The Black Surfers Collective (BSC), remind everyone that they remain dedicated to increasing diversity and inclusion in ocean sports through strategic partnerships and signature events designed to break down barriers and create pathways to ocean access for underrepresented communities.
For all the details on their mission and upcoming partnerships and events please follow the jump.
Dawn Patrol, the Apple Watch surf tracking app we love to hate, has ruined another feature that almost made it worth paying $28 a year for: they no longer show Surfline wave heights in their surf forecasts. Now, a check of the surf returns a dash with no info (as seen at right).
After thinking it was our fault. We deleted the app, reloaded it. Restarted our phone and watch and still got the dash on the screen. Only after checking in with Dawn Patrol support did we learn the reason.
Before we could show the wave height from Surfline forecasts. However we can no longer do this unless you connect your account with Surfline.
Yes. A feature we had paid Dawn Patrol for has been removed and the only way to get it back is to sign up for an account on Surfline.com and then link it back to Dawn Patrol. Oddly, all of Dawn Patrol’s documentation on the web and in the Apple app store says “Surfline forecasts” are included in their paid “Soul Surfer” feature set. While there is a fix, it does not appear anywhere on Dawn Patrol’s website nor in any of their documentation.
Our experience with Dawn Patrol suggests the developers have a small staff, little funding, and very few people on their team who actually use the app on a daily basis. Because of this the app has had its share of glitches, bad updates, and feature fall out. Yes, it’s hard and tech is complicated. But dropping a paid feature without telling your users about it is pretty weak sauce.
So, about 30 minutes after jumping through all their account linking hoops, the wave height again showed up on our watch. Now, with a “Powered by Surfline” logo in the lower right hand corner. Notice the wind speed that used to be on the bottom right corner? It moved to the upper left to make room for Surfline branding. Is that was this was all about? Creating more Surfline accounts and placing a logo? Looks like it.
Now, after spending three hours sorting this out, please excuse us while we go crush that monster surf that our Apple Watch (and Surfline.com) has finally alerted us to.
Kolby Aipa, 20, the grandson of legendary Hawaiian surfboard shaper Ben Aipa has died after being hit by the car that he was towing beside while on his ebike in Huntington Beach, California on Saturday, August 2, 2025, according to as story in the Los Angeles Times.
“We are completely heartbroken,” read the statement posted to Aipa Surf. “We wanted to thank all the visitors, supporters, food deliveries, donations, flowers, cards, countless stories and photos his friends have shared with us, Drs and nurses that have taken care of our sweet boy. The H.B. community and everyone around the world have touched our hearts in an unimaginable way.
Our hearts are will the entire Aipa family. If you feel moved, please contribute to Aipa’s GoFundMe. And, please, please don’t let your friends hang on to cars while riding anything. It rarely turns out well.
We don’t know the back story, but apparently USA Surfing bungled their first go-round with the US Olympic Committee during the Tokyo Olympics. Now they’d like to be reconsidering as the official governing body for surfing for the LA28 games.
According to a Laylan Connelly story in the Orange County Register they have some competition for the job. Seems the US Ski & Snowboard Association (which has no experience with surfing but much with the Oluympics) would also like a shot at owning surfing in the Olymipics . . . ah, because they’d like the money most likely.
While USSSA may have no experience with surfing, their CEO has (at least for a year). Many will remember Sophie Goldschmidt as the CEO of the World Surf League for a minute before Oprah Winfrey’s boy took over. She believes her ski and snowboard organization is the perfect group to shepherd surfing through the LA Games in 2028.
“We feel that surfers have not been supported, in the same way that we would propose to, in the past,” Goldschmidt said. “And now, we can provide them with more of that support and the structure, the leadership and the strong backing of a large and growing organization, which is in a very good place financially as well. . . . They need high-performance environments, clear pathways to the Olympics, and the ability to build their personal brands, she said. “That’s what we provide, and we know it works.”
Sure, there are dozens of reasons why all these options are terrible, but in the end shouldn’t surfing be run by surfers? Or, as some would argue is Olympic surfing even surfing? For all the details, click the link.
The Palm Springs Surf Club will reportedly “undergo a city commission review July 22, 2025” after loads of noise complaints and occasional mechanical problems which have led to pool closures, according to a story in the Palm Springs Post.
Since late 2023, the surf club has generated 66 noise complaints from approximately 16 individual residences in a nearby neighborhood, according to a city staff report. Code enforcement officers have cited the business six times, with four citations resulting in fines that have been paid in full.
The inland surf dream is a costly, difficult thing to make real, apparently. Riding a wave in the ocean seems so much more efficient, right? For more details on the story please click the link.
The Encinitas Library had the distinct pleasure of hosting surf publishing legend Steve Pezman, co-founder of The Surfer’s Journal, for an author event Sunday afternoon May 18, 2025. The gathering of surf and magazine fans was treated to a captivating dive into Pez’s remarkable career, spanning over five decades in the heart of surf culture and media.
Pezman, a true icon of the surfing world, is known for his profound influence on how the sport and its lifestyle are chronicled. Before co-founding The Surfer’s Journal with his wife Debbee in 1992, he spent over two decades as the group publisher of Surfer Publications (which included Powderand Skateboarder Magazine). This rich history provided ample fodder for his presentation, which included a reading from his 2022 book, Turn and Go! 50 Years of Surf Writings.
ISA President Fernando Aguerre, the Argentine ball of energy almost single handedly responsible for pressing surfing into the Olympics, is over the moon on the recent confirmation of Trestles as the host site for surfing during the 2028 LA Olympics.
“Following the amazing success of surfing in Teahupo’o, and in talking to many of the world’s athletes, we knew that any solution for LA had to feature the best performance waves, and there is no doubt that location is Trestles,” Aguerre says. “We would like to thank the LA28 leadership team and the International Olympic Committee for their understanding and support of the best conditions for the athletes. . . This decision furthers the existing trajectory of hosting Olympic Surfing in iconic ocean waves. The perfect peak at Lowers offers a high-performance canvas like no other in Southern California. We are so excited to see the world’s best battling it out for Olympic glory on its venerated cobblestones. . . We look forward to continuing to work with our friends at LA28 as we embark on our third Olympic cycle. The Olympic Movement is riding a new wave of innovation and inclusivity, powered by the youth and we are proud to join with LA28 in embracing that spirit to deliver an unforgettable Games.”
Indeed. For the complete official release from the ISA, please follow the jump.
No, we haven’t talked to Matt Biolos. Nor have we tried. It’s quicker to just post a link to TMZ and call it a day.
Lost International is suing Lady Gaga for trademark infringement for her “Mayhem” album … claiming they own the rights to the term as used in the surf company’s distinctive logo and that Lady Gaga’s use is basically identical. . . In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Lost says they’ve been slapping a stylized version of “Mayhem” on their surfboards and merch for over a decade … and Gaga ripped off the design for her latest album.
Following a horrific wipeout at Pipeline, being under for two minutes, a heroic rescue, and several days in a medically induced coma, North Shore charger Makai McNamara has been released from the hospital and is back home with his family.