Dust and Glory

The crew?

Padua (as mentioned), US Open champ, HB hero and surf coach to the stars Brett Simpson, former pro and WSL commentator Rosy Hodge, North Carolina’s preeminent tube slayer Brett Barley, surf nomad Nate Zoller, vlogger and alternative-craft shredder Kolton Sullivan, firefighter and Firewire Surfboards test-pilot Kevin Schulz, along with a host of cameos.

The mission was simple: Meet up in San Diego, go for a surf, pile into a fleet of Chevy’s latest all-electric, all-terrain super trucks, do some donuts in the desert, then reconvene in Palm Springs to surf the pool under the neon lights.

And the cars? More like interstellar luxury crafts. The 2026 Silverado EV Trail Boss is a feat of automotive engineering. A few fun facts to note: They have a range up to 460 miles, all electric; all four wheels steer, making maneuvering a breeze; they have a 10-foot truck bed, plenty of space for surfboards; the interior display screen feels like you’re piloting the USS Enterprise; among countless other futuristic features.

After fueling up on food and coffee – and grabbing a quick surf at Cardiff in San Diego – the crew hopped in the vehicles, and hit the road. Along the way, they ripped donuts around the dragon sculptures of Anza Borrego, then drove the trucks beneath a geological arch formation near the Salton Sea, before arriving in Palm Springs.

Under cover of night, and after the lightning squall passed, the session at the Palm Springs Surf Club was on. It was a blur of laser lights, beach balls being tossed at surfers mid-wave, Mason Ho cameos, hoots and hollers, tube sections, wipeouts, chop hops, and hijinks.

“No swell, no problem...we swapped surfboards for Silverados and saltwater for sand dunes."

Luca Padua

Perhaps the most stoked surfer of the session was Barley’s son, Masen. He earned the informal “king of the pool” award for not leaving the water the entire time, getting puked out of tubes, and loving every second. He didn’t even stop to eat, but good thing he and dad picked up a souvenir at the famed Julian Pie Company on the drive.

Perfect post-surf, stoked-out 11pm dinner.

In the end, everyone made it there and back in one piece – thanks, in part, to the Chevy’s hands-free “Super Cruise” technology. A bit freaky at first, but quite convenient.

(Although Brett and Masen encountered a bit of trouble when returning home, as they were hit by Hurricanes Imelda and Humberto, which wreaked havoc on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. We’re sending positive vibes to that community.)

Here’s a few reviews of the weekend from the crew, still bumping around in our noggins, like a giant electric truck off-roading down a dirt trail:

“The new Chevy Silverado trail boss EV is next level. It feels like you’re driving a space ship and everyone was very stoked on how it handled off road in deep sand and steep terrain. Stoke levels were high on the whole trip and no better way to cap it off than a disco barrel fest in the pool!” – Kolton Sullivan

“Being able to surf twice in one day – and also go off-roading, cover a few hundred miles, and really put these electric vehicles to the test – was pretty damn fun. I drive a Silverado already, and to drive the new version was next level. What surprised me the most was how versatile the truck was – it’s so smooth and comfortable on the highway, then it handled incredibly in the dirt. We got into some pretty tight spots, that we probably shouldn’t have been in – [laughs] – but it was no problem in the Trail Boss. Epic weekend all around.” – Kevin Schulz

“No swell, no problem. The waves were small in Southern California, so we swapped surfboards for Silverados and saltwater for sand dunes. Ripping the new Trail Boss in the desert was the best session I’ve had in weeks!” – Luca Padua

Check out the 2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV Trail Boss here.