Jump to:
- Campaigns & copywriting
- Content writing
- Press releases
- Blogs
- Scripts & video production
- Podcasts
- Journalism
1) Campaigns and copywriting
I led key ISA campaigns from 2015–21 and wrote all associated copy; I grew the @isasurfing Instagram account by 800% (11k to 110k).
New website launch & rebrand (2021)
- Web copy
- New logo video launch
- Olympic story web copy — read full text here.
Tokyo 2020 #StrongerTogether campaign: surfing’s Olympic debut
This campaign drove 350k visits to the Tokyo 2020 event page during the contest window, a 1,300% increase compared to the previous month.
- Social* (click to enlarge):
* Due to strict Olympic broadcasters rights agreements, our Tokyo 2020 campaign had to strictly use images and no video.
- Paid ads
- Olympic qualifier social posts
ISA Scholarship campaign: a better world through surfing
The ISA conducts an annual scholarship program, providing funds for education and surfing equipment for children in need around the globe.
- Social
- Promo video used for a crowdfund campaign
State of Olympic Surfing campaign
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we launched the State of Olympic Surfing series to create new content at a time when the Olympics were postponed. I co-produced, coordinated and scripted the live shows and short-form content.
- Social copy
- Live production
- Shorter cuts
2) Content writing
I crafted branded content partnerships between Fjallraven/GearJunkie and The Inertia/Flatrock Wetsuits.
• GEARJUNKIE Trekking Bend’s Fiery Past: 6 Volcanic Hiking Trails
• THE INERTIA We Tried Flatrock, a Wetsuit Brand You Should Know About
3) Press releases / Comms
I managed the communications strategy and execution for the ISA, successfully helping surfing achieve its debut Olympic inclusion in Tokyo 2020.
• INTERNATIONAL SURFING ASSOCIATION USA’s Carissa Moore and Brazil’s Italo Ferreira Crowned Historic First Olympic Surfing Champions
I wrote the press release for Rip Curl at the 2022 Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang on site in Bali, Indonesia.
• RIPCURL Clay Marzo Rides Perfect 10-Point Wave To Victory At 2022 Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang
4) Blogs
• INTERNATIONAL SURFING ASSOCIATION Shark Attack Survivor Uses Surf Coaching to Make a Difference
• INTERNATIONAL SURFING ASSOCIATION 10 Memorable Surfing Moments from the Tokyo 2020 Games
• EVANQUARNSTROM.COM A Californian Take on New York City
5) Scripts & video production
I wrote short and long-form scripts and produced video content for the International Surfing Association content from 2015-21. Our TV shows reached 140+ territories, airing on NBC in the U.S.
Short form
- Olympic qualifier explainer.
- Profile of Afridun Amu ahead of the 2019 longboard champs.
- Bruno Hansen profile 2017 para champs.
- El Salvador venue feature for the 2021 Olympic qualifier.
Long form
2020 ISA Para Surfing Championships 52-minute TV Show.
6. Podcasts
Podcast in Spanish on my investigation into a Central California school district.
Podcast interview on The Kyle Thiermann show.
Interview on The 831, a Central Coast independent news outlet.
7) Journalism
- I covered surfing at the 2024 Olympics for The Inertia.
- I have bylines published in Surfer Magazine, The Inertia, Santa Cruz Local, Stab Magazine, Teton Gravity Research, Lookout Santa Cruz, Magicseaweed, Freesurf Magazine, Wavepool Magazine, GoNomad, Collective Santa Cruz, and Bluemanhoop.
Selected stories:
Surfers creating standing waves at Aliso Creek have ignited a heated standoff in Laguna Beach
There is a showdown in Laguna Beach between boardriders, the city council, homeowners, and environmental groups over the right to manually breach the sand berm at Aliso Creek to create a standing river wave.
As a new state bill pushes back against license plate cameras, Watsonville looks to add more
As Watsonville City Council is set to vote Tuesday to add more controversial license plate reader cameras to its streets, mounting concern over illegal uses of the data have some residents and scholars advocating against it.
In Lebanon, despite war, financial crisis, and the big blast, a surfing renaissance persists
As bombs and bullets rained over Beirut, surfing was the least of anyone’s worries. Lebanon’s prolonged civil war in the ’70s and ’80s turned the country upside down and caused nearly a million Lebanese to look for refuge abroad. Surfing, which is believed to have been introduced to the country in the ’60s, disappeared.
Madagascar: Surfing’s final frontier
Madagascar is still one of surfing’s frontiers – and certainly because it’s far from anything that remotely resembles a surf industry, let alone finding a bar of wax. Surfing in one of the world’s poorest countries presents unique challenges, but the benefits are summed up as a slogan on the surf camp’s website: “Perfect waves no crowds”.
What does Prop 50 mean for Santa Cruz County?
A report on how Proposition 50 would affect Californians and what local elected officials thought about the measure.
ISA removes Australian Olympic surfing judge for perceived bias; we broke down the scores
A judge took a photo with an athlete at the Olympic venue. He was sent home amid claims of unfounded bias.
A hiker was lost in the Santa Cruz Mountains for 10 days; I retraced his steps to find out why
This summer, my home of Santa Cruz County briefly made global headlines when a man was miraculously rescued after 10 days lost in the forest. Major outlets like The New York Times, CNN, and the BBC shared photos of the mud-covered hiker’s emotional reunion with his family. While I was relieved he was safe, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something about the story didn’t add up.
Pajaro Valley school district blames staffing issues for overdue financial report
Pajaro Valley Unified School District missed deadlines for a required financial audit, leaving them vulnerable to serious consequences.
Listen to the corresponding podcast appearance I did in Spanish.
Santa Cruz surfers oppose petition for marine protected area at Pleasure Point
Investigating both sides of the debate in Santa Cruz over protecting a Northern California kelp forest.
How does a bar of surf wax cost nearly $10 in Sri Lanka?
When I strolled into a surf shop in southern Sri Lanka and saw that a single bar of surf wax was being sold for USD $9 each, I could tell something was seriously wrong.
How to get free food in Santa Cruz County as food stamps set to run dry
Local food distribution sites are bracing for a surge in demand as the federal shutdown continues and food assistance benefits are not expected to be issued on Nov. 1.
Come for a jog, stay for the community: Run clubs in Santa Cruz are creating space for real-life connections
As we dive into Zoom calls, dating apps, and TikTok doom-scrolling, it’s easy to feel increasingly disconnected from real human interaction. So instead of surrendering to lives drifting further into the digital abyss, run clubs are fighting back.
Baja California surf breaks could be wiped out by port expansion
Surfers in Ensenada, Mexico were caught off guard when the presidential administration unveiled plans to expand one of the city’s ports into surf zones. The proposed new breakwaters would encompass several surf spots, including the popular break Tres Emes.
Skimboarding might be surfing’s little brother in Santa Cruz, but it’s given me family across the world
Santa Cruz’s skimboarding community might be relatively small, but our small town plays an outsized role in the history and culture of the sport.
Indonesian surf boat tragedy might galvanize safety standards in the region
As reports emerged about a missing small vessel carrying surfers in the Indonesian archipelago, I naturally got flashbacks to my own experience during a surf trip on a nearby island.