590 - Rob Machado | The Surfrider Podcast

590 - Rob Machado | The Surfrider Podcast

From Surf Splendor by David Lee Scales

March 31, 2026 · 1h 35m · Episode 590

About this episode

Rob Machado discusses his journey from pro surfer to ocean advocate, highlighting his environmental efforts and personal growth.

Legendary pro surfer Rob Machado is widely regarded as one of the most influential and stylish surfers of all time. But Rob’s relationship with and impact on surfing and the ocean run much deeper than his professional career. In this episode, Rob shares about his deep family roots in Southern California and traces his personal journey as an ocean advocate — from taking water samples for Surfrider's Blue Water Task Force as a high school student in Cardiff to founding the Rob Machado Foundation, which has installed water refill stations across San Diego County schools and eliminated millions of single-use plastic bottles. In this wide-ranging conversation, he opens up about the competitive mindset that took him to the pinnacle of the world tour, why that famous high-five with Kelly Slater at Pipeline actually deepened his connection to what surfing should be, and how becoming a father shifted his priorities from tour life to environmental stewardship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: David Lee Scales

Guest: Rob Machado

Topics covered

  • surfing
  • environmental advocacy
  • personal journey
  • competitive mindset
  • family roots
  • ocean conservation

Keywords

  • Rob Machado
  • Surfrider Foundation
  • ocean advocacy
  • competitive surfing
  • environmental stewardship
  • plastic reduction
  • water refill stations

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Surfrider Foundation

Places: Southern California, Cardiff, San Diego County

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