Chris Cote on the killing of the surf industry and the joys of toxic positivity

In this episode of Chas Hates Surfing, Chris Cote talks about the killing of the surf industry, the joys of toxic positivity, the wild threats he receives, or received back when he was on the tiller at Transworld Surf, speculates on the reasons for Eric Logan’s disappearance (no he doesn’t!) and explains why the median age for surfers is now forty-five plus.

[@dclay101]

It both cracks me up and drives me crazy watching Chaz awkwardly try to figure out what to do with his glasses

[@edson720]

This is like watching a convo between Yin and Yang at the cardiff market courtyard. Fan of the Cote. Excellent.

[@BG-vw5jx]

Pottz spoke his mind.....no more Pottz!

[@thomashuntsman9566]

I enjoyed pottz. Nice to hear from someone who actually excelled at surf

[@thomashuntsman9566]

8:02 the judging is horrific

[@scottyknowsurf]

Pottz, Ross Williams my favorites

[@latentsea]

Potter was doing stuff at pipe in the 80s on the big unruly days that you don’t even see people doing nowadays

[@scottyknowsurf]

@@latentsea sounds fun

[@erics4127]

Chas, surprised that you failed to point out or bring up the fact that surfing just isn't cool anymore. It isn't counterculture, it isn't rebellious. When the average age of the surfing population is 45, this has to be so obvious. Look around Cardiff, it's a yuppie sport now for the most part. Tesla tech dorks, sprinter van kook dads, Range Rover surf mommys...it ain't cool anymore. WSL was the nail in the coffin to scrub it clean and make it bland as can be.

[@shacktime]

Surfing was at its coolest when people like Phil Edwards and Tom Blake set the standards. Ain’t nothing cool about drugging up and dumbing down.

[@BeachGritNetwork]

True, pretty much.

[@rzadigi]

That may be true but surfing is much larger than what you see in California. There are plenty of places around the world where the surf culture hasn’t changed nearly as much.

[@keithdavidson8569]

Great interview, but that Chesterfield couch was the star

[@kevcomedia1400]

Love it! What a great career Chris has enjoyed. I think you two understand the majority of people are watching for entertainment. It's easy to get caught up in the feedback loop from pros/industry. I know Chas' books are edgy but he is a great writer and they're very entertaining. GO SURF MEDIA G's !!!! PS - the SoCal brand headquarters/liquid lunches/walk thru's were very real and mind blowing!

[@lifeontherally]

I remember the last issue of Transworld arriving at the surf shop I managed. (Sad day) Sometimes I cringed at what you were saying, but that was the surf industry back then. I miss going to Surf Expo, meeting with the sales reps - O'Neill always arrived by Jetski at my shop location, seeing what ridiculous thing Volcom was doing, making all the boys come up and see what the hell I was up to as one of the few woman GM's/Senior Buyers in the core surf/skate industry. (I threw a lot of surf shop parties.) There was a lot of real passion and camaraderie/competitiveness back then. It was the golden years. I guess this may be how Gerry Lopez must of felt entering the 90's. There are different generations of different phases of the industry.

[@crypttonite]

these are business people who happened to surf is all & THEY ALL SOLD OUT.

[@wasabiginger6993]

😂 … Am a boomer who surfed late 60’s into early 70’s (Malibu, NS & Oz) and then decared sufing too crowded and left … but now love following the Florence brothers and how Nate has set the Aloha bar really high … as back in the 60’s NS was rough but not too bad for being a girl thankfully … and when there was surf etiquette was the best … with only longboards & no leashes … we never imagined surfing would become what it has. Appreciate your humor … as what the hell is left anymore?

[@geraldlundgren8836]

What’s killing surfing is the Oprah Winfrey syndrome. People in Dana point know what that means. Not as many young families living by the beach, especially in California. Cost are too high.

[@floating-in]

Go North County, great interview.

[@olavista1977]

I notice he's still sporting FAB gear a company we started and funded with our weed smuggling operation. Only 3 of us built that.San Clemente's best contribution to to the surf industry

[@joel.levi.sober.490]

FAB was (or still is?) sick

[@willmiddleton9199]

I am a good bit older than y'all - I began surfing in the 70s and personally think the golden age of surfing was either the late 70s/early 80s or maybe the mid/late 60s... I do follow surfing very closely to this day and do watch a lot of the WSL contests because when they get it right and the waves shine, the surfing is pretty spectacular. This podcast was interesting to me because I learned a ton about Chris Cote that I wasn't aware of and I now have a much deeper appreciation for him. You go Chris ! Props to you for your attitude and perspective. As for the other Chris - you seem to be a wannabe George Plimpton without the literary cred... Lose the glasses, bad haircut, and stupid clothes and you would be more.... something.

[@jasonsedor5676]

Chas has literary cred. Welcome to Paradise, Now Go to Hell is a modern classic.

[@racingrelated4988]

OK BOOMER

[@deepfocus888]

@@jasonsedor5676 Yes! and Cocaine+Surfing is awesome as well.

[@ronin061874]

Great interview Chas. A fun listen.

[@Ludwigs666]

Nailed it at the end there. Its a different day and age. I'll crack a cold one with ya after a sesh

[@hman7236]

Great show 👏

[@sebastianjavier7904]

Cote should be a politician, he's already as full of it like them. Cheers !

[@ItsWesSmithYo]

Hahah good times…Chas and Spencer holding it down

[@GroupTherapySurf]

Yoga is out, Ice baths have replaced them.

[@ShauninParadise]

Yoga ON TOP on the ice bath 🛁 🤯

[@HatchosShapes]

Onya Chris! Ypu are a legend being chill after all the beachgrit nonsense! And thanks chas for the light entertainment from bed, resting with a chronic ME/CFS. Just what a need! Keep up the work!

[@thecitizenjoan]

I am surprisingly into Chris Cote looking like an Investment banker staying at his home in Greenwich,CT for the summer with his ex wife and her step kids

[@MH_347]

I find it interesting about the average age of a person that surfs and the fact that most kids aren’t interested. My kids tend to try stuff that seems cool and surfing to them seems anything but. I guess they are right to a certain extent. They see the beach as just another place to play and relax with family and friends.

[@ItsWesSmithYo]

When I grew up surfing and skating was where all the crazy shit happened and the tough kids hung out 😂 you wanted to be part of it because it was cool in a James Dean sort of way and no one’s parents really wanted them doing it 😂. I don’t know what activity that is now but it’s not surfing.

[@rzadigi]

I think it depends on where you live. In my country surfing is huge among young people. And obviously the same in Brazil and Australia where it’s like a national sport. California may have burned itself out but with wave pools in landlocked areas the future of surfing is quite unknown

[@kainakeala4067]

Entertaining stuff. Funny as. honest with heaps of side cracks of coded surf culture. north shores gone soft . Southern coast of WA is still core as ever. Just surf no one gives a fark and white pointers (the locals)

[@Californiansurfer]

❤1980 I started out as boogie boarder and 1987 purchased my first 9ft Stewart hydroflow. And love the sport. Yes then contest stated which White Surfing League. WSL I love talking with Bobby Martinez. We are soul surfers. We don’t need WSL.

[@kathrynmattisson2566]

epic interview guys , great work

[@WjB_96792]

Damn shame how they treated barton lynch, probably the best commentator that wsl had.

[@jcs7934]

Highly intelligent interview. Great chemistry!

[@vascogonzalez7591]

This was cool

[@martymayhem2286]

Just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year.

[@Kauwa808]

We all moved to the country. Growing food is the "new surfing".

[@abefors8176]

I I just became a fan of Chris

[@FoundationTraining]

Foundation Training y’all. Similar body weight like yoga or Pilates but for folks who are serious about getting better.

[@tonyjolly6585]

Your math is the issue, kids are still surfing, people live longer and keep surfing for longer, it’s much more common for 60/0 year olds to surf. Those guys from the heyday will never quit, they’re aging, so the average age is older, kids are still ripping

[@evancarawan8781]

What happened to potz ?

[@timeli6021]

Exactly. Where the f is Pottz??

[@lopingmymule3104]

Sterlings sidekick you know da rulez

[@ba1428]

Game meets game

[@333jahlink]

I thought you were interviewing Phil Collin’s 😊

[@daleharrison9357]

Chris Cote' is like The Henry Rollins of Toxic Positivity! 😄

[@IanMcSlater]

Two different sides of surfing media and people here imo. Very strange to see one intelligent, surf stoked and non egoed out surf commentator interviewed by the most childish and egoed out surf "media" trash dispenser. Surprised Chris would agree to be featured on anything Beachshit does.

[@ianobodie2338]

Lame

[@lesterma1608]

Custom boards were $100. Wetsuits were $100. Now that combo is $1,000.

[@oneupchefonthemiseenplac-ew4pf]

just gotta say those mugs are sick. And way more expensive than anyone would realize lol

[@ba1428]

Well done Chris

[@BertoBoyd]

He came to half man at my home turf and got hooked at C street? I hate him even more now. I like you Chas. Cote iza kook

[@mikeuptegrove]

That was pretty funny overall. I guess the 40 over generation is seeing what it is for what it is…agree it’s better everyone goes to bed early and surfs more. We still have a need for Uncle enforcers and I don’t think surfing should be a totally inclusive tribe. If you can’t respect the long-standing rules and etiquette, figure out where you are, how you slide into the mix, figure out who’s who and what priority you have relative to the guys in the water based on your time and theirs, in the water in general, and at that specific spot, then don’t surf. Surfers like functional surf communities that remain small and accountable. And, there’s a certain spirit that surfers have that Patrick Swayze sorta nails in one of his monologues in Point Break. If you’re a zombie muppet led by the presently fashionable, you need not apply. Surfers want to see you’re the Cal Ripken of showing up and sending it day in day out when it’s go time. If not, go practice playing with yourself on the couch, cause no one needs you in the way getting others hurt when it’s go time. The internet has sadly turned surfing into some lame ass internet phenomena for every dumbass that thinks it might make them momentarily cool. In some regard, I wish the punishment in surfing was more like it is in skating so dickweeds without grit and heart would be bred out of trying a lot faster.

[@thomjanson9644]

Reality is, the internet has destroyed everything. Surf spots, quiet beaches… I love cars also and every idiot KZbinr and vlogger pushes every bit of the scene and ruins it. Try buying a rare and sort of rare car these days, you can’t, they are all owned by vloggers or are overpriced and exploited. Same goes for surf boards and surf spots. All overpriced, crowded and exploited. I hate “content creators” more than anything. They crave to be popular and watched but have ruined literally everything.

[@shacktime]

@@thomjanson9644 You don’t hate the internet, you hate capitalism. And that’s fine.

[@is300vids]

Priority is codeword for being a dick and stealing waves you didn’t wait for.

[@rzadigi]

Sorry but no one listens to grumpy old men. The years of yore are long gone. Deal with the changes or quit. Simple.

[@shacktime]

@@johneeeemarry34 I’m not a communist. You’re clearly a very limited thinker.

[@thomjanson9644]

Competitive surfing’s days are numbered, well for true surfers anyways. Surfing is too subjective and this is an ever increasing fact. Chris Cote talks about the “experts” in judging but what is an “expert”? Is someone who’s been surfing and breathing the sport for 40 years any less of an expert than them? Debatable for sure. I mean, the audience knows what it wants to see, so wouldn’t they be better judges? Not judging on what they think the audience wants to see. I think surfing is going mainstream and there will be 2 worlds of it. It’s like true core skaters vs X Games skaters. Both talented but ideally want 2 very different outcomes.

[@ShauninParadise]

I agree with you... what even is an expert now?

[@shacktime]

Name every sport that uses judges to assess scores.

[@shacktime]

@@ShauninParadise What’s an expert? Next time you need a life saving surgery call a plumber. You’ll find the answer to your question then.

[@ShauninParadise]

@@shacktime you’re fun at parties

[@rzadigi]

Yes let’s just leave the judging up to the audience. We can vote online after every wave and surf contests will be determined by the most popular Brazilian surfer at the moment 😆

[@andrewwilliams8986]

Would be that surfing attracted those willing to suffer the chagrin of the general public, secret spots were a difficult trip and some hardy living. Your hair, bleached by sun and ruddy brown’d skin marked you as a person of the ocean. If you were so inclined waves to yourself could be had. There were rules, the line-up and localism were honoured. And so still true in some spots where skill and daring are needed to paddle beyond the shore break or inner reef. Paddle now past the surf school, students atop buoyant and sluggish boards. All things must change and i begrudge none the pleasure of surfing, I just miss the time when there were less, when it was more difficult.

[@jonnyref3475]

WSL is beyond pointless.

[@ehlava7331]

great! not long enough...

[@charlesramsey4320]

Surging I’d DEAD. Lamest conversation ever. Everyone has boards from COSTCO! Shapers are making a living? I think he has never stopped the liquid lunch at Volcom!

[@thomashuntsman9566]

Juding can be fixed. Siloed judges. No communication. No awareness of other judges scores nor of the heat situation.

[@luigipratt1319]

Did we stop reading magazines because we got old and need reading glasses to look at them or because KZbin and internet porn stole our attention span ? 😂😂😂😅😅😅😢😢😢

[@P-Catt]

you look like John Waters

[@Overitall805]

If you want to stay employed, you can't talk sh*t about your employers.

[@epicdogsmilez]

"yogas out, dmt is in" 😂

[@claytonsmoothy314]

I love surfing but hate surfer's,bunch of bell ends

[@andrewjohnson5188]

Why are these “ guys” playing dress up.

[@shacktime]

Why not🤷🏼‍♂️

[@toothnail605]

They look like Produce Managers at Vons, not what lol we would call a surfer back in the day. Back then you knew who surfed. These two should get their hair cut m o r e, again fit's with the Vons apron image. Peace

[@latentsea]

Early 1980’s produce manager at Von’s ripped. Mark B. VW scirocco for strike missions and Toyota 4x4 for Baja missions. Tan healthy and got all the ladies. Just sayin’

[@toothnail605]

@@latentsea The conformity Hitler look *lives on* and on... All good to each their own. Peace and can y'all grab me a head of lettuce these are all brown...

[@theovanstaden5766]

It use to be a cool thing to surf. Now it is cool not to surf lol there tomany people out at the surfspots. Need surf traffic cops. I stil e joy the Ocean. Fishing and beach walking lucky i am old now. Our local surf magazine here in south africa also brought out there last issue. Everything is changing.

[@rebeccasmith9424]

Is this a spoof on Cote? He is pretty much a 🤡

[@shacktime]

No, he’s a court jester🃏 YOU🫵🏼 are a clown.

[@hunterdavis3003]

You really think that? He’s one of the few doing it for a living, I get your sentiments but kind of a hater

[@dickrichardson1110]

Get a go pro mouth mount and paddle out

[@BertoBoyd]

Cote needs to stop talking anyways