Our favourite world tour power surfer Conner Coffin has announced a new and exciting relationship with Firestone Walker 805.
The Santa Barbara based professional surfer was one of the top five seeds competing for the men’s world championship at the Rip Curl World Surfing League Finals in September. Although the title was won by Gabriel Medina, Conners outstanding performance showed surf fans why he will be a serious world title contender for many years to come.
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Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Founded by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone and David Walker in 1996, Firestone Walker Brewing Company is a California beer company with innovative brewing facilities. The company were recently named “Best American Brewery of the Decade” by Paste Magazine.
Their main brewery in Paso Robles produces a diverse portfolio ranging from iconic IPAs to vintage barrel-aged beers.
The Barrelworks facility in Buellton makes eccentric wild ales, while the Propagator pilot brewhouse in Venice specializes in R&D beers and limited local offerings.
Firestone Walker is also the brewery behind 805, one of the nation’s fastest-growing beers.
805 “Authenticos”
Coffin has joined the exclusive group of 805 “Authenticos”; a band of ambassadors who embody authentic values in their respective disciplines. 805 Authenticos collectively represent the culture and values of the Firestone Walker ethos.
Other 805 Authenticos include pro-surfer Nate Tyler, pro-skater Greyson Fletcher, professional motorcycle riders Tyler Bereman and Vicki Golden, pro-mountain biker Ryan Howard, and off-road racer Jessy Nelson, among others.
805 Beer X Films
Firestone Walker are presenting beautifully made short films featuring the 805 Authenticos.
Conners first episode marks the beginning of a long-term and symbiotic relationship. The film features him riding waves across Santa Barbara, Fiji and Oahu. Coffin takes the time to explain why, after all of his world travels, coming home to California means so much to him.
Dustin Hinz, CMO of Firestone Walker had the following to say.
“Our partnership with Conner was a long time coming. We have a common passion for sharing how life in the 805 is exportable to the world. We’re honored to have Conner join our cast of Authenticos and we look forward to creating stories together that inspire others.”
Interview With Conner Coffin
We managed to grab Conner between surfs and jam sessions, for a cold beer and a few questions.
Hi Conner, congratulations on the collaboration with Firestone Walker 805. What excites you most about this relationship?
What excites me most about this relationship is just how natural it feels. The story of Firestone Walker, its local roots, and the stories that they are telling are all thing that I really admire about the brand. I’ve been drinking their beer for years, too! I love several of the projects that Dustin Hinz, Firestone Walker’s CMO, has done, he and his team have been so easy to work with and I love that they are fired up to create meaningful content that is true to me.
Could you tell our readers what makes 805 the perfect cold beer to enjoy after a full day of surfing?
After a full day surfing there isn’t anything better than enjoying a cold beer with friends as soon as you get out of the water. 805 is a great post surf beer for me because it has flavour but isn’t overly hoppy. The new 805 Cerveza is even more easy drinking, and the hint of lime gives it that Mexican beer feel that I love at the beach.
As one of the best surfers on the world tour, and a top 5 finalist, what are your thoughts on the new format adopted by the WSL for the 2021 season?
The new format was great. There have been tons of skeptics and it is a big departure from the way we have historically crowned champions. Surfing in that event was absolutely insane. The energy on the beach that day was incredible and just knowing that I had a chance at a world title was so cool. From a surf fan perspective, I loved watching the event the rest of the day and watching the men and women’s champions get crowned within minutes of each other was really cool.
We absolutely love watching your rail-based power surfing. Which breaks on tour do you find are best suited to your approach?
Thank you! I would say the two events that I feel are the best canvases for my brand of surfing are J-Bay and Bells beach. They traditionally don’t cater to aerial surfing and really come down to big power turns.
Outside of tour life, you are clearly a very talented guitarist. Where can we learn more about Conner Coffin the musician?
I love to play guitar! It has been a hobby of mine since I was around 15, but I really got into it when I was 18, when I saw the Stones live. There have been moments where I was more inspired to play music than surf. But it’s been a really nice creative outlet and way for me to unplug from the surf world. I try to post some stuff on my Instagram when I’m home and playing more often. I did have the chance to record some covers with an old friend and legendary musician “Snuffy Walden.” It was a great experience to be in the studio and although I would have loved to have a collection of my own material to record, I just loved the chance to record. That music is on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music under my name.
More at 805beer.com and FirestoneBeer.com.