30+ Years of Surf, Photography, and Finding Gratitude: Mattson Culbert on Facing Cancer and Life’s Challenges

Confessions of a Surf Lady | The First Women's Surfing Podcast™

After spending over 30 years chasing waves and documenting epic California swells, Mattson Culbert—a surfer, photographer, and filmmaker—faced one of the biggest challenges of his life: a thyroid cancer diagnosis. 🌊 But instead of letting it hold him back, Mattson embraced vulnerability, rediscovered gratitude, and deepened his connection to the ocean.

To me, though, he’s more than just a talented photographer and lifelong surfer—he’s like a big brother, a kuya, the surf uncle we all wish we had, full of wisdom, humor, and the kind of perspective only decades in the water can bring.

In this episode of Confessions of a Surf Lady: The First Women’s Surfing Podcast™, Mattson and I talk about the evolution of surf culture, the resilience we learn from the ocean, and how his cancer journey reshaped his outlook on life. This conversation goes beyond the epic swell—it’s about family, gratitude, and the lessons we take with us both in and out of the water.

Resilience Through Challenges: How Mattson’s journey with thyroid cancer reshaped his perspective on surfing, life, and legacy.

Cultural Shifts in Surfing: A deep dive into surf culture in the ‘90s and how it compares to today’s more inclusive scene.

Respecting the Ocean: The importance of knowledge, humility, and community in and out of the lineup.

Resources:

• Follow Mattson: @mattsonculbert
• Try a membership at The Surf Société with 7 days free.
• Shop Dip and get 15% OFF with the code "confessionsofasurflady" at checkout at Dipalready.com
• Follow us your host Laura Day: @confessionsofasurflady
• Follow The Surf Société: @surfsociete for surf lady tips from #thesurflab inside the membership

Confessions of a Surf Lady, is a women's surfing podcast that is supported by our amazing partners and listeners like you. This means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you when you make a purchase through the links provided. Thank you for being a part of our community and supporting the podcast.

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Confessions of a Surf Lady, women's surfing podcast, is supported by The Surf Société, our unique digital women's surfing platform where we come together to Learn More. Surf Better. Live Happy. Learn more at Surfsociete.com