Conner Coffin talks about leaving the competition side of surfing for a WSL partnership podcast with 805 Beer

With the World Surf League in full swing, the fans of competition surfing have been all-in to follow the storylines of the new season. Those who are familiar with surfing competitions know that there are, many times, more off days than on days during the waiting period. This year fans are getting a treat in the form of a WSL partnership podcast put out by 805 Beer, called "Cold Beer Surf Club." The podcast and companion film series is hosted by former WSL competitor Conner Coffin. Coffin was a staple on the WSL tour for many years before deciding to move behind the scenes. Coffin caught up with Fansided for an exclusive interview where he explains the move from competition to behind the mic.

"I loved doing the tour and I loved competing and traveling for as long as I did, but I was definitely getting ready to slow down a little bit," he said. "It was kind of funny when I stopped competing, they were like, you retired and I was like, I definitely didn't retire but I guess that's what people call it when you stop competing or go in a new direction. I was just ready to not be so one track focused on competing and on the tour. The level is so high and the pool of surfers is pretty small. So you're traveling so much that you do have to be super focused and working hard to stay at the top. So I was sort of ready to have a little bit more time to focus on other projects, and still obviously be surfing a ton and being really active in the world of surf."

Along with 805 Beer, Coffin has partnered with the WSL to put out a surfing podcast where he speaks to people with whom surfing is a part of their lives. Not necessarily surfers themselves, all his guests have a connection to the water and the waves. It was important to him to find a way to stay connected to his surfing roots while exploring his other passions and having more time for his growing family.

"Coming into this year, I wasn't on the tour anymore competing, so now we're sort of talking about different ideas for the year projects that I could work on with 805. We started dreaming up this, the Cold Beer Surf Club, and incorporating the podcast to share stories with people who have a connection to surfing but might not necessarily be surfers," he said. "Obviously, some of the guests are going to be surfers, but yeah, just as a way to keep sharing stories about the love that we have for surfing, the shared passions, and other interests that are around that and all those sorts of different things."

Conner Coffin and 805 Beer look to help out the next generation of surfers

In addition to the podcast and short film series, 805 Beer will be putting forward an athlete booster program. The program will provide critical support to two Qualifying Series athletes, a male and a female. The Qualifying Series is exactly what the name says, the tour right below the WSL Championship Tour, where young athletes look to make the CT. Coffin is proud to be a part of such a sponsorship program to uplift the next generation.

"It's a really great thing that 805 was willing to do that," he said. "I think it's a testament to the fact that they feel it's necessary to reinvest in surfing and support surfers. They also want to give back to the sport. Not only that, but even just investing in projects like Cold Beer Surf Club, the films that we've made, and sponsoring someone like me, they're helping to give us a platform and do the things that we love, so it's really cool. I think they just wanted to take that a whole other step and find two surfers, a male and a female who are on the Qualifying Series, trying to go after their goals and dreams and aspirations as surfers and help give them a little boost in the right direction."

There have been two episodes of Cold Beer Surf Club released at the time of this writing. The pilot episode features Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett. Shiflett is a Santa Barbara local who has a tie to the local surf scene there. Episode two features filmmaker Chris Malloy, who has a deep connection to surfing through the lens and his family. The podcast can be listened to and seen in all places you typically find your favorite podcasts. Look for the third episode to drop on March 12 featuring surfer Sage Erickson.