How Surfing Ruined My Life with Jason Borte "The day I decided to quit surfing… it just popped in my head like, 'Huh, nobody just quits surfing. Like if I did, what would happen? Who would I be?'" On this episode of the Swell Season Surf Podcast, we ponder the question of ‘who would we be without surfing’ with our guest for this episode. Jason Borte is one of the true pillars of East Coast surfing — a competitor, storyteller, teacher, and lifelong ambassador of the stoke.  Hailing from Virginia Beach, Jason's journey began with a humbling first session in 1982 and took him all the way to ESA All-Star and ASP East Pro Champion. A Master's-level educator, surf school founder, Hall of Famer, and author of multiple books including Pipe Dreams, Virginia Is for Surfers, and his upcoming memoir How Surfing Ruined My Life, Jason now serves as Director of Surf Coaching at Atlantic Park — home to North America's first Wavegarden Cove surf lagoon — where he continues shaping the future of the sport through coaching, community programs, and youth initiatives. We dig into his transition from 15 years in the classroom to the surf world, new competitive formats at Atlantic Park like the man-on-man "Chlorine Clash," and inclusive youth programs bringing swimming and surfing to underserved kids through partnerships with Pharrell and Adidas. Plus, Jason shares the story behind his books and what led him to step away from the ocean for an entire year. Follow Jason on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jborte/ & https://www.instagram.com/howsurfingruinedmylife/And you can order his books here: https://www.diangelopublications.com/shop/p/how-surfing-ruined-my-life?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnwS6n5v2MNSz0xe1TwItCR6fqJtbX5BPAFsqKCHU6anR3-tQyJ62XdcaOkU0_aem_avjimMNgyzmKO-N9btLLiw The Swell Season Surf Podcast is recorded by The NewsStand Studio at Rockefeller Center in the heart of Manhattan and is distributed by The Swell Season Surf Radio Network.  For more information, you can follow https://www.instagram.com/swellseasonsurfradio/ on Instagram or go to our website: https://www.swellseasonsurf.com/  Music:  Artist: The Mountain Goats Song: This Year Album: The Sunset Tree 00:00 Guest Introduction 04:05 Kelly Slater Mixup 05:34 Leaving Teaching Behind 06:36 Maker Space Class 12:28 Surf Projects Surprise 13:49 Surf Camp Curriculum 17:07 Atlantic Park Origins 18:13 Typhoon Lagoon Break 22:16 First Wave Moment 24:59 Director Role Daily 26:49 Tom Curren Visit 31:27 Wave Pool Impacts 36:03 New Contest Formats 42:10 Community Access Programs 45:42 Wave Pools With Purpose 46:28 Ebony Beach Club Groms 48:03 Mentorship In The Lineup 49:08 First Surf In 1982 51:29 Virginia Beach Pecking Order 54:39 Early Contests And Drive 58:06 Parents Backing The Dream 01:00:52 Facing Kelly And Going Pro 01:03:23 OP Sponsorship And Rivalries 01:05:26 Bud Tour No Priority Chaos 01:12:26 Wes Laine East Coast Icon 01:16:59 From Pro To Surf Writer 01:21:33 Learning Under Steve Hawk 01:25:55 Writing Pipe Dreams 01:29:56 Research And Kelly Access 01:34:28 Slater Self Awareness 01:35:34 Rivalry And Book Sequel 01:37:33 Kelly Reviews The Manuscript 01:39:35 Press Tour And Career Choices 01:43:04 Self Publishing Kooks Guide 01:45:36 Virginia Is For Surfers 01:51:04 What The Community Revealed 01:57:05 Quitting Surfing For A Year 02:03:33 Withdrawal Compulsion And Perspective 02:08:40 Book Deal And Wrap Up

📣 New Podcast! "How Surfing Ruined My Life with Jason Borte" on @Spreaker #atlanticpark #chlorineclash #eastcoastsurfing #ebonybeachclub #jasonborte #kellyslater #learntosurf #oceanstewardship #pharrell #pipedreams #surfermagazine #surfforall #surfhalloffame #surfinglife #surfwriter

Caught in the curl of smoke and light… just me, the pipe, and a little too much presence. Watch closely, maybe you’ll see what I see. ⭕️〰️♨️

#NakedFlow #PipeDreams #SacredExposure #Softflag🪞 #EmbodiedPleasure #SlowFire #StonerNudist #Stoner #nsfwbsky

New «9-1-1: Nashville» transcript!

s01e09 - Pipe Dreams

#TV #911Nashville #Season1 #PipeDreams #episode #script #transcript #TVTranscripts #TvT

tvshowtranscripts.ourboard.org/viewforum.ph...

Looking forward to a platform like this that does not also promote AI. #pipedreams

Pipedreams

Sunday morning on @lpm.org Classical Station WUOL means Pipedreams, then With Heart And Voice
#pipedreams #withheartandvoice
#supportpublicradio
#supportpublicmedia

I’m listening to Pipedreams on the LPM App! www.yourclassical.org/programs/pip...

Almost up there with the Dreamcast II announcement at this stage... #PipeDreams

A woman, with long blonde hair in a dark robe is sitting on the ground on the shores of a large body of water, holding her knees in her arms, contemplating seven golden chalice’s float purpleish pink sky in front of her. Each chalice holds something different: gold, magic sparkles, a religious figure, a dragon, a castle, a cobra, a dove.

#Tarot #CardoftheDay: You may be paralyzed with indecision because of all the choices before you. But some are only a projection of your #WishfulThinking. Look at them realistically. What can be dismissed as #PipeDreams? How do you still honor the need/longing those fantasies represents to you? 1/2

Unplugged

#pipedreams #photography #nature #frogs #greentreefrog
#amphibians #rain

Filed under dumb ideas that would get my number blocked by editors (if they were ever taking my calls). A Quasar/Ka-Zar odd couple type team up.

In my head it would be Hard traveling Heroes by way of the Bwa-haha Justice League. And likely sell 4 copies. #comics #whatif #pipedreams #elevatorpitch

In my wildest dreams, every classroom, every SINGLE classroom, would have a max of 25 students and 2 fully qualified teachers. One of those would ideally be some sort of specialist or interventionist

#teacher
#PipeDreams
#fantasy
#education

Luigi ✅
Mario TBD [Escape/Evade underway]

Toad, Yoshi & Peach. You have your profiles & packages—-We are Oscar Mike.

Operation #PipeDreams is a GO!

The negative consequences outweigh benefits of increased production. We must invest in transforming energy & electrification instead of appeasing oligarchs.

#ClimateCompetitiveness #CarbonNeutralTarSands #PipeDreams #AbPoli #EIA #CdnPoli

albertawilderness.ca/joint-letter...

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3853 - Nanotech Fantasy & Techno-Pipe Dreams A Sense of Doubt blog post #3853 - Nanotech Fantasy & Techno-Pipe Dreams I was very excited back in the 2000s reading Joel Garreau's Radical...

A Sense of Doubt blog post #3853 - Nanotech Fantasy & Techno-Pipe Dreams. sensedoubt.blogspot.com/2025/09/a-se... #Nanotech #PipeDreams #AEON #WhereIsTheFuturePromised

If only their god - the one they all claim to follow so devoutly (though empirical evidence constantly and consistently shows otherwise) - would suddenly manifest and thoroughly smite all those pious reactionaries and all their nonstop hate, lies, and hypocrisies. #pipedreams

Checked into the Seabreeze Inn… but I might need a late checkout.

The view’s got me all steamy. 🍑🔥 Anyone care to join me for a puff and a dip?” 🥵💨

#SeabreezeInn #BeachBear #PipeDreams #NaughtyGetaway

Maybe. But I’d rather see it bought out by a fierce champion of democracy.

#pipedreams

vintagevoguetreasure.etsy.com/listing/4337...
#FairyBrooch #PipeDreams

Leuk om misschien voorafgaand deze documentaire te kijken. Wat een vent is het ook. #pipedreams

npo.nl/start/serie/...

Kitchen FLOOD Fixed. Sweat dripping, shirt off, My wrench in hand 😉🛠️
Turns out I’m not just good with my hands… I can fix your plumbing too 💦😏 #PipeDreams #FixIt #SweatyMess

I can't wait until The Hague arrests all the Republicans and overthrows our corrupt government for us. Then The Hague should travel around the world and arrest and overthrow ALL the criminal regimes in power! Yay
#MaroonFive #EpsteinFiles #Idiots #SemionMogilevich #PipeDreams

Manitoba premier eyes northern development that could include a pipeline | BOE Report WINNIPEG - Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew promoted his province Friday as the route for a future trade corridor, which could include a pipeline, in order to get goods from Western Canada to overseas marke...

Kinew is being roped into the pipeline/hydrogen/LNG fantasy for Hudson’s Bay.

Remember: China does NOT see long term viability for LNG. Electrification is the way they’re headed. The global south will follow, of course, because it’s cheaper. #pipedreams #mbpoli
boereport.com/2025/06/06/m...

✨ In Jadurchar, Bangladesh, 15 women are leading change. With support from DSK & Water1st, water access rose from 22% to 66%. Sitara Begum was one of the first—her family now runs a business & lives in a brick home. “It all started with water.” 💧

#PipeDreams #WomensLeadership #Water1st

Hell, they'd be happier if they figured out what they want and then do that, without caring whether it's masculine or high value or anything but right for them. The whole world would be better if we all did that. #PipeDreams....

Why We Don’t Have a Made-in-America iPhone | WSJ News YouTube video by WSJ News

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzYu... #iphone #pipedreams This is a pipedream. We'll NEVER get iphones made in america. NEVEr.

Whatever it is it would be “service.” Even kids of tech rod and hedgefunders would do their 2 years. The asshats will remain untouched and be asshats, but many would experience many new things, including each other and the potential for respect. #PipeDreams

SO FUCKING WHAT!!!!
Congress has Balls
Senate has no Brains
Supremes have no Morals

#PipeDreams
☠️

@compact_vfx and @liminallyill.bsky.social present The Bowser Car of Doom #liminalspaces #backrooms #level2 #pipedreams #mario #bowser #doom #banjokazooie #compactvfx #3dart #blender3d #liminallyill

I need to spend a MASSIVE amount of time catching up on some of my writing goals tomorrow.

Getting back to work has been rough as fuck, but....I feel like when I finally get my shit together, scheduling and making time might be easier?

#PipeDreams #ADHDSky #AuthorSky #WritingSky

If we could integrate 10 provinces + 3 territories + D.C. + Puerto Rico into 30 new Senators and something like 55 new members of Congress, we might have something, but Universal Healthcare would have to be part of it. #Pipedreams