Bodega Boarder Crew Podcast - Surf Podcast · Alex Valich

Vol. 81 - TJ Thran (Cvrrent)

·2 hr 27 min·5 clips

How do East Coast shapers refine their boards with such unpredictable surf conditions?

This episode of the Bodega Border Crew podcast features host Mike interviewing TJ Thran, the creator of the independent surf film project Cvrrent. The conversation explores TJ's background and his unique perspective on surf culture and filmmaking. They discuss the distinct surf scene of Rhode Island, where TJ grew up and began surfing. TJ started surfing seriously around age 16 or 17, influenced by friends with vintage board collections and Matt Warshaw's *History of Surfing* book. He names Peter Pan and Sid Abruzzo as the godfathers of Rhode Island surf culture. The best surf in Rhode Island comes during hurricane season and winter, with sessions sometimes occurring in 20-degree temperatures. TJ notes the local scene has a divide between shortboarders and a more chill, alternative-shape community centered on longboards and mid-lengths. He criticizes some local surf shops for being "big box" operations that don't support local creators. TJ highlights Rhode Island Surf Go and Narragansett Surf and Skate as positive exceptions that support local shapers like Jim Phillips. An interesting insight is TJ's approach to filmmaking, which began from a desire to make snowboard videos and evolved into documenting longboarding in Rhode Island. He intentionally avoids watching many classic surf films to develop his own unique visual language and creative voice. TJ describes his filming process as organic, often capturing surfers without their prior knowledge and asking permission later. He believes people often surf better when they don't know they're being filmed. The discussion covers how independent media outlets like Cvrrent, Log Rap, and Bodega Border Crew help move surf culture forward by creating distinct niches. The tone is a relaxed, conversational interview between two friends with deep knowledge of alternative surf culture. The style is educational and reflective, delving into regional scenes and creative processes. This episode would appeal to surfers interested in East Coast surf history, independent filmmaking, and the niche longboard community. Listeners seeking high-performance surf talk or wave forecasting might find it less relevant.

As heard by us

A loose year-end surf-culture hour that folds in housekeeping, a 2022 recap, and TJ from Current on staying small and fun-first.

Volume 81 starts with year-end housekeeping and a 2022 recap before settling into a long conversation with TJ from Current. Most of the episode stays inside the Bodega Border Crew world: merch and links, episode track lists, recent trips, time in the water, and the wider…

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Why you'd press play

If you want end-of-year surf talk with no PR polish, press play.

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