Tom Wegener: Part 2

Tom Wegener: Part 2

Author: Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich - surf stories & ocean adventures July 7, 2022 Duration: 33:30

Part Two of our meandering conversation with master shaper Tom Wegener talking the nitty gritty of board construction, how he almost got the call to be in The Endless Summer II,  experimenting with ancient techniques in the shaping bay and which mode of wave riding is stoking him out the most right now.

...

Tom started shaping and glassing in 1978 in his parents garage and is best known for helping to re-popularize old and ancient Hawaiian surfcraft, as celebrated in films like Thomas Campbell’s The Present, Nathan Oldfield’s Seaworthy,  Jack McCoy’s A Deeper Shade of Blue, and Cyrus Sutton’s Tom’s Creation Plantation.

What sets Tom apart as a shaper is his surfing prowess. Tom played an integral role in keeping the traditional logging approach alive when it fell out of fad, embarking in self-funded films like Ten Toes Over and Siestas & Olas, which Steve Pezman, of the Surfers Journal, reviewed as the “best surf travel movie since Endless Summer.”

With more than four decades of building boards under his belt, including homegrown timber crafts which exemplify a more  sustainable approach, Tom shares with us about the responsibility he feels charged with -- to pass along the knowledge he has acquired and share his journey as a relentless artisan.

....

Learn more:

www.tomwegenersurfboards.com
...

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound Engineer: Ben Alexander

Soundtrack By: Shannon Sol Carroll

Additional music by Wave Brain  - Dave, Neal Purchase Jr. and Christian Barker 

Join the conversation: @Waterpeoplepodcast

Waterpeoplepodcast.com



Send us Fan Mail

...

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound + Video Engineer: Ben J Alexander

Theme song: Shannon Sol Carroll

Additional music by Kai Mcgilvray   + Ben J Alexander

Join the conversation: @Waterpeoplepodcast 

...

Thanks to our generous sponsors this season:

Patagonia Australia 

Alkaway

The Sunglass Fix

...

Get monthly musings and behind the scenes content from the podcast by subscribing to our newsletter.

You'll get water-centric reading and listening recommendations, questions worth asking, and ways to take action for the wellbeing of Planet Ocean delivered straight to your inbox.

You can stream every Waterpeople episode from your desk.


There’s a particular kind of life shaped by time spent in and around the ocean, one that blends saltwater with a deeper perspective. Hosted by lifelong surfers and storytellers Lauren L. Hill and Dave Rastovich, the Waterpeople Podcast explores exactly that. Each conversation is less an interview and more a shared dive with guides who know the water intimately-from scientists and activists to adventurers and artists. You’ll hear firsthand accounts that stretch beyond simple adventure tales, touching on how a connection to the sea informs everything from ecological stewardship and community building to the pure, playful joy of a wave. This podcast serves as a meeting point for a far-flung tribe, weaving together themes of inclusivity, humour, and what it means to live thoughtfully along the coast. It’s about the stories that emerge when people are truly at home in the aquatic world, offering listeners a sense of place and connection within a global ocean community. Tune in for genuine, meandering talks that feel like sitting around after a long day in the swell, where the topics are as vast and shifting as the sea itself.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 133

Waterpeople Podcast
Podcast Episodes
How Water Shapes Us with Blue Mind author Dr. WALLACE 'J' NICHOLS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:10
Dr. Wallace 'J' Nichols is a marine biologist and author of Blue Mind, an interdisciplinary reimagining of the story of water and the vast cognitive, social, physical and spiritual benefits of being in, around, and under…
Gerry Lopez: A Sense of Stillness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:13
Legend of style, ease and ingenuity, Gerry Lopez, shares stories about growing up in Hawaii, the balance he found in the mountains, tube-riding mysticism, and one of the unsung sheros of surfing. Gerry pioneered deep tub…
Mitigating Micro-plastics with Marine Biologist ALICE FORREST [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:40
Freshly back from an expedition to Antarctica, Alice shares her experience of the frozen ocean and talks us through the complex conversation, but simple solutions, found in her new publication, Micro Plastics, Massive Pr…
Mobilizing the Coastal Constituency with SEAN DOHERTY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:20
Deconstruct strategies from the successful Fight for the Bight campaign with one of the movement's central voices, Sean Doherty, one of surfing's most celebrated storytellers. The campaign was a win not only for Australi…
Watershed Chats: Introduction [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:48
Welcome to our new series, Watershed Chats, conversational deep dives with experts and those having a go at building and dreaming new ways into fruition for a healthy and habitable future on Planet Ocean. We’ll pick up w…
Getting Solution-Centric with Filmmaker DAMON GAMEAU [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:57
Explore the cultivation of critical thinking, harnessing hope by localising climate change actionables, and the transformative power of the experiential with filmmaker Damon Gameau. Damon is an actor and filmmaker. He di…
Helena Norberg-Hodge: Our Local Futures [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:27:26
Helena Norberg-Hodge has experienced radical economic and cultural change before. In 1975, as a student of linguistics amongst the glacial melt of the Himalayas, Helena witnessed the rapid erosion of traditional culture…
Albe Falzon: Everything Is Surfing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:06
Sometimes loss never really leaves us. We can't stop those waves of emotion, longing or pain, but we can learn to ride them compassionately. Albe Falzon is one of surfing's great storytellers. His study of eastern spirit…