There are certain characters surfing is lucky to have in their culture, and California-born, New York-based photographer and storyteller Justin Jay is one of those characters: broadly curious, ungodly talented but beyond humble, and one of those people who you immediately feel treats everyone he encounters with remarkable conversational generosity and open, intellectual curiosity.
Twice a month for the last few years, Jay has sat down with people he finds inspiring, drawn from the various talent pools Jay is deeply immersed, for his podcast The Plug. This week’s guest on The Plug is Mr. Pipeline himself, Gerry Lopez.
Surfer Magazine Jeff Divine
“In this episode, we sit down with the man they call Mr. Pipeline to talk about his unique dual role in the newly released book Surfer Stories—as both a subject and a storyteller. Alongside guest Claudia Lebenthal, the book’s editor and creative force, they reflect on Gerry’s enduring influence and the intimate portrait he paints in his essay on fellow legend Garrett McNamara.”
“Lopez also shares what five decades of yoga have taught him about flow—on waves and in life—and how staying grounded, along with his mantra of “keep paddling,” has helped him navigate challenges far beyond the lineup.”
Related: Gerry Lopez: “Do More Yoga”
“And finally, we dig into the decision that raised eyebrows in surf circles: Gerry’s partnership with Costco to release an affordable line of signature Wavestorm soft-top surfboards.”
Along with surfers like Lopez, he’s hosted designers like Tinker Hatfield and Tom Sachs, musicians like MGMT, TV personalities like Dick Cavett, and dozens and dozens of remarkable characters on the pod the last five years.
Might we recommend:
Punk and skate icon Glen E Friedman.
California surfing’s radical godfather Herbie Fletcher
Surfing’s Annie Liebowitz, the late, great Art Brewer.
For those unfamiliar, Justin Jay grew up in Santa Barbara, before diving headfirst into New York City’s cultural upper echelons, shooting advertising campaigns, gorgeous portraiture, raw, gritty street work—Jay-Z, Nike, OutKast, Ray-Ban, Foo Fighters, you name it— and all the while making sure to spend a few months each winter embedded on the North Shore of Oahu documenting the Seven Mile Miracle’s with unrivaled insider intimacy. His ten year run of winter residencies were capture in his terrific photo book: HI 1K – 10 Years / 1000 Moments.