In a fusion of surf culture and craft beer, Firestone Walker, the renowned California brewery, has made waves by extending its multi-year partnership with the World Surf League (WSL). The highlight of this extended collaboration is the launch of the “Cold Beer Surf Club,” an innovative project that encompasses an original podcast and short film series hosted by 805 Authentico and California’s own professional surfer, Conner Coffin.
This initiative is more than just a partnership; it’s a celebration of the quintessential California lifestyle – where the taste of 805 Beer meets the thrill of catching the perfect wave. The “Cold Beer Surf Club” immerses enthusiasts in the world of surfing through storytelling, providing a unique behind-the-scenes look into the lives of professional surfers, the challenges they face, and the camaraderie that defines the surf community.
The heartbeat of the “Cold Beer Surf Club” will be the podcast and short film series, where Conner Coffin lends his authentic voice and perspective, offering listeners and viewers an intimate connection to the surf culture he knows so well. As an accomplished surfer hailing from the Golden State, Coffin’s insights promise to bring a genuine and relatable touch to the experiences shared in the series.
Debuting January 29, on WSL channels as part of the Championship Tour (CT) opening at Pipeline on the North Shore of Oahu, the first episode of “Cold Beer Surf Club” featured Foo Fighters’ guitarist and avid surfer Chris Shiflett. Episodes will air monthly and also feature companion short films that capture adventures beyond the podcast conversations.
Not stopping at storytelling, Firestone Walker and the WSL are taking their collaboration a step further with the introduction of the Athlete Booster program. This program is designed to provide crucial support to two Challenger Series surfers, enabling them to participate and compete on the global series stage. By investing in the future of surfing talent, the “Cold Beer Surf Club” goes beyond entertainment, becoming a platform for nurturing and promoting the sport’s rising stars.
In this Backstage Q&A, Coffin discussed the inspiration behind the podcast, the unique blend of surf culture and craft beer, and the stories that unfold both on and off the board.
What was the inspiration behind creating the “Cold Beer Surf Club” podcast and short film series?
Coffin: I think that mostly we’re looking for a fun project to do with 805 Beer. We’ve made two great films together already with Mind Surfing and Convergence. We wanted to find a way to continue the storytelling and connecting with people to surfing, which is what led to the podcast.
I thought the idea was really cool and started thinking about the amazing people that I’ve gotten to meet over the years through surfing. I thought it would be super fun to be able to connect with them, talk stories, and get to hear their story on what they love about surfing? The goal for me is to have it be a podcast that also transcends beyond surfing.
Some of the guests like Chris Malloy is obviously he’s a surfer, but then he’s also become a really successful filmmaker. Chris Shifflett is a surfer but has tons of interests and passions outside of surfing.
I really wanted to reach out to people who love to surf but have a lot of passions and interests outside of surfing too, because for me I love surfing but I’m always really interested in a lot of other different things and what other people have going on.
It’s really fun for me to be able to share my experience with surfing with their experience and what they love about it, how it’s different or synonymous to other things they love to do or their profession.
If you could surf any wave in the world with a cold beer in hand, where would it be and why?
Cloudbreak in Fiji is such a magical place. They go on there and just have a good time. The people are amazing. It’s also hard not to Rincon, Santa Barbara because it’s home. I love the good sessions at Rincon and cold beers on the beach afterward with friends.
What was the most unexpected or interesting moment of your debut episode’s conversation with Foo Fighters’ Chris Shiflett?
I think it was cool to hear him talking about surfing in the way that it is an outlet for him in his life. Being a famous musician, traveling, touring, that’s pretty gnarly. It’s a lot of going on the road, being around concerts, being made to managers, and all the things that go along with being a touring musician.
For him to be able to get a surfboard and go surf when he’s on tour in Australia is just like such a great way for him to unplug and stay in a great headspace while he’s on tour and get some physical activity, be in nature, and help him with his overall wellbeing when he goes to shows.
Surfing has always been that outlet for me too. It became my job and my profession, but at the end of the day, I still like to go out and surf and be in nature and do what I love to do. It has always been a nice outlet for me, so I think we shared that a lot and I found that really interesting.
If you could have a dream guest, alive or historical, on your podcast, who would it be and what would you ask them?
I’d love to have Keith Richards on my podcast. He’s always been someone that I’ve found really inspiring. He’s such an amazing musician.
I love listening to his interviews and his stories. It seems like he’s lived such a radical life in many different ways. He’s been unique, but yet stuck to the roots of traditional blues, rock, and country music. I’ve always been really inspired by him.
Tell us about a memorable moment or challenge you’ve faced while recording an episode for Cold Beer Surf Club or creating the 805 film series so far.
805 Beer has been so great that we haven’t had a ton of challenges. One issue we run into is scheduling. For Convergence, we were talking about doing that trip for the film and getting myself, Nate, and Greyson together for probably about like a year.
Lining that up with everyone’s schedules and getting us all in the same place for a week was quite challenging. Similarly for the podcast, I think there are so many rad people all around the world that I would love to have on there. It’s going to be a challenge to get them in Los Angeles or maybe we go mobile at some point.
What are you looking forward to (and what can your audience look forward to) with the new podcast?
I think hearing all of these different voices. I’m trying to bring like a very eclectic group of people to the podcast. Hearing all their different stories, I get excited about having these people on who are really skilled, really passionate, or created this unique life for themselves that is off the cuff and not considered “normal.”
We are talking to those who have found success in doing something that they love to do. I feel super fortunate to have done that myself. I think it makes life so much more fun and fulfilling when you get to do something that you’re passionate about for a living.
I want to try to capture that and pull on those strings through the podcasts with the various guests and hopefully inspire people to go out and do the same for themselves.
The first season of the “Cold Beer Surf Club” podcast plans to host 10 episodes, as part of the 2024 WSL Championship Tour season. The “Cold Beer Surf Club” podcast will be globally distributed on the WSL app and its media channels, Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. For more information, visit www.805beer.com.
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