Salty Stories: The Ship's Log

Latest Episodes:

Levi Slawson - The Evolution of a Super Grom Mar 04, 2021

Levi Slawson is one of a handful of young rippers who are expected to take over the professional surfing world. But he is not content to limit himself to being one of the best surfers in the world. He is putting time in on the boat and taking every chance he gets to hold his own when the fish are biting too. CJ and Levi go back and recount all the radical trips that Levi and the Salty Crew have been on. From Alaska to Fiji, from Canada to the Bahamas. This episode is packed full of fun behind the scenes stories. We hope you enjoy it. Thanks for listening.

John Dornellas - The Halibut Cowboy, Freediving Instructor, Thrill Seeker Jan 25, 2021

John Dornellas is an avid spearfisherman and underwater thrill seeker. In this episode John recounts the epic battle between him and the world record halibut he speared in Alaska. John and Cj also discuss the apnea based program that John helped develop for addiction recovery and the Free-diver Instructors International program John teaches. The breath hold is a very powerful thing and John is an expert. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.

Salty Snacks. 001 - Two Tuna: A Short Story Dec 29, 2020

Something a little different. Salty Crew presents Salty Snacks, bite size pieces of stoke to inspire the modern thrill seeker and risk taker. In these shorter episodes, we'll be talking historical pieces, life lessons, and radical stories from those who find refuge in the sea.

This episode features a short story titled Two Tuna, it is written by Hayden Lane and based off of a story that his father, Ron, loves to tell about work ethic and values.

Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoyed this episode. If you are jamming to this song, be sure to check out the Band Puerto on Spotify, they just released their debut album and its a great listen.

Justin Lee - Part 2 - From Land to Sea - Radical Dive Stories From the Big Island Dec 21, 2020

In this episode CJ Hobgood and Justin Lee pick up where they left off, this time Justin gets into some wild stories from hunting Marlin, Ono, and Mahi Mahi off the coast of the Big Island in Hawaii. These stories are almost too wild to believe, but Justin lives that kind of life. His two hour underwater fight with a Blue Marlin stands out. We hope you enjoy this episode and are able to pick your jaw up off the ground after it’s through.

Justin Lee - The Story Teller - Spearfisherman, Bow Hunter, Family Man - Part 1 Nov 02, 2020

Justin Lee is a spearfisherman and a bow hunter from the Big Island of Hawaii. He is a master storyteller, and he lives a life that produces tons of stories worth telling. From hunting Ono and Blue Marlin with his spear gun to tracking down Bull Elk in New Mexico. In this episode CJ flips through Justin’s instagram feed and asks him to tell the backstory of his most interesting posts. There was so much to talk about we got enough for two podcast episodes, and can't wait to sit down and record more with him. We are very excited to share the first of this 2 part episode with you and we hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed making it. Tune in for Part 2 coming out shortly after.

Brett Levingston - The Water Bubbla: Aussie Spearfisherman, Surfer, Life Guard Oct 12, 2020

Brett tells CJ the story of when a shark attempted to take his legs off. They also talk about traveling the world in search of waves and fish versus scoring at home. Brett recounts a very special session he had at his home break, and also talks about how he has dedicated the last few years to rebuilding his boat so he can dive and explore the Great Barrier Reef. This episode was a blast to make, hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Quentin Turko - Capt. Tube Hound - Surfer, Diver, Fisherman, from OBX Aug 31, 2020

Quentin Turko is only 22, but he has collected more than his share of epic surfing, fishing, and diving stories from living in Outer Banks, North Carolina. From shooting giant Cobia or world record Sheepshead on shore dives, to giant "Wicked Tuna" style Bluefin caught offshore, to packing perfect uncrowded barrels at home on the Outer Banks. Quentins younger brother/dive partner/fellow tube hound joins CJ and Quentin and tell stories about diving together and catching big Red Drum from their Hobie Kayaks. The Turko brothers are young, polite, stoked, and tell a great story. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we do. Thanks for listening.

Amadeo Bachar - The Artist Aug 04, 2020

You probably own a shirt that features artwork by @abachar already. But you may not know how awesome of a guy he is, or the full extent of his talent as an artist. In this episode CJ Hobgood checks in with Amadeo Bachar at his Studio near Santa Cruz, CA. They talk about the similarities on how they both got involved with Salty Crew in the formative stage of the brand. They also recollect on the surfing and fishing community, how lucky we are to take part in such an amazing past time, surrounded by awesome people, and in a remarkable setting. We hope you enjoy this episode.

Browse and Purchase Amadeo's work here. https://studio-abachar.myshopify.com/

Brock Crouch - Avalanche Survivor, Pro Snowboarder, Ripping Surfer, Froth Puppy. Jul 08, 2020

Brock Crouch is one of the most interesting and stoked people you will ever meet. In this episode Brock recounts his near death experience falling 1500+ feet down a mountain, in an avalanche, over rocks, then being completely buried for over 5 minutes. Breaking his back, lacerating his spleen, losing most his teeth. etc. He explains how that experience has taught him to live each day like the blessing it is. From relearning to walk after breaking his back, to making the finals in the X-Games just 20 months later. Brock explains why he has sobered up and lives each day like tomorrow may never come, in a non stop pursuit of adventure. From traveling the world snowboarding, to chasing waves with friends at home, to skating, fishing, mountain biking. Brock is an inspiration. We hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you for listening.

Jared Lane - Founder of Salty Crew Jun 30, 2020

CJ Hobgood checks in with Jared Lane, the Founder of Salty Crew. Jared recounts the early days of Salty Crew. From figuring out how to design t-shirt graphics and packing boxes in a shipping container in the yard, to all the crew that have been instrumental along the way. Jared and CJ talk about the importance of family, recount fishing stories, and talk about past adventures, and ones they are planning. Nobody has put more blood, sweat, and tears into this brand and the passion Jared holds for this brand and lifestyle is clearly evident, and contagious. We hope you enjoy this episode of Salty Stories: The Ship's Log. Thank you for listening.

Lucas Dirkse - The Pocket Knife Jun 12, 2020

Surfing World champion CJ Hobgood chats with Lucas “The Pocket Knife” Dirkse. Like a pocket knife, you want Lucas with you wherever you go, hard working, utilitarian, and always comes though in a pinch. He has proven himself to be a necessity on Salty Crew Trips like the ones while filming "Find Refuge in the Sea," "Sink or Swim" "and "Thrill Seekers and Risk Takers" Lucas believes in doing things the hard way, the right way. From building his own surfboards to rebuilding and repairing his panga. If he needs something, he builds it. If it’s broken, he fixes it. Lucas is young, but has done more living than men twice his age. He has experienced a lot, and learned a lot, and the more we learn about him, the more we are blown away. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did. Thanks for listening,

Matt Meola - The Hawaiian Hillbilly, The Flyin' Hawaiian, The Cave Man Jun 11, 2020

Salty Crew Presents: Salty Stories - CJ Hobgood checks in with Matt Meola at his home in Maui. These two frothed out surf turkeys reminisce on their travels while filming for the Salty Crew movie "Thrill Seekers and Risk Takers." (WATCH HERE) They cover everything from coma inducing spicy chili peppers in Baja to cold water slabs in Canada. They also touch on Matt's life at home in Maui, from losing sleep over air sections to his family life. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Nancy Meola who is currently fighting cancer. She has the whole community in her corner. We hope you have as much fun listening to this episode as we did making it. Enjoy.