EP 240: David Litt – From Obama’s speechwriter to surf beginner, Finding solace and connection through surfing, 8-10ft wipeouts in Spain, Surf trips with his brother-in-law, and His latest book, It’s Only Drowningpisode for Jul 08, 2025

Former Obama speechwriter and bestselling author David Litt joins
Dave Prodan on The Lineup to talk about his newest and most
personal project yet, It’s Only Drowning: A True Story of Learning
to Surf and a Search for Common Ground. Litt opens up about how a
pandemic-era battle with depression led him into the ocean, and how
a mismatched surf adventure with his brother-in-law Matt became an
unlikely bridge across political, personal, and cultural divides.
From his first freezing New Jersey paddle-outs in a 5/4 wetsuit to
wipeouts in 8-10 foot Zurriola in Spain, Litt shares a raw,
humorous, and deeply human journey into surfing from the outside in
and explores how surfing restructured his sense of time, identity,
and connection. Follow David here. Order It's Only Drowning: A True
Story of Learning to Surf and a Search for Common Ground AVAILABLE
NOW on Bookshop.org or Amazon. Catch the next generation of surfers
compete for a spot on the CT at our second Challenger Series event
of the year, the Ballito Pro Presented by O'Neill, June 30 - July
6. Stay tuned for CT Stop No. 10, the Corona Open J-Bay Presented
by O'Neill, July 11 - July 20th. Visit
usopenofsurfing.eventbrite.com to get tickets to Sundown Sets at
the US Open and for five nights of live music featuring Common
Kings, Chevy Metal, Reggae Sunday, and more! A portion of ticket
sales benefit the Surfrider Foundation which works to protect and
preserve the world’s oceans and beaches. See you in Surf City! Play
WSL CT Fantasy contest and join The Lineup Podcast Mega League for
a chance to win! Terms and Conditions apply. Get the latest merch
at the WSL Store! Stay up to date with all the rankings. Join the
conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on
Instagram and subscribing to our YouTube channel. Get the latest
WSL rankings, news, and event info. **Visit this page if you’ve
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