:20  Introduction  
01:21-14:10 Getting Injured at Cortes Bank 
14:11-23.07 Pacific Northwest Ocean Safety Summit 
23:08-24.49 Moving Back to CA  
24:50-31:35 Getting Married 
31:35-34:08 What's Next for Chuck 

Dear Water Lovers: Welcome to a show for those who live & breathe, thrive and achieve through a lifestyle connected to the water. Whether you’re a surfer, stand up paddler, foiler or kiter, On Water speaks to athletes, entrepreneurs, artists, scientists and CEO’s about all the ways our lives on the water motivate us to be better humans. This is On Water, a podcast for water lovers.

Show launches April 13, 2023.

Link: www.session-magazine.com