Bing Surfboards Blog

Name, hometown, and surfboard brand.

Josh Peterson, hometown Virginia Beach (born) Haleiwa (currently living), and my brand is Peterson Surfcraft. 

When and where did you start surfing? Describe your first surfboard.

I started surfing when I was about 15 in Virginia Beach, and my first board was an old funboard from WRV that was about 7’6” and had glass on thrusters and an insane airbrush.

This winter was hard. Was it for you? Did you get good waves? Did you have big, life-shifting moments? Even if you were in Southern California it was really wintery. The weight of the cold months weighed on me like the snow itself. The deep, heavy puddles didn’t empty until just recently. 

An Interview with Christian Marcher of Progressive Surf Academy

You’d be hard pressed to find someone more stoked on surfing than our friend and local ripper Christian Marcher. Big boards, small boards, soft tops, surf mats, hand planes, you name it and this guy rides them all at a very elite level. The best part about Christian is that he is always the nicest guy in the water and he pushes the boundaries of what you think is possible on a surfboard every time he paddles out.

With over 30 years of surfing experience, Christian has built Progressive Surf Academy into one of the most well-respected surf schools anywhere on the West Coast. He and his team use a very unique approach that dives deep into ocean safety, technique, and ethics in the lineup that you don’t see anywhere else. Christian delivers a premium surf experience for all ages and has been a part of the Bing family for a few years, so we sat down to chat and learn a bit more about the man and his love for the ocean.

• I started out shooting film photography in high school, and carried around a variety of 35mm cameras for a lot of years while touring as a musician. I despised digital cameras when they arrived, but eventually I met a fellow in Scotland who sold me a water housing and a Canon 60d and I discovered how much fun, and fruitful, swimming and shooting with a digital camera could be. About 2016 I started playing around with short surf films and realized really quick that I loved the medium. At the time I was a musician by trade so being able to combine rhythm, color, imagery and composition was a dream.

Alex Patrick is an artist in every sense of the word. He is well versed in still photography and cinematography, has a true love for cinema, and will travel to the ends of the earth to find the perfect shot. But, the thing we appreciate most about him is that he’s not in a hurry. Unlike most new-age digital content creators, he believes in the process and could care less about any deadline or being a part of any new social media trend. His imagery has a subtle hint of romance that stems from his unwavering love for light in all forms. Alex has been a part of the Bing family for quite a few years, so we decided to sit down with him and see what he’s been up to…

With the impending doom of a long, cold California winter upon us a few of the Bing crew decided to head south for a few days. As soon as we crossed into Tijuana through the CBX we could immediately feel the beginnings of a very special few days ahead. As any surfer knows, the beauty of Mexico lies not only in the perfect waves and golden beaches, but also within the generosity and welcoming smiles of all who inhabit this amazing country.

This year was full of fun travels! I went to Maui to visit family and surf, Sayulita for Mexilogfest, Tofino up in Canada for a Surf Road Trip, Portugal for the Aljezur Surfing Invitational & the Gliding Barnacles Surf Invitational. I also just got back from San Miguel, Baja for the Peninsula Surf & Film Festival.