Griffin Colapinto Cracks Cold Ones With His Old Man, Talks Surfing and Family Rivalry

Originally posted on SURFER | By August Howell | Last updated Nov 18, 2024 6:43 PM ET

In some instances, Griffin Colapinto’s life is literally an open book. His Instagram includes photos of ink-stained journals and personal reflections for the world to see. In the first of a new video series where Griffin has someone to “Ask Me Anything,” he gets his father to open a cold one and sit down for a sauna-side chat.

Mitch Colapinto, a San Clemente middle school teacher and former lifeguard, brings an affable, humorous energy to his sons’ competitive surf careers. Below, father and son talk about a range of topics like Griffin nearly dying while tunneling through sand as a kid, the moment the fam went all-in on surfing, his mother giving him “hard truths” and reverse psychology, why Mitch sacrificed sessions to film his boys, and how Griffin’s relationship with Crosby has changed over the years.

This kind of formal, sit-down interview with pops seems to be gaining steam these days. Kyle Theirmann, a talented Santa Cruz surfer, podcaster, writer, and deep thinker brought up this idea of interviewing fathers years ago. He believes that candid conversations with your old man (or mom) can reveal meaningful insights on why they are the way they are, and why you make certain choices, too. Kyle even gives a step-by-step process of preparing for the interview and crafting questions here on his website. But be warned, these aren’t always easy discussions.

“Make no mistake, this interview will require bravery,” Kyle explained. “It forces you to face the white skull of death and to recognize that your dad isn't going to be around forever—and to grapple with the notion that long after he's gone, the recording will remain. Unlike edited video interviews, which present humans in filtered soundbites, long-form audio reveals their contradictions, verbal tics, and run-on sentences—all the stuff that makes us who we are.”

This convo between Griffin and Mitch is considerably more lighthearted, but it offers insight into how their family operates and why the Colapintos are bringing red-hot surfing to the Championship Tour.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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