The Lineup with Dave Prodan - A Surfing Podcast

2x World Champion, current World No. 1, Tahiti-bound for USA, new Dad, Founder of Florence Marine X, and YETI ambassador John John Florence drops in on The Lineup to celebrate the 200th episode of the podcast! Dave and John also dive into his mind-blowing performances this year that has led him to the current World No. 1 position on the rankings heading into Fiji and locking his seat at the Lexus WSL Finals at Lower Trestles for a chance at a third World Title. He talks about his mindset entering 2024 and the ups and downs of the competitive surfing life. He reflects on how he went from not being too sure if he was going to compete this year and having “one foot in, one foot out” the past few years to being fully committed heading into 2024. He explains how he is investing in himself, giving surfing the respect he feels it deserves as a competitor, and traveling with his crew to ensure he’s giving it his very best. He talks about representing the USA in Tahiti this year and his mindset going into Teahupo’o. He illustrates his life as a father and how that affected his headspace in competition. He opens up about the importance of support, being the best version of himself for his son, and his family being the most important thing in his life. He discusses bringing his brothers into the family business of Florence Marine X, working with brands like YETI and with long-time shaper Jon Pyzel, before wrapping up the pod with Instagram questions and a second run at the Lightning Round.Learn more about John John here and follow him here.Follow the rankings here.Stay up to date with everyone Tahiti bound for the Olympics.Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our Youtube channel.Stay up to date with all things WSL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8x World SUP Champion, inspired windsurfer, kitesurfer, foiler, big wave surfer, waterman, and Red Bull athlete, Kai Lenny, joins us on the pod. After at least a 16 hour flight with his two-year-old twin toddlers, and a pit stop in LA to accept the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award on behalf of the Maui community at the ESPYs, Kai joins the Lineup with Dave to discuss season 4 of his biopic with Red Bull, Life of Kai. He explains his strongest gut feeling he’s ever had to wear a helmet at Pipe, the very same helmet that ended up saving his life earlier this year. Kai dives deeper into his injuries, the importance of taking tabs on your mental health, and one of the most bizarre micro concussions he’s ever experienced after a wipeout at Jaws in 2018. He and Dave muse over the big wave pioneers, like Shane Dorian, Ian Walsh, and Laird Hamilton, and how their contributions to the sport helped pave the road for the next generation to become even better than their predecessors. He also talks about how being a father makes him more calculated about when he decides to paddle out into big waves, the importance of confidence, and how that is the true talent of every champion in every sport. He reflects back on how exciting it was to be on the ground at Trestles for the WSL Finals in 2023, watching the best surfers in the world compete for the Title, and how stoked he is on the next generation of young girls, like Erin Brooks, Sierra Kerr, Molly Picklum and Caity Simmers charging waves of consequence. Kai argues that best big wave surfers in the world are often great small waves surfers and proposes that Jaws be included as a floating event on the CT before he closes the pod by answering listener questions and the Lightning Round.Subscribe to Kai Lenny’s YouTube and follow him here.Watch Red Bull’s Life of Kai Season 4 here.Support our Maui community by donating to the Maui Pono Foundation.Stay up to date with everyone Tahiti bound for the Olympics.Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our Youtube channel.Stay up to date with all things WSL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Competitive kayaking champion, 2004 Olympian, rodeo mom, and YETI ambassador Lauren Spalding joins us on the podcast. Lauren and Dave discuss her recent bout in the 2024 Kaiwi Solo Challenge, a competitive paddle crossing of the Kaiwi Channel, the treacherous body of water that separates the islands of Moloka’i and O’ahu. Lauren describes the series of events that landed her a second place finish in her division, how she gets her drive to continue competing, and the addiction she has to the burn of going the distance. She reflects on her upbringing, her early years on a canoe, and her father’s influence in her life as a paddler, recounting memories of being mesmerized by her surroundings and appreciating the priceless experiences she’s been able to have. She talks about working with YETI and the relationships she’s built with other ambassadors like musician and fly-fisher J.T. Van Zandt, and details her viscerally excruciating experience padding the Texas Water Safari with him. Lauren recounts her training and qualifying for the 2004 Olympics in Greece, the organized chaos of life as a rodeo mom, and proudly talks about how the resilient community of Maui have come together to rebuild since the tragic fires of 2023. She and Dave wrap it all up by answering Instagram questions from our listeners and the rapid-fire Lightning Round.Learn more about Lauren and follow her here.Catch the highlights from the Ballito Pro Presented By O’Neill.Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our Youtube channel.Stay up to date with all things WSL. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WSL commentator and Lineup co-host Mitchell Salazar is back to recap the VIVO Rio Pro Presented By Corona. While still on the ground in Rio, Mitch joins Dave on the The Lineup to break down the event. They discuss their winners and losers, Italo’s dominance throughout the event, the showcasing of the young women on tour, and Jordy Smith still being a World Title contender in his 17th year on tour. Mitch and Dave give us the Vissla CT Shaper Rankings update, all but declaring Matt Biolos and the …Lost team riders a shoo-in for the Shaping World Title. They discuss the odds and ends of the event, answer listener questions, and look ahead to the Ballito Challenger Series event.Follow Mitch here.Watch the Top 5 Moments from the VIVO Rio Pro Presented By Corona.Catch the next Challenger Series event, the Ballito Pro Presented By O'Neill, Jul 1 - Jul 8Stay up to date with the Vissla CT Shaper Rankings.Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our YouTube channel.Get the latest WSL rankings, news, and event info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we are re-airing our episode from 2022 with then rookie standout, Joao Chianca. Championship Tour rookie Joao Chianca joins the podcast to talk about making his debut at the Billabong Pro Pipeline. He recaps his huge winter on the North Shore, enjoying an amazing run of swell, staying at the Volcom house for the first time, and competing in his first career event. He breaks down how he prepared for Pipeline, how he took a short break to recharge for the season, and how different it is surfing in heats with one other person versus free surfing with hundreds of people in the lineup. He looks back at his road to the CT, growing up in Saquarema with his big wave surfing brother Lucas Chianca, idolizing Gabriel Medina and Adriano de Souza, competing and traveling the Qualifying Series with Samuel Pupo and Mateus Herdy, and his life-changing 2019 that eventually led to qualifying for the tour at Haleiwa last year. Joao also touches on making the switch to riding Channel Islands boards, the challenges of competing at places he’s never surfed before, and his big goals for his rookie year.Learn more about Joao and follow him here.Watch him live at the VIVO Rio Pro Presented By Corona, June 22 - 30th on worldsurfleague.com.Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our Youtube channel.Get the latest WSL rankings, news, and event info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WSL commentator and Lineup co-host Mitchell Salazar returns to The Lineup to share his insights from the ground in El Salvador. Fresh after finishing in the first half of the window for the first time at an event this year, Mitch returns to podcast with Dave to break down what Punta Roca was all about - the endless point break waves on tap throughout the event resulting in spectacular surfing by the world’s best. They laud John John’s demonstrable versatility, skill, and prowess in all waves after taking the win in El Salvador, Yago’s ascension, Caroline Marks defending her Title, and the surfers who are stepping up after seeing several surfers step away from tour. They analyze …Lost Surfboard’s incredible lead in the Vissla CT Shaper Rankings, what other programs and board builders must do if they hope for a shot at the “Shaping World Title” in 2024, and the types of boards and fins ridden in Punta Roca. They run through Listener Questions, give the Vissla CT Shaper Rankings Update, and discuss Mitch’s highly acclaimed wave at La Bocana.Follow Mitch here.Watch the Top 5 Moments from the Surf City El Salvador Pro Presented By Corona.Catch the world’s best surfers at the 8th event of the season in the VIVO Rio Pro Presented By Corona, June 22 - 30Stay up to date with the Vissla CT Shaper Rankings.Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our YouTube channel.Get the latest WSL rankings, news, and event info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Australia’s very own, Liam O’Brien, joins us on the pod. Liam talks about growing up in Australia and shares his stoke on Snapper returning to the CT in 2025. He reflects on being a young grom, going down to the coast to get pro surfers like Jordy Smith’s autograph, and how crazy it is to look back to now competing against the very same surfers he admires. He describes traveling on the tour, the undeniable intimidation factor at waves like Pipe, and how that fear turns into a desire to overcome the challenge. He and Dave discuss his new film with Yago Dora and Matt McGillivrary, El Paraíso, experiencing the culture and waves throughout the country, and how there is really no shortage of waves in El Salvador. Liam chats about his time working with Darren Handley at the DHD warehouse, stickering Mick’s boards, and his journey to the CT. They muse on his board selection over the next few events, which event he’s looking forward to getting barrelled at most, answer listener questions, and get his take on The Lightning Round.Learn more about Liam and follow him here.Catch the Top 5 Moments from the Surf City El Salvador Pro Presented By Corona..Watch El Paraíso here. Stay up to date with the Vissla CT Shaper Rankings.Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our YouTube channel.Get the latest WSL rankings, news, and event info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WSL commentator Mitchell Salazar and Dave Prodan discuss the historic events at the Tahiti Pro, praising Tati's 10-point ride, Vahine's CT win as a Wildcard, and the impressive performances from both men and women. They also touch on the Shaper Rankings, make predictions for El Salvador, and answer listener questions.

WSL Commentator Kaipo Guerrero joins the podcast to give the stories from the ground in Tahiti. The On The Road audio-only format aims to bring you quicker, deeper and better insight by checking in with our commentators and experts on-site at our various WSL events and airing these episodes as quickly as possible. These are the stories, the background, and the behind-the-scenes from the mouths of those closest to the action on the ground. In today’s episode, Kaipo talks to us about the anticipation for a significant upcoming swell en route for Teahupo’o, the fearless performances from the younger athletes in the draw, and the unparalleled experience by the veterans who have competed at this renowned location for years. Kaipo and Dave reflect on Tahitian history, Kaipo’s early experiences with the wave, and how it has changed over the years. They dive into the danger of this wave, the growing importance of wearing helmets in waves of consequences, and Kaipo’s favorites currently in the competition. Be sure to catch all the action on worldsurfleague.com and the WSL App.Follow Kaipo here.Stay tuned to the action at the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro Presented By Outerknown, May 27 - 31.Stay up to date with the Vissla CT Shaper Rankings.Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our YouTube channel.Get the latest WSL rankings, news, and event info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

France’s very own Johanne Defay is back on The Lineup podcast. Johanne talks about the incredible start to her 2024 CT season in comparison to her 2023 season. She discusses her mentality and her training in preparation for the rest of the year as well as for Tahiti and the Olympic Games. Johanne gets candid about how much Teahupo’o frightens her and how imperative it is to put in your time there to be successful. She and Dave dive into her partnership with Samsung, the film they worked on together, and why she wanted to work with them. Johanne discusses the Tour, how it has changed for her over the years, what she likes and doesn’t like about it, and how she is managing being the surfer’s rep this year. They round out the conversation by looking ahead to what’s next for Johanne, her taking business school online, and her love of competing. They finish the podcast answering listener questions and the quick-answer Lightning Round.Learn more about Johanne and follow her here.Stay tuned for the SHISEIDO Tahiti Pro Presented by Outerknown, May 22 - May 31. Stay up to date with the Vissla CT Shaper Rankings.Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our YouTube channel.Get the latest WSL rankings, news, and event info.And watch The Next Wave here presented by Samsung Galaxy out now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices