Looking Back On Season One Of The Inspired Surfers Podcast, Presented By Jimmy's - Wavelength Surf Magazine

Last week marked the end of the first series of the Inspired Surfers Podcast, presented by Jimmy’s Iced Coffee.

Back in early May when we first sat down with Jimmy to work on the series, the idea was to assemble a lineup of guests who were inspired by their passion for surfing and the ocean environment to affect real change, both in their own lives and in the lives of others.

*Richard Walker speaking at the Plastic Solutions conference, presented by Finisterre & SAS.*

We began with a selection of high flying businessmen and corporate execs. Some like Richard Walker, managing director of Iceland Foods, described how surfing’s culture of environmental stewardship had motivated him to shake up the status quo, while others, like Andy Medd of London Agency ‘Mother’ and Crowdfunder founder Rob Love, spoke of their drive to make space for surfing’s abundant positive impacts on personal wellbeing, in both their own lives and those of their employees.

*Surfers Against Sewage stage a demonstration in Brighton.*

Then, Jim sat down with leaders from a trio of surf charities, each with their own unique story of how their experiences chasing surf around the globe had opened their eyes to profound social and environmental issues. In episode three, Surfers Against Sewage CEO Hugo Tagholm described how he married his business experience with his passion for surf and ocean preservation to create an organisation with global ambition.

In episode five, Waves for Change founder Tim Conibear spoke of the transformative impact of the sport in troubled communities in Africa and beyond. And in episode 6, Doctor Dave Jenkins, founder of Surf Aid, explained how a chance encounter on a surf trip to the Mentawais saw him dedicate his life to helping remote island communities acquire the tools they need to avoid unnecessary suffering.

*Carissa Moore, focussed in Tahiti. Photo: Ben Thouard / Red Bull*

Past the halfway mark, we sought more female voices, figuring where better to start than with Carrissa Moore, 4X World Champ and co-founder of the Moore Aloha foundation which uses surfing as a platform to bring young women together to encourage and inspire each other to become strong, confident and compassionate individuals.

From there we focussed back a little closer to home, with Cornwall based Rachel Murphy, creator of the Woman + Wave surf club; a grassroots weekly gathering, which evolved into a business offering a range of retreats aimed at empowering women to access the benefits of surfing and other ocean-based activities.

*Beth Hamilton at Padang Padang. Photo Trevor Murphy Photography*

Returning to the global stage for the penultimate episode, Jim sat down with Bethany Hamilton, undoubtedly one of the most inspiring sportspeople of our age, who surely needs no introduction. Beyond her plethora of surfing achievements, the pair discussed Beth’s family life, her tireless efforts to share her story and what she’s learnt about dealing with trauma through her various outreach programmes.

In the final episode of the series, Jim was joined by Nick Corkill, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict for a raw and unfiltered account of how surf photography played a key role in helping him overcome his personal demons and getting his life back on track.

*Jack Johns, captured by Nick Corkhill (@nicko_photo)*

Overall, we hope the stories featured not only encouraged you to keep your chin up during these difficult times but also inspired you to think of ways, be they grand or every day, that you too can be inspired by your love of surfing to drive positive change.

Listen too all the conversations with inspired surfers here.