Aloha 🤙 Welcome to Pinch My Salt with pro surfer Sterling Spencer and cousin Ryan—today we dive into the lineup wars: Core-lords vs. Kooks, “Karen surfers”, Gen Z etiquette, peak-hour rules, and why surf schools aren’t teaching the actual rules of surfing. We break down lineup regulation (no refs, no sidelines), how to read local hours at spots like Pipe, and a belt-rank idea for the black belt of surfing so beginners stop paddling into danger. We react to viral clips (fake shark? arrow check...

EP 98 | Want to Do Airs? Start Here. | Pinch My Salt Ever wondered how surfers actually learn to do airs? In this episode of Pinch My Salt, Sterling Spencer breaks down the real secret to surf aerials — and it’s NOT what most surf coaches tell you. We talk about the right way to start learning airs, why speed matters more than technique, how skating barefoot helps progression, and the biggest mistakes surfers make when trying to boost. This episode quickly turns into a hilarious deep dive ...

Happy Halloween from Pinch My Salt—the surf-comedy podcast with Sterling Spencer & Cousin Ryan. Tonight we summon North Shore myths, Pipeline nightmares, Santa Cruz sketchiness, church hell-house stories, and the eternal debate: is gatekeeping surfing good for the culture or a kook move? We roast foilboarders, praise core lords, confess to bowling with Australians, and ask why the scariest waves make us feel the most alive. If you love surf history, wipeouts, haunted swells, Kelly Slater ...

Your new wardrobe awaits! Get $10 off @chubbies with the code: SALTY at https://www.chubbiesshorts.com/SALTY #chubbiespod Sterling Spencer finally apologizes to Gen Z surfers — but blames the algorithm. In this hilarious and brutally honest Pinch My Salt Podcast episode, Sterling and Cousin Ryan dive deep into the battle between core vs zesty surfing, authentic surf culture vs algorithm chasing, and the rise of Gen Z surfers doing it for the clip instead of the wave. From Sterling’s viral “S...

What if one simple surf tip could completely change the way you surf? In this episode of Pinch My Salt, Pro Surfer Sterling Spencer and Cousin Ryan break down the one board tweak and mindset shift that instantly improves your style, flow, and rail control. We’re talking about learning to surf smarter, not harder — ditching bad habits, losing the tail pad, feeling your rails again, and reconnecting to what surfing’s all about. Whether you’re riding a Firewire, Channel Islands, or some hipster...

Surf beef, soft-tops, and the hottest gossip in surfing! all in one episode. Sterling Spencer and Cousin Ryan break down a spicy Huntington vs North Shore incident, Lower Trestles madness, Gerry Lopez still styling at 75, finger-flip airs (skate tricks in the water!), and the true origin story of the thruster (Simon Anderson, we salute you). We tour Billabong House lore, Andy’s board stash, groms in stand-up pits, and why lineup etiquette still matters. Plus: quads vs thrusters, boogie-board ...

Surf comedy meets core-lord confession. In this episode, Sterling tells the wild story of surfing against Kelly Slater at J-Bay—mind games, heat strategy, Andy Irons lore, and the white wetsuit era. We riff on boogie boarding vs. surfing, the real truth about the “720” (it’s a 540, fight us), Chris Joslin’s El Toro 20 tre flip moment, small-town youth group chaos, paddle strength hacks, lineup psychology (how to get more waves), and why the ’80s were the golden era of pro surfing. If you love...

Aloha, core-lords! In this episode, Sterling Spencer and Cousin Ryan pitch a wild, actually-workable future for surfing: Surf Dojos + a Jiu-Jitsu-style belt system (white → blue → purple → brown → black, with degrees for airs, big waves, and riding any board). We roast soft-tops, salute the Herbie/Nathan/Christian Fletcher lineage and Astrodeck, debate WSL reform (END the endless qualifying grind, merge storylines, boost media), and ask the hard question: Is pickleball bigger than surfing—and...

Over 2 Million Butts Love TUSHY. Get 10% off TUSHY with the code: SALTY at https://hellotushy.com/salty #ad #sponsored Are surf contests broken? 🤔 In this episode of Pinch My Salt, pro surfer Sterling Spencer and cousin Ryan Spencer dive deep into why surf competitions feel stale, how the WSL world title showdown went down, and whether wave pools, one-hour formats, or even water jiu-jitsu could save pro surfing. From Kelly Slater’s cryptic comments, to Yago Dora’s title win, to ...

We unpack the chaos of surf culture — from Taylor Swift engagement chatter (and why celebrity news hijacks your brain) to the real top plus-size surf legends and what living inside the Volcom/Billabong houses actually felt like. We debate skate shoes (core brands vs mega-brands), and then drop a blueprint for raising a core-lord grom: single fin → twin fin → thruster. Sterling breaks down why boredom is the secret doorway to style and creativity, how a twin fin resets your rails, and why thru...

Hurricane Surf Florida—is chasing East Coast hurricane swell worth it or just hype? In this Pinch My Salt episode, We break down what really makes hurricane surf work in Florida: swell angle around the Cape, offshore wind windows, big tide swings, sandbar shape, and why perfect-looking cams still hide mushy walls. We compare spots from Cocoa Beach and Sebastian Inlet to New Smyrna, Fort Pierce, and Hatteras; talk lineup etiquette and why “the spot everyone lies about” stays quiet; and explain...

Thank you to our Sponsors: West Peak and True Classic! - Upgrade your wardrobe and save on @TrueClassic at https://trueclassic.com/SALTY #trueclassicpod This week on Pinch My Salt we dive into the wild side of surf culture — surf fights at Lower Trestles, drone pilots disrupting lineups, Florida surf history, and why surfers never quite get the respect they deserve. Sterling Spencer and Ryan Spencer break down legendary run-ins at Lowers with Wardo, Dane Ward, Chad Montgomery, Fur...

Thank you to our Sponsors: West Peak and True Classic! - GET IT IN YAH! West Peak!- https://drinkwestpeak.com/collections/drinks - Upgrade your wardrobe and save on ⁨@TrueClassic⁩ at https://trueclassic.com/SALTY #trueclassicpod The Pinch My Salt Podcast is back with surf talk hotter than a Fiji reef pass! 🌊🔥 This week we dive into the big question: Is Jordy Smith about to become the next World Champion? From Fiji barrels to the North Shore legends, we break down the drama...

Surf stories don’t get crazier than this! In this episode of Pinch My Salt 🎙️, pro surfer Sterling Spencer and filmer cousin Ryan Spencer swap the wildest tales from the glory days of surf travel — from Costa Rica surf trips and Bali scooter missions to Mentawai Islands malaria, hair-whip science.... We dive into the Code Red Tahiti swell, Teahupo’o wipeouts, Griffin Colapinto and Koa Rothman charging, plus untold Bruce Irons stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Mixed in? Life lessons on sur...

This is the surf history episode you didn’t know you needed. We dive deep into the raw, untold stories of Andy Irons, Jay Adams, and the legends that built the foundation of modern surfing. From the rise of the shortboard revolution to the fall of the surf industry post-COVID, Pinch My Salt lays it all out—uncensored, hilarious, and fully core. Hear firsthand stories of Andy’s final days, surf missions with Jay Adams, the evolution from Tom Curren to Kelly Slater, and how the Momentum Genera...

From Tupac to Pipeline, this episode of Pinch My Salt takes you on a wild ride through surf trauma, street wisdom, and comedy chaos. Sterling recounts the time he got hazed by North Shore legends Mark Healey and Jesse Merle Jones—yes, there was a knife, a closet, and a bloody tuna. This is core surf culture meets unfiltered stand-up comedy. 🌊😂 Whether you're into surfing podcasts, surf culture stories, underground surf beefs, or just love hilarious tales from the North Shore, this episode is...

NEW MERCH ALERT: https://sterlingspencer.co/ There are 4 types of surfers—and once you see it, you can't unsee it. This episode cracks the code of surf culture in the funniest, rawest way possible. From Big Wave Psychos in helmets to Hipster Surfers in beanies and rings, we expose the unspoken personalities that run the lineup. Which one are you? The High-Perf Jock trying to qualify? Or the North Shore Gatekeeper ready to scrap over a 2-foot wave? Whether you're a surfer, skater, gym rat, s...

Pinch My Salt, titled "Surfing Cancelled Me", we dive deep into the raw, hilarious, and controversial world of surf culture, surf conspiracies, and the chaotic evolution of modern surfing. From soft top wars to beef with legends like Kelly Slater, Kalani Robb and OCCY, we unpack why the surf industry is in a "vulnerable" state, and how viral YouTube culture is messing with core surf values. We talk epic summer surf stories, AI surfing edits, skateboarding and snowboarding crossovers, and the ...

Elephants, skimboards, Mormons in silk pajamas, and wild surf adventures — this is not your average surf trip PODCAST! Join Sterling Spencer and Ryan as they take you deep into the weirdest, funniest, and most unforgettable surf stories from Thailand. From riding elephants in the jungle to getting chased by ladyboys on the streets of Phuket, this Thailand surf adventure is beyond epic. They talk surf culture, skim boarding fails, elephant rides gone wrong, tsunamis, and spiritual showdowns b...