Basis Surf Podcast

🔥 Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds. https://surfbasis.com/pages/trainingplan

Garazi Sánchez (@garazisanchezsurf)  is a two-time Spanish national champion from the Basque Country who built her career competing on the world stage before finding a whole new relationship with surfing through twin fins and board shaping. In this episode, she opens up about what it truly takes to surf at a high level; from how a serious back injury became the turning point that led to her best results, to why paddle fitness is the foundation that most surfers overlook. She breaks down the mental side of competing, what it feels like to lose the joy of surfing and how she got it back, and shares her honest take on riding twin fins including the one mistake most surfers make when they first get on one. 

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Chapters
00:01:20 Introduction: Meet Garazi Sánchez
00:02:13 Growing Up Surfing in the Basque Country
00:03:30 How the Basque Culture Shaped Her Surfing
00:05:10 The Adventure Mindset: Surfing in Unlikely Places
00:08:04 The Joy of Watching Beginners Fall in Love with Surfing
00:08:52 Competition as a Path to Self-Knowledge
00:11:17 Starting Out: Competing in the Basque Country
00:16:36 Plateaus, Confidence & Finding Her Footing Internationally
00:18:35 Overcoming the Fear of Not Belonging in the Lineup
00:22:40 The Back Injury That Changed Everything
00:27:39 Training on Land: How It Unlocked Her Best Results
00:31:10 The Overlooked Fundamentals: Positioning, Paddling & Pop-Up
00:39:28 Coaching Maneuvers: Reading Wave Energy
00:45:25 The Shift to Twin Fins & Rediscovering Joy
00:52:22 Tips for Riding Twin Fins & Board Design with Lemon Surfboards

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Kuio Young is a Hawaiian competitive surfer and coach who works closely with everyday surfers, and professionals like Carlos Muñoz and Imaikalani Devault. His approach to surfing is simple; he sees it as a ‘dance’, where you work on specific pieces without losing the flow of the whole wave. We also get into why paddle strength and wave-reading is essential and how even high-level surfers benefit from guidance especially when it comes to mindset and board selection. Kuio also shares how his own mindset has shifted away from chasing clips, and more toward surfing as a way to feel free and stay connected to that true sense of glide.

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Chapters
02:05: Introduction: Who Is Kuio Young?
02:26: The Secret Behind Throwing Massive Spray
03:24: How Riding Longer Boards Changed Everything
04:17: Board Design Deep Dive: Knifey Outlines & Low Volume
08:15: Short Boards vs. Long Boards: Sensation & Creative Freedom
11:22: How Kuio Broke Through as a Surfer
13:25: Hip Surgery, Physical Limitations & the Road to Recovery
17:32: Foundation Training & Taking Care of Your Body
19:43: Coaching Philosophy: Compartmentalization vs. the Full Dance
21:40: How to Read the Ocean & Build a Better Bottom Turn
26:01: Coaching Carlos Munoz & Imai: What Elite Surfers Actually Need
34:15: Common Mistakes & Instant Game-Changers for Developing Surfers
36:42: The Doug Silva Relationship: Coaching Styles Compared
44:07: Style, Watching Old Surf Footage & Finding Your Glide
47:36: Closing Wisdom & Intentions

Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!

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New York–based shaper, Saint Christoper is pushing the envelope on Edge board design. We discuss how and why his boards create such a noticeable difference in performance. We start with the core question, “What is the Edge?” and break down the design principles behind concaves, reduced planing surfaces, and dual rockers that lead to effortless speed generation and the ability to hold a higher line for longer. We get into how to harness and design for speed through fin innovation, tail rocker, and experimental asymmetrical outlines. We also discuss Christopher’s experience not surfing for months before a trip to Nicaragua, used only the Basis Paddle Trainer in preparation, was able to surf for 5-6 hrs a day, and why building your ‘engine’ is just as important as dialing in your equipment. Tune in to learn about design, speed, and how to manipulate these elements to make the most out of your time in the water. 

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Chapters
02:05 Meet Edge Board Shaper Saint Christopher
03:01 The First Time Seeing an Edge Board Fly
04:38 The Origin of Edge Boards George Greenough
06:21 Convex vs Concave Surfboard Bottoms Explained
09:22 Why Edge Boards Are So Fast
11:36 How Edge Boards Hold a Higher Line
13:12 ASYM Edge Boards Toe vs Heel Design
16:15 Why Edge Boards Work in Fast Beach Breaks
18:53 Surface Area Drag and Speed
21:03 What Riding an Edge Board Feels Like
24:42 How to Control Edge Board Speed
27:04 New Fin Designs That Change Everything
31:09 Outline Design Short Boards Fish and Simmons
37:10 Designing Surfboards Around Your Stance
41:05 Training Paddle Power for Surf Trips 

Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!

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In this episode, 52-year-old Aaron Buckner shares how he went from 365 pounds, morbidly obese, and barely able to surf, to logging two-hour sessions in overhead waves and quadrupling his wave count. A few years ago at Kaisers in Waikiki, he paddled out, caught one wave, and was so gassed he couldn’t surf again for two days. Landlocked in Idaho and frustrated by “one wave and done” sessions, he was skeptical when he first saw the Basis Paddle Trainer. But after finally giving it a shot, and barely lasting five minutes on his first workout, he committed to structured training three to four days a week. Eight months later, he’s surfing seven days straight, holding his own in overhead C-Street, double-overhead South Bay, and even the North Shore, catching 2–4x more waves per session. By improving his paddle power and positioning, he’s getting into waves earlier, fixing his pop-up timing, and progressing again instead of just surviving sessions, proving that with the right foundation, decline isn’t inevitable.

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Chapters
01:39 Introduction to Aaron Buckner
02:17 Aaron’s Background and Move to Idaho
02:27 From 365 Pounds to a New Surfing Goal
04:25 Why Paddle Training Became Essential
06:21 The Hawaii Paddle Out Wake Up Call
08:02 Returning to Kaisers With Real Paddle Power
09:39 Initial Skepticism About the Paddle Trainer
11:04 The Moment He Decided to Buy
12:10 First Workout Reality Check
14:18 Building a Paddle Training Routine
15:13 From 5 Minutes to 30 Minute Paddle Sessions
17:45 Surfing Bigger Waves With Confidence
19:27 Surf Trips That Were Once Impossible
22:36 Technique Feedback and Community

Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!

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🔥 Get your FREE personalized 2-4X wavecount training plan in under 30 seconds. https://surfbasis.com/pages/trainingplan

This episode features John West, also known as @thatsurfguy_ , the surfer behind the Corelord character and the @citypro.app . We dig into what makes someone kook or core, blending satire with serious insight. John breaks down how localism works, why regulation still has a place in some lineups, and shares his own story of getting regulated. We also get into common mistakes beginners make, how surf culture has changed, and what it really takes to improve. He also explains how his CitiPro app is making pro-level video feedback accessible to everyday surfers.

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Chapters
01:22 Meet the Core Lord
01:47 Kook or Core Rapid Fire
02:30 The Champion Mentality
03:21 Earning Respect in the Lineup
03:58 Practice and Sending It
04:16 Born Core
04:44 Why is the Core Lord So Angry
06:01 Enter John West
07:31 Localism Then vs Now
09:34 Beginner Spot Selection
11:04 Chaos vs Order in the Lineup
15:27 Kook Stories and Getting Burned
18:01 Social Media and Real Life Confrontations
21:37 Keys to Surf Progression
29:58 Building the CitiPro App and Surf Entrepreneur Journey

Subscribe for more interviews with pro surfers, coaches, shapers, and everyday surfers like Tom Carroll, Zeke Lau, Victor Bernardo, Matt Parker of Album Surf, Matt Meola, Ryan Lovelace, Eric Arakawa, Noel Salas of Surf n Show, Parker Coffin, Dane Gudauskas, Kassia Meador, Clayton of Ombe Surf, Dylan Lightfoot, Derek Dunfee, Magnum Martinez, and more!

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