The story we didn't want to write

This week’s episode breaks from our usual surf news roundup because… it has to. What started as a routine check for positive surf stories led to something I wasn’t prepared for: a disturbing report out of San Luis Obispo, where a male paddleboarder has been charged with the attempted murder of a female surfer—allegedly, in the lineup.

In this episode, I walk you through how I found the story, how I tried to verify it, and what I learned (and re-learned) about surf culture along the way. Because whether this story is true, half-true, or turns out to be wrong, the responses to it revealed something deeper—and more upsetting—about who feels safe in the water, and who doesn’t.

Trigger warning: this episode discusses violence in the surf lineup, gender dynamics, and the apathy that too often follows.