The Still Point Tapes : Echoes from the Lineup

Today on The Still Point Tapes we are with Skip Frye, one of surfing’s most quietly influential figures. Known not just for his graceful, flowing style in the water, Skip is also a master surfboard shaper whose designs have guided generations of surfers. He has always approached surfing with humility, almost as a meditation, connecting rider, board, and wave in a single rhythm. In this conversation, Skip reflects on the deeper side of surfing: the energy of the ocean, music, salsa, and how a lifetime spent gliding across waves can shape the way one moves through life.

In this episode of The Still Point Tapes: Echoes from the Lineup, we spend time with Jeff Divine, one of surfing’s most respected documentarians, not just with a camera, but with a quiet attention to the spirit of the ocean and those who ride it. Though known for his iconic photography, Jeff speaks here less as a photographer and more as a listener, to energy, to waves, to the deep rhythm of surf culture. He reflects on growing up near the California coast, and the way certain moments seem to arrive with meaning built into them.He also shares memories of his grandmother, a wise and perceptive woman whose way of being shaped his understanding of flow, intuition, and respect for nature. Her presence lingers throughout the conversation, like a compass quietly pointing toward a deeper kind of knowledge.This is a reflective, gently powerful episode about tuning in to the ocean, to each other, and to something larger than ourselves.The film “The Still Point” is available on The Surfers Network.

Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz was many things: a doctor, a philosopher, a nomad, and above all, a surfer who believed in the healing power of the ocean and the simplicity of a life lived close to nature.Long before “wellness” became a buzzword, Doc was preaching the gospel of health, family, and wave-riding from the seat of a camper van. He raised nine children on the road, taught countless people how to surf, and challenged mainstream values with an almost radical purity.In this conversation, recorded nearly twenty years ago, Doc reflects on the ocean as a source of spirit and balance. He speaks about education and instinct. It’s raw, it’s wise, and unmistakably Doc, uncompromising and full of life.

Jock Sutherland, The Mystic SurferJock Sutherland isn’t just a name in surfing history; he’s a spirit, a symbol of the moment when surfing began to evolve into something deeper, more intuitive, and more expressive. Emerging in the late 1960s as a counterpoint to the competitive drive of his peers, Jock brought something different to the lineup: a touch of mysticism, an almost shamanic connection to the wave. Known for his flowing style, innovative tube riding, and philosophical take on life, Jock stood out as a surfer who wasn’t just chasing waves; he was listening to them.In this rare and intimate interview, recorded nearly 20 years ago for The Still Point, Jock reflects on the ocean as a living force, the evolution of surfing, and the inner life of a surfer. What does it mean to belong to the sea? And how do we carry that experience into the rest of our lives?

In this episode, we sit down with legendary waterman George Downing, surfer, innovator, cultural guardian, and one of the most influential figures in the history of Hawaiian surf. From pioneering big wave riding at Makaha and Waimea, to shaping boards and minds over generations, George’s life was deeply intertwined with the ocean. Recorded nearly 20 years ago, this conversation is more than a historical document; it’s a voice from the soul of surfing itself. George speaks of respect: for the sea, for Hawaiian traditions, and for the unspoken wisdom that guides those who listen. I just want to say that if it were not for Steve Pezman, we would never have spoken to George, and without Steve's support, this project would never have been what it is. Here is George Downing, in his own words.

Today on The Still Point Tapes, we hear from a true original, Tom Morey. Best known as the inventor of the Boogie Board, Tom was much more than a surfing innovator. He was a jazz musician, a mathematician, a spiritual seeker, and a restless experimenter whose ideas shaped surf culture in ways most riders don’t even realize.In this rare interview, recorded almost two decades ago, Tom reflects on wave-riding as a cosmic dance, on surfing as both engineering and intuition, and on his deep belief in the ocean as a form of intelligence. From foam to faith, invention to improvisation, this is Tom Morey, unfiltered, unexpected, and unforgettable.

We bring you the voice of Richard “Buffalo” Keaulana, legendary Hawaiian waterman, revered lifeguard, and patriarch of Makaha. More than a surfer, Buffalo is a guardian of spirit and tradition, a man whose connection to the ocean runs as deep as the ancient rhythms of the islands themselves. In this conversation, recorded nearly twenty years ago, Buffalo reflects on the values that shaped him, respect and humility and shares what it means to ride waves not just with your body, but with your heart. You’ll hear stories of Makaha in its golden years, living with sharks, meditation, and Buffalo’s deep belief in the ocean as a way of life, a way of healing, a way of coming home.This is The Still Point Tapes. Echoes from the lineup. Voices that shaped the soul of surfing. Here is Buffalo Keaulana.

Welcome to The Still Point Tapes: Echoes from the Lineup, a podcast that brings you the complete, uncut voices of surfing’s great pioneers, drawn from interviews recorded nearly two decades ago for the documentary film, The Still Point. Today’s episode is a journey into the mind of the late Mike Doyle, surfer, shaper, inventor, artist, and all-around waterman. Known for his grace on a longboard and his deep connection to the ocean, Doyle helped define the soul of California surf culture in the 1960s and beyond. He was as comfortable riding waves as he was shaping them, always pushing the boundaries of what it meant to live a life in tune with the sea. In this conversation, Doyle reflects on surfing as an expression, the consciousness of waves, and what the ocean teaches us about life itself. His voice is steady, thoughtful, sometimes playful, always grounded in a lifetime of experience. Here’s Mike Doyle, raw and unfiltered, from The Still Point Tapes.

Welcome to The Still Point Tapes: Echoes from the Lineup, a podcast that brings you the voices of surfing’s pioneers, recorded nearly two decades ago for the documentary The Still Point.These are unfiltered, intimate conversations with the watermen and women who shaped surf culture, their philosophies, their passions, and their reflections on the ocean as a living force.In this first episode, we hear from Ricky Grigg, a pioneer big-wave surfer, scientist, and explorer, whose deep connection to the sea went far beyond the surfboard.He speaks about risk, rhythm, and the mysteries of the ocean with rare insight.