Vol. 12 Seitaro Nakamura: One and Only - Return to Classic Longboarding (Part 1)
Seitaro Nakamura was born and raised in Shonan by his legendary father, and after graduating from junior high school he moved to San Diego, California, where Kevin Connelly and Joel Tudor live, and honed his classic longboarding style.
In the midst of the longboard revival of the 90s , he gained worldwide acclaim for being the only Japanese to be featured in Thomas Campbell's timeless masterpiece, " The Seedling ." After returning to Japan, he refined his authentic California style, becoming a one-of-a-kind figure whose influence continues to this day.
What would have happened if Nakamura Seitaro had never appeared on the Japanese log scene? Tracing his footsteps, it is clear that it was not a coincidence, but a natural progression.
(Photo: Yuto Nishikawa)
What made you decide to become a professional longboarder in the first place?
My father, Seiichiro Nakamura, is a former professional longboarder and a pioneer in the Japanese longboarding world. Because of that environment, there were always surfing magazines and videos at home, so I was naturally drawn to longboarding.
At what age did you start surfing?
I knew my father was a surfer from a young age, but I wasn't really interested. I think I started when I was in the second year of junior high school. I heard that my seniors, Sakuma Yonosuke and Numata Yuichi, were surfing, so I started surfing with a friend from my year of high school. At first, I went to a beach in Zushi with friends. After that, I started going to Chisun in Chigasaki, which was close to my father's house.
At that time, it must have been rare to see a junior high school student longboarding even in Chigasaki.
That's right. I don't think there were many kids my age around me who were longboarding. When I first started, I was on a slightly longer mid-length board with less buoyancy, but paddling was difficult and I had a hard time catching waves. Then my dad handed me a longboard and said, "Try riding something a little longer," and when I tried it, I started catching a lot of waves. I remember having more and more fun.
After that, I moved to California right after graduating from junior high school.
Yes. It all started when Takuji Masuda, the 2001 JPSA Longboard Grand Champion, introduced me to Kevin Connelly, a skater I admired. I think I was 15 years old, right after graduating from junior high school. I had gone to see professional matches with my father several times before, That's when I met Takuji.
I had been thinking about studying abroad since the second half of my second year of junior high school, but I hadn't decided where to go. I found out that Kevin Connelly and Joel Tudor, who I admired after seeing them in Longboard Magazine and videos, were in California, and I knew them. Takuji introduced me to San Diego, and when I visited after graduating from junior high school, I was immediately impressed by the ocean and the wonderful atmosphere of the city.
You actually had the opportunity to go to California and see them surfing up close. What did you think?
The superstars definitely had an aura about them. But not only that, there were so many stylish surfers, regardless of age. Everyone was doing incredibly beautiful surfing. I learned so much from being able to see the real thing up close. However, while I learned a lot in the ocean, outside of it I was still a child and inexperienced... I wonder if I would have had more experiences if I were a little older.
How long did you end up staying in California and where did you surf?
I stayed there for a total of about three and a half years, starting in 1997 when I was 16. I mainly surfed between Cardiff and Swamis in Encinitas, and every day was like "surfing training." I attended a private school on weekdays, focusing on language studies, while also working hard on the high school curriculum.
I'm sure there were many other talented surfers besides Kevin and Joel, but who were your biggest influences?
There were a lot of amazing people there, including Devon Howard, Tyler Hazzikian, Mitch Absher, and Eric Summer. I was also influenced by Silas King, who was around the same age as me but has since passed away.
In Malibu, you'd see Matt Howard, Brittany, Josh Favreau, Dane Peterson, Kasia Meador, etc. In Cardiff, Rob Machado would sometimes show up, and Kelly Slater would suddenly appear at Swamy's.
In that sense, it was a constant stream of surprises and inspiration. As I said earlier, there were so many cool surfers, it was fun just watching them. I also met Tatsuo Takei in California, and Thomas Campbell also lived in the same city. (Continued in Part 2)
Seitaro Nakamura was born in 1981 in Zushi, Kanagawa Prefecture. After graduating from junior high school, he moved to San Diego, California. He honed his classic longboarding style and was featured as the only Japanese rider in Thomas Campbell's The Seedling (1999), a film that revolutionized the global longboarding scene, alongside Joel Tudor and Devon Howard. He was featured in US Surfer's Journal in 2025. His notable achievements include winning the 2003 JPSA's second tournament, the Mabo Royal Cup, and the 2012 JPSA special edition, the Oshman's Style Masters.
Interview / Kawazoe Mio Born and living in Kamakura , Kanagawa Prefecture. Graduated from the surfing club at University of California, San Diego. With a father who was a first- generation Japanese surfer, Kawazoe was exposed to overseas culture from an early age. From the early 1990s , she lived in San Diego and Malibu, California, for 10 years, experiencing the longboard revival. After returning to Japan, she became editor-in-chief of ON THE BOARD and worked on GLIDE and other magazines. Using her unique network, she has introduced real California logs and the alternative surf scene to Japan.