Podcast: SURFER Talks WSL Finals With Dave Prodan on "The Lineup."

Last week, I had the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Dave Prodan from the WSL and talk a little surfing. We could have gone on for hours, and save for a rabid Welsh Corgi and a dying iPhone, we probably would have. I don't remember when or where Dave and I met, but I'm guessing it was about 25 years ago. He was young and frothing at Surfing Magazine, while I was young and equally frothing at SURFER. Time flies when you spend so much time around surf contests together.

At some point, Dave jumped from Surfing Magazine and signed on as the North American media coordinator for what was then the ASP. Working out of a dark, forgotten, first-floor office in Huntington Beach, he settled in and has been at it ever since. From dodging stonefish in Tahiti, to the tragedy of Andy Irons in Puerto Rico, to too many winters in Hawaii to recall, we've spent a considerable amount of time on the road together over the years. He's one of those people that you never know when or where you'll see them next, but it's always nice to catch up.

Settling in for our conversation on his podcast, "The Lineup," Dave and I picked up right where we left off ... where ever that was. Digging into the upcoming WSL Finals, we chopped up rankings, past performances, and who we'd like to see win the world title. As a California kid at heart, and lifelong Tom Curren fan boy, it's probably pretty obvious where my loyalties lie, and I get the feeling Dave's much the same.

The waiting period for the WSL Finals kicks off on September 6. I don't think they're going to wait around too long before they run it. Who knows, by the time we hit the weekend Griffin Colapinto and Caity Simmers could be California's first world champs since Curren?

Related: Surf Forecast: Probable Early Start for 2024 WSL Finals