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Ain’t That Swell… Episode Two

Here at Ain’t that Swell we’re committed to bringing you your weekly dredge of all things surfing. This week Al Knost joins us live from Costa Mesa to explain how his hometown became one of the world’s strongest indie surf culture hubs, also how it feels to be the face of said movement and we also give him the chance to respond to …Lost owners’ Matt Biolos and Mike Reola’s claim that he’s a “pillow biting prima donna” whose “all name and no game.”

With the Billabong Pro, Rio wrapping up today we get the poison quill himself, Lewis Samuels on the line to talk us through the event. Also, why neither event winner John John Florence nor 11-time world champion Kelly Slater will overtake Dane Reynolds as the world’s greatest surfer. And finally, we don our 6mm dry suits, load our shotgun and head into the Canadian wilderness with Canuck pro, Peter Devries for this week’s Obscure Surf Check.

Ain’t That Swell – Episode two by Ry Franz

Miss Ozzie, Wilko and Irish Pro, Fergal Smith on last week’s episode? Click here.

29 comments so far...
1.

so funny that aussies think costa mesa is this “world class music scene”. try austin or san francisco. OC is as shallow as the pool gets boys. sorry, but its true.

2.

al knost is the best surfer in the world, without a doubt.

3.

the ry man and king of controversy chedaum bring the sweet tunes and quality chinwag onto the world wide… top entertainment cheers guys.

4.

cool thankyou boys intelligently refreshing bravo

5.

It’s a trip to see Biolos bash on Knost so hard for being a hipster surfer when Kolohe is Mayhem’s poster boy and he’s trying so hard to be in that hipster surf group.

1.

the ry man and king of controversy chedaum bring the sweet tunes and quality chinwag onto the world wide… top entertainment cheers guys.

2.

Jed Smith is a fucking legend.

3.

Sehr gut ja. Al Knost is so existentially stoner surf anti-fascist, non nazi ja. Guten tag from das Rhineland, ja!

4.

biolos can suck a fart. Get him on the show. Better yet, have a celebrity boxing match between him and knost. I reckon there’s a lot of pent up hipster rage in their wating to explode in the form of an overhead right on bioloses big forehad.

5.

Awwww ain’t Al a cutie

6.

al knost is the best surfer in the world, without a doubt.

7.

Knost is the best surfer in the world? Get off the cock pipe kook.

8.

It’s a trip to see Biolos bash on Knost so hard for being a hipster surfer when Kolohe is Mayhem’s poster boy and he’s trying so hard to be in that hipster surf group.

9.

sick jap motors track. Release that shit!

10.

Biolos is just a sad aging ol dude who hates on change. he’s like every other sad aging old dood. It just sucks that those kooks have so much of a voice in surfing. Beat it. Embrace youth and difference and change.

    11.

    Trouble is, what the youth are doing now, has been done before, it’s not different or change, it’s just rehashed from the past and marketed well, in order for people who don’t own their own minds, too part with their cash.

12.

Farrk, good to hear from Lewis Samuels again. Funny guy! Keep him comin’.

13.

Controversial..not so much. Proficiently entertaining (music & humor), yes.

14.

Knost is far more compelling in print when he has time to craft his responses, “you know”. Having said that, I’m still a sucker for all his creative pursuits. He leads whilst we desperately try to keep up. Louie’s wit is unmatched. Killer program boys.

15.

knost is poseur of the highest caliber. The biggest mistake Dane has made at this point is to incorporate over exaggerated knost styling into his surfing. wankerism

16.

so funny that aussies think costa mesa is this “world class music scene”. try austin or san francisco. OC is as shallow as the pool gets boys. sorry, but its true.

    17.

    keep telling yourself that barnyard…none of these people know shit about the costa mesa music scene anyway. matt mcclure is the man but it isn’t all garage rock here and it isn’t all shallow if you look a little below the surface.

18.

aside from the homophobia, biolos is dead on. it’s all been done, boys, progression is the only innovation going. even knost’s music is a complete knock off of previous styles. But maybe he is too young to realize that? or maybe it is a tribute, in which case, great Alex, keep at it. But seriously, media outlets, do a little research before deeming rehash the next great innovation. It just shows your lack of depth. cheers

    19.

    Spot on Dude.

20.

outdoor miner is a Wire cover – that should be noted, may be it was an oversight or maybe it was dishonest. Being controversial and attracting ire is a cheap shoot to fame, I’m sure Al is better than that but at this stage i wouldn’t know

21.

good stuff Jed, would have liked to have seen Lewis hit with some gritty questions on the industry to bring up more controversy. enjoying the radio on a friday arv at work through

22.

Of course Costa mesa doesn’t hold a candle to Ausin or San Fran but three big bands in five years isn’t bad (there’s more actually). Point is, Coasta mesa has got heaps of cool shot going on. they sure don’t got indie surf culture in Austin, I know that much.

23.

The problem with Southern California is that it is divided down the middle, with front running, wannabe poseurs and, people who just go surf. The south end of the state is way heavily loaded with the ‘flavor of the month’ type. Matt Biolas is a braying donkey, who if he lived anywhere else other that the self proclaimed ‘center of the surf world, would never be heard from again (see :Chris Ward, etc.). Alex Knost is so concerned with being anti, that he is the spitting image of wannabe hippie that most of the state hates. Yet, as we all know, everyone is now sporting skinny pants, and really bad mustaches in his honor. Lewis tells it like it is, dissecting surf culture with a meat cutter, while 2 idiots that are so sure everyone wants to hang on their every word in Knost and Biolas cluck, and strut on opposite ends of the surf spectrum. You are both tards, and if you did not live in ‘San Clamesa’ where the media is, not a soul on earth would ride your boards, try to emulate you, or care what you had to say. That said, Biolas DOES shape a mean stick, and if he were muted, I might actually ride one.

24.

cool thankyou boys intelligently refreshing bravo

25.

Did Lewis seriously just compare Dane to Jesus? Did he say Dane could implement amicable austerity measures in Greece if he wanted? Are you F*N serious? That might have been one of the stupidest diatribes I’ve ever heard.

26.

Ever heard of a thing called sarcasm? That sir, was the stupidest diatribe I’ve ever heard.

27.

I donno. LSam sounded pretty earnest in his daneguzzling.

28.

I really enjoyed listening. Thanks!

29.

Canada bitches.

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