Joe Frizzelle is a livewire of creative energy, stoke with a wonderful splash of goofiness (he’s not afraid to wear a golf caddy outfit in public.) The creator of Country Club Surf Club launched the brand after watching the first Surf Ranch pro event and hasn’t slowed down. We first interviewed him two years ago (you can read that here) and wanted to check in again to see what has evolved, not only with his brand, but also in the wave pool space.

In the course of our interview, we noticed that CCSC, like so many surf tank devoted, is anxiously awaiting that tipping point when wave pools become local attractions, recreational venues and community hubs. As Joe told us, “If pools spring up all over the place away from the coasts, a whole new surf culture is going to be born. I can’t wait to see what happens.”

How much has the brand grown since our first interview?
Well, we have actually grown about 900% since you interviewed me last time. We are now in about 40 core surf retailers across North America. We still need to build the distribution so we can hit minimums on product orders. It’s crazy because not many new pools have been opened yet. Really looking forward to when all these wavepool projects start opening to the public. It’s going to be so fun. We will definetly be doing collabs with a bunch of the new pools as well as selling product on site in the retail stores. I would love to see the brand grow internationally as well to Australia, Europa and Asia.

What have you added?
New for Spring 2023 are boardshorts plus new fun graphics for ss/ls tees, hoodies and hats. I’m stoked on how the boardshorts came out. We have the Local Bro which is a lightweight 19” outseam 4-way stretch with 10% stretch.. Fabric has a good soft hand feel with good stretch recovery and DWR. Then I did a 18” outseam with knocked back fabric for a more casual feel. That one is called the Pool Boy. For both boardies, I did a channel in the waist band and attached the drawcords at the sides of the shorts so you have more adjustability. That way you can have them nice and loose while cruising, then really cinch em’ up when shredding. I also threw the zipper on the side of the shorts, so you can put your wax or “what nots” in your pocket and you don’t sit on em’ while you are surfing. Honestly they are just good solid boardies. As for the graphics, I’m loving the new “Shaka Mahalo” graphic.. It just makes me smile and laugh every time I see it. Next, I would really like to do a hybrid surf/walkshort and of course a super lightweight hooded L/S sun protection shirt.

How has your surf industry background helped you. Give us some examples.
My background in the surf industry has definitely helped. A big part of retail is relationships. When we took the brand to Surf Expo last year, I was very nervous about how the brand would be recieved. The nervousness quickly changed to excitement as a majority of the key core surf retailers were stoked to see me again and loved that Country Club Surf Club was something new and fun. I mean, we were wearing caddy uniforms, it was hilarious. One thing that baffles me is that we keep getting the comment, “Country Club Surf Club is what the industry has been missing and needs” from retailers and other brands as well. The relationships with industry peers is also crucial, stoked to have the support from so many buddies I’ve made along the way.

Are there other wave pool brands out there?
Not that I have really seen. Once pools start popping up everywhere, I’m sure people will definitely start doing it.

Do you see a day when Quik/Bong/Rip are defined as “salted” while freshwater surf brands take a larger share?
That’s what we are going to find out. It all depends on how the wavepool future pans out. If pools spring up all over the place away from the coasts, a whole new surf culture is going to be born. I can’t wait to see what happens.