L8night with Choccy

Our guests this week are a couple of core surfers who just happen to be a pair of certified Surf nerds as well.
Ever find yourself waking up, grabbing your phone to check the Surf report, and somehow ending up forty-five minutes deep in a social media doomscroll before your feet even hit the floor? Well, these guys built an awesome way out of that digital trap.
Born out of a garage and fueled by a simple frustration, SwellFrame is an always on, distraction free physical Surf forecast display. Using a sleek e-ink screen, it delivers real time wave, tide, and wind data directly into your daily routine, without the notification spam, endless algorithms, screen fatigue, or rabbit holes that come with your phone.
What started as a personal solution has evolved into a beautifully minimalist piece of hardware that updates automatically over Wi-Fi and can run for more than six months on a single charge. It's one of those products that makes you wonder, "Why didn't someone think of this sooner?"
Today we're diving into the journey of turning an idea into a product, the challenges of building hardware from scratch, and why sometimes the best technology is the kind that helps you use less technology.
We're pumped to welcome to the show the founders of SwellFrame, Mr. Tommy "TICKLES" Ihnken and Mr. Florian “FLO” Meyer.

Our guest this week is a well-known industry sales executive who climbed the ranks from SURFSHOP, to sales rep to Senior Vice President and General Manager at Quiksilver. But like so many of us industry guys, his journey started at Wavelines Shop in Clairemont, where he spent seven years as both a team rider and employee.
A large part of his career was spent at Hurley, where he dedicated 15 years to the brand. He started managing territory sales in San Diego for six years before being promoted to VP of Icon Doors, then SVP of Global Merchandising for eight years, and eventually reaching the role of SVP of Global Commerce.
In 2023, he joined Florence Marine X as SVP of Sales, reuniting with many former Hurley colleagues. After a brief stop at O'Neill, he landed with one of the most iconic legacy brands in action sports over seeing Quiksilver and Billabong, where he currently serves as SVP and GM.
We're pumped to hear about his journey through the surf industry, the lessons learned along the way, and what it takes to lead some of the biggest brands in action sports.
Please welcome to the shop, Mr. Ryan “MUNGA” Mangan.

Our guest this week is an entrepreneur with a creative mind and one of the biggest industry powerhouses in action sports and lifestyle brands. With more than 25 years of executive leadership experience, his résumé includes roles as VP of Operations at Paul Frank, President and Global General Manager of RVCA, SVP of Marketing and Product Development at Igloo, and Global President of Quiksilver.
After helping lead Quiksilver through the Boardriders era, he parted ways following the acquisition by ABG and was offered the massive responsibility of overseeing and managing the entire action sports portfolio under Authentic Brands Group—a role that would have put him at the center of some of the most iconic brands in our industry. But before he even started the job, he passed on the opportunity.
Never one to stand still, he made the jump into the golf world, where he was tasked with building a team from the ground up and launching one of the most anticipated brands in sports alongside the GOAT himself, Tiger Woods. That brand is Sunday Red, and its debut sent shockwaves throughout the golf industry.

We're pumped to welcome back for a much-needed Take 2 conversation with our friend, Brad "BRIZZ” Blankinship.

Our guest this week is a World Junior Champion, ISA World Champion, and another prime example of the raw, endless talent coming out of San Clemente. She started surfing at just 2 years old, competing by 9, and spent a ton of time in Hawaii, building a reputation as someone who can throw on a jersey and perform, or charge barrels and reef breaks when it gets serious like in Natural Selection Invite. Her 2018 World Junior Title changed the course of her career, giving her the validation that she belonged at the highest professional level. She backed it up in 2022 at the ISA World Championships in Huntington Beach, helping Team USA bring home gold, and added another big WQS win in 2024 at the Jack’s Pro, also in HB. She rips, she charges, and we’re fired up to see her keep pushing toward the World Tour. We welcome to the show, Kirra “Pink” Pinkerton.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with some of the best and most iconic SURFSHOPS in the world at CARV Expo!
VAL SURF - Blake Richards +Chris Duffy
ON THE BEACH SURF SHOP MONTERREY - Kelly Sorensen
HAWAIIAN ISLAND CREATIONS - Bert Ishimura

Thanks CARV Expo!!

SURFSHOP DAY!!
Support your local SURFSHOP every damn day!!