In this podcast I sit down with Matt Drayer who is part of a small team including Greg Barton, Jesse Lishchuk, and Geoff Pearson who are dedicated to promoting surfski development in the US via the Ocean Racing Committee (ORC) which is part of the competition arm of the American Canoe Association (ACA). Matt and the team have been hard at work over…

In this podcast I check in with Brendan to review how the past 10 weeks of training have gone and what I need to focus on in the final four weeks leading up to the Gorge Downwind Champs. If you missed Podcast Episode 43, I would recommend checking it out, and don’t forget you can download the training plan there. But if you’re limited on time, you’…

In this episode of the Peak Paddle Performance Podcast, I reconnect with Dr Brendan O’Neill creator of the Vaaka Cadence Sensor. In 2019 Brendan graciously put together a 14 week cadence based training plan to prepare an intermediate level paddler for racing the 14 mile Gorge Downwind Champs. COVID disrupted everything, and I never got around to pu…

In this podcast I interview Giant Fish founder Scott Darling. Scott launched the initial Giant Fish collection of paddling shorts, pants, and tops in the summer of 2020. Right at the height of the Covid pandemic. Of course it wasn’t planned that way, but despite all the obstacles, the product spoke for itself, and quickly became a go to piece of ki…

We’re back with our most frequent and popular podcast guest, the infamous Oscar Chalupsky. It’s always informative and exciting to catch up with Oscar and this podcast is not exception. If you haven’t read Oscar’s book, order it now, it is an absolute must read. If you’re like me, you won’t put it down until it is finished. I’ve known Oscar for 10 …

On October 8th the Great Lakes paddling community suffered on incomprehensible loss when Nick Walton succumbed to hypothermia in a downwind race on Lake Michigan. Nick was a professional canoe racer and over the past couple of years had discovered a love for surfski racing. You can read his full obituary here I was a participant in the race and hav…

This podcast was an experimental downwind jam session. The idea was to setup a Zoom call open to any and all paddlers to join and share their stories and experiences around downwind paddling. We got off to a rough start when the initial call was highjacked by hackers, but were able to regroup and have a great session. I was hopeful that we could sh…

My guest on the podcast today is long time friend and paddler Rob Hartman. Rob is a husband and father of three girls. He works full time as a software developer, plays the Upright Bass as an accomplished jazz musician, and has long been one of the top masters paddlers in the US. In recent years Rob has competed primarily East of the Mississippi, w…

My guest on this podcast is Matt Murphy. Matt is a Naval Architect and Ocean Engineer by trade, who grew up in and on the waters of Northeastern Canada. After school, Matt made his way to Houston, Texas where he currently lives with his wife and four kids. Matt has a very diverse paddling background spanning both racing and multi-week adventures. I…

In this podcast episode I had a chance to connect with Rod and Barry of ThePaddleChannel. Rod and Barry have progressed from SUP to OC to SURFSKI and their YouTube channel documents, in full transparency, the trials and tribulations of their journey along the way. They are both super passionate about paddling and more so about downwind. Their video…

In this podcast I’m joined by Reivers Dustin, who at 70 years old, is still every bit as passionate about downwind paddling as anyone I’ve met. Reivers is highly regarded as one of the founding fathers of the Bellingham surfski community. This story started out with my intent to explore the downwind paddling in Bellingham Bay. Anyone who has raced …

It has been a long hiatus, but the Peak Paddle Performance Podcast is back in action. We’re going to try out a new format where we find paddlers enthusiastic about sharing their local downwind routes for the world to see. We’ll record via a Zoom meeting with screen share where the guest can walk us through a map view of the paddling hot spots as we…

Father of two, owner of Real Movement, and coach to Sonny Bill Williams, Keegan Smith is a man on a mission to create better systems of living in order to create the best quality of life. With an impressive list of mentors including Charles Poliquin, Ido Portal, Phil Richards and Coach Sommer, Keegan is on a constant journey of self-development and…

Jamie White is an entrepreneur turned business coach who now works with clients from all around the world remotely from Bali. Having experienced the ups and downs of the entrepreneurial world, making millions one year to having gangsters and debt collectors knocking at his door the next, Jamie has turned his own experiences into an online business …

Best known for his amazing and inspiring yoga content on Instagram, Jacob Manning kindly joined me for a chat on The Bonco Podcast. In this episode I spoke with the California native about his troubles in his youth, his introduction to yoga and his dedication to the practice. With daily inspirational posts on social media Jacob has helped, and cont…

A good chat & a laugh with Mayo footballing legend Keith Higgins in which he tells me about his 16 year involvement with Mayo GAA & his difficult decision to hang up the boots. We also cover his career, life in lockdown & his plans for the future. I enjoyed the conversation. Hope you enjoy listening.…

Based in Dublin, Níall is a Level 3 Wim Hof Method instructor, (the highest level awarded to instructors). He is a former international athlete having played basketball for Ireland. Today, however, Níall spends his days helping others overcome stress and anxiety through scientifically proven breathing techniques & cold exposure. The Wim Hof Method …

Mayo Ladies footballer and Collingwood #7 Sarah joins me for a chat to discuss life in Melbourne at the moment. Currently playing for Collingwood AFLW Sarah is living the life of a professional athlete. We talked about her weekly schedule, training & nutrition, the professionalism of the game in Australia as well as her education as a neuro linguis…

Leon Scott is a former professional footballer turned male model and personal trainer. Once described as ‘Britain’s Most Ripped Footballer’, Leon keeps himself ‘Lean 365’ and brings his unique and head-turning sense of style to the world of social media. Search @leon3scott & @leonscottfitness on Instagram.…

Ben is a former MMA fighter. He trained out of SBG Dublin and was a sparring partner of ‘Notorious’ Conor McGregor. Finished with his fighting career, but continuing his BJJ training, Ben now works as a content creator and coffee educator in the Dublin area but says he will always be a martial artist at heart.…

Sharon is marathon runner who is in the process of completing The Abbott’s World Marathon Majors, six of the top marathons in the world which to date only 1200 people have completed globally. Sharon is taking part in the event not only for a personal achievement but also to raise money for Crumlin Children’s Hospital.…

Best selling author, Ultramarathon runner, fitness & nutrition guru & all round great guy, Brian joins me on the podcast for a chat about everything health, fitness & mindset. We also discuss the importance of family & finding a work life balance. Hope you enjoy listening.

In this podcast I sit down with one of the many dear friends I’ve met through Surfski Paddling. Greg Greene and I first crossed paths when we battled it out in my first surski race ever in Duluth, Minnesota. Although 20 years my senior Greg managed to take me at the line and despite that first encounter we’ve been great friends ever since. I wanted…

Kevin is the owner of 100%PT in Claremorris. He will be competing for his pro card in the WBFF (World Beauty Fitness & Fashion) in Verona on December 1st so he joined me to chat about his preparation in the lead up to this competition. Some interesting health & fitness related topics in this episode so hope you enjoy listening 🙂…

Best known as Mickey C, Michael Conroy’s Mayo GAA career spanned for fifteen years, playing under several managers & alongside some of Mayo’s greatest ever footballers. Never a man to mince his words Mickey gives an honest description of his time with Mayo, his struggles with injury, the torture of training, his teammates, managers and of course hi…

Tom Coleman is at the top of his game in the nutrition world and runs a company called My Nutrition Ireland with his wife Jenny. Tom’s passion is nutrition & Jenny’s passion is cooking so together they run a very successful business with regular tv appearances, guest speakers at festivals & events as well as invitations to speak at some of the top …

Delighted to be joined on the podcast by Kieran ‘The Galway Player’ to talk about his career as a fashion, dating & lifestyle blogger in Galway & how it all came about. We also discuss the upcoming Galway Races & the excitement leading up to this great annual event. Giddy up 🏇🏼😉 Enjoy.

Very interesting chat with James about how he first came to start his journey in martial arts in Sydney Australia with sensei Benny Urquidez & sensei Nadine Champion. James has spent six years in Australia & two years in Thailand training & studying with the best coaches & training partners & has recently returned home & started with his new busine…

To quote Yuri’s Instagram bio...He is a”Ginger bearded physical culture enthusiast, teacher, performer & traveler, who teaches workshops all around the world.” It was an absolute pleasure to have Yuri join me on the podcast & to get a deeper look into his life, & to discuss what it’s really like to be an internationally recognized hand balancer tra…

In this podcast, the tables are turned and I’m in the hot seat as Buzz Burrell (a long time endurance sports athlete and entrepreneur and new surfski addict) interviews me. We cover a wide range of topics from paddling the Great Lakes through the winter months, to trying to make a surfski business viable in a small market with a short season. Some …

Kate joins me on ‘The Bonco Podcast’ to talk about her experiences with Ayahuasca & other psychedelic plant based medicines. A really interesting chat & a great insight into what happens at these ceremonies if you have no previous knowledge on the subject. Hope you enjoy listening.

Karen is a woman on a ‘journey’ who aims to help us connect to the bigger picture, gain perspective and seek out our true essence and the universal life force that is available to us all. Karen is the host of the ‘Curiosi & Consciousness’ podcast, where the aim of the podcast is to share inspiring conversations in order to help us get curious about…

Today’s podcast guest may be best known as the younger brother of paddling legend Dawid Mocke, but Jasper Mocke is in every way a legend in his own right. Jasper is an incredibly talented athlete with several notable accomplishments including World Surfski Champion in 2014, World Champion in K2 Marathon 2014, and 3x Perth Doctor Downwind champion. …

Kevin is a yoga instructor in Dublin who works out of several different studios in the capital; Yogahub, The Elbowroom & Samadhi Yoga. He is the host of ‘The Yoga Life’ Podcast & to date has had some really interesting & international guests on for a chat. Really enjoyed our chat so hope you do too 😊…

Sinead is a 17 year old up and coming MMA fighter from Newport Co.Mayo that started martial arts at a very early age & who is now pursuing a career as an MMA fighter. She is a K1 fighter, Full contact kickboxer training out of SBG in Ballina. Sinead joins me today to talk about her training, her upcoming fights & her future plans in the sport.…

Shelly runs a fitness business in Swinford, Co.Mayo called ‘That’s So Shelly Fitness’. She joins me on the Podcast to talk about her transformation from being overweight, unemployed & suffering from depression to turning it around & reinvented herself in in her new home in the west of Ireland. She also discusses her fitness business & her upcoming …

Nadia & Sophie are the owners of Hot Yoga Dundrum & have just finished their very first yoga teacher training at my Bonco studio in Mayo. So we sat down for a quick chat & a laugh before they hit off back to Dublin. I think it’s fair to say you will have a good laugh at this one 😁 Hope you Enjoy.

In today’s podcast I managed to catch up with Olympic athlete, coach, and co-founder of Paddle California, Michele Eray. I somehow coerced her into sitting still just long enough to record a great podcast session. The title of this episode and Michele’s personal mantra says it all, “You regret more in life the things that you didn’t do than the thi…

Joanna is a friend of mine who runs ‘The Spa Room’ just outside Claremorris. I have been going to Joanna for massage & reflexology on & off since she opened & it’s only from my visits to The Spa Room that I began to learn more about Joanna & the interesting life she has lived. Joanna talks to me about her studies, her travels, her yoga/meditation e…

In early December the guys @CarbonologySport shared some vintage footage of the 1983 Port Elizabeth to East London (PE2LE) 4 Day Stage Race. It generated a lot of intrigue on Facebook, and I thought it would be great to sit down with Oscar and have him walk us through what it was like to race surfskis on the open ocean almost 40 years ago. We spend…

Delighted to be joined by professional boxer Ray Moylette for this weeks episode of The Bonco Podcast. Ray discusses his early days of boxing at the age of 6, his solid amateur career & the disappointment of not achieving his dream of becoming an Olympian. He goes through the training & nutrition of a professional athlete & also reflects on an amaz…

Cian is a 23 year old professional natural bodybuilder who has a personal training business in Claremorris & also runs online programs. He recently competed in The World Natural Bodybuilding Championship in Los Angeles where he achieved 2nd place & 3rd in the world in his respective classes. He joins me to talk about his training, nutrition & how h…

The Sawdoctors Leo Moran chats to me today about growing up in Tuam, the early days of Macnas, his musical background & the creation of The Sawdoctors. He also gives us a performance of an original Christmas song at the very end of the podcast. Really enjoyed chatting with Leo & listening to his tales. (There’s a little bit of editing in the middle…

Andy took the time out of his busy schedule to have a chat with me about business, health, football & family. And how at the ripe age of 35 he is feeling better than ever & really looking forward to the upcoming season with Mayo GAA 💚❤️ Hope you enjoy it.

Delighted to have Colm join me on the very first episode of ‘The Bonco Podcast’. Colm is a good friend & an inspirational man with a great story to tell. From the highs of running a successful family business for years, to the hardship that came with the recession, to his reinvention as a yoga instructor & his current thoughts on life. (Guest appea…

Today’s podcast guest is good friend and fellow Great Lakes paddler Erik Borgnes. Many of you may recognize Erik as the guy who has dominated the Chattajack 32 race for the past several years. He has also contributed several great blog posts to the surfski universe including boat reviews, technique analysis, experiments in dieting, and a treasure t…

In this podcast episode we chat all things safety in extreme conditions with Rob Mousley. Rob founded surfski.info based out of Cape Town SA, which is well known as the de-facto global website for surfski information. It is probably best known for the forums which provide an excellent global dialogue on all things surfski related. In addition to th…

In today’s podcast we connect with Jen Lee to hear the story of how she crossed the Molokai Channel in a SUP, OC1, and Surfski all in one season. If that isn’t impressive enough, she only started surfski paddling two years prior and conquered the channel on a properly big day. Jen is an accomplished water woman, but the message she’s passionate abo…

In this podcast episode I catch up with Carter Johnson, Race Director for the Gorge Downwind Festival. In just four years this race has become the single biggest downwind event in the world. With 750 participants, featuring equal numbers of Outrigger Canoe and Surfski paddlers, plus a good contingent of Stand Up Paddle Boarders. But more than just …

In this podcast I have the opportunity to sit down with one of the best surfski paddler in the world right now, Cory Hill aka Chill Hill. Like most surfski paddlers, Cory is incredibly humble and seems mature beyond his years. Balancing relationships and a full time career, Cory does an unimaginable job competing at the very top of his game. We hav…