Joel Tudor Confesses His Biggest Surf Sins

“The media jumps on things and makes headlines out of stupid shit.”

Joel Tudor is not wrong about that. Nor is he wrong about much else in surfing. The “he tells it like it is” defense is usually a slippery slope, and one that has allowed its fair share of dubious individuals to make history, for better or worse. But Joel has been very close to legends, myths, and infamous characters whose actions, beliefs, and egos helped shape surf culture. And in oral history, firsthand accounts like his are invaluable.

A proper Joel Tudor conversation includes a good amount of ranting, balanced with a sprinkle of funny self-deprecation.

On the newest episode of Pinch My Salt, Sterling Spencer and Cousin Ryan give both a shoutout and a backhanded compliment to Stab Mic before dragging Joel through decades of surf culture, lore, and outright goss.

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Soft-tops (aka the plastic straw of surfcraft) get eviscerated, along with the goober etiquette of their users, a minor kleptomaniac tale from travels with Laird and Kong (could you imagine a worse blunt rotation?), how he earned the “French Princess” moniker, and his doubled-down allegiance to Skip Frye, while Sterling’s own core history with Skip also comes to light.

Surfer/actors Kelly Slater and Jonah Hill get measured on the pyramid of core, Kelly’s BJJ belts are questioned, WSL conspiracies called out, and Joel’s sinful involvement with Surf Tech and the ethics (or lack thereof) of building “eco” boards in Asian nations are all discussed.

A conversation you’ll wish went on for much longer.