When the big-wave GOAT speaks — we listen.

Jamie Mitchell's Late Drop Big Wave Podcast with Shane Dorian. Season 3 Episode 1 Presented by Futures Fins.

Every so often, in certain eras across certain disciplines, an athlete doesn’t just change the way we look at a team — he or she changes the way we look at the sport itself. A little over a decade ago, Shane Dorian did that with big-wave surfing out at Jaws. He raised the bar out there in XXL paddle-surfing, setting a precedent for all others to follow, while innovating and progressing that bar himself. Now a self-proclaimed surf-dad (geez, imagine if your pops was Shane Dorian?!) the big-wave GOAT talks with Jamie Mitchell at length in episode one of Season 3 of the Late Drop. And, yeah, this one’s a BANGER. Buckle up and enjoy.

Show Highlights

0:00: Currently chasing his son Jackson’s dreams, meeting up with family in Nicaragua, surfing with his two kids, on being a different dad than his own father, proving something to his dad, on being a parent.

14:09: Moving to the North Shore of Oahu at 15, becoming a pro surfer with Ross Williams and Jason Mags, Shane’s first day on the North Shore (and it’s 20-feet Hawaiian), hanging with Todd Chesser and Brock Little.

25:51: Realizing that he loved being scared, surfing with a guy like Brock Little in a more dangerous time pre-safety, crazy outer reef near-drowning session and getting back on the horse, jumping a level.

37:22: Losing Todd Chesser, realizing how dangerous it is, qualifying for the CT, being on Tour for a decade, getting totally jaded with the tour, longing for big-wave surfing.

46:23: Began towing into XXL waves, 2009 wanted to paddle Jaws on proper days, paddled big Jaws with big board and PSI vest, paradigm shift, Mav’s session where he almost died, epiphany on plane with the safety vests.

59:58: The real goal of big-wave surfing, the result of the floatation vest movement, big-wave board design/innovation.

1:07:08: Some of Shane’s best waves of his life, being at his peak at Jaws in 2015, shane’s method in sessions vs contests.

1:15:48: Missing the last XXL swell at Cloudbreak, Fiji, the Cortes Bank disaster, Shane’s current mindset in big-wave surfing, the future of Jaws and Mav’s.

1:31:02: Shane’s 5-to-Finish,

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jamiemitcho.substack.com