Vol. 12 Seitaro Nakamura One and Only - Return to Classic Longboarding
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, and it was fun just watching them. I met Tatsuo Takei in California, and Thomas Campbell also lived in the same city.
Your role in Thomas Campbell's The Seedling (1999) brought you international recognition, but did you receive much attention afterwards?
That's right. To be honest, I didn't really realize how much of a response it had received at the time. However, as time went on, I started to hear more and more people say, "I saw it," or "It affected me," and I began to realize that it had reached a lot more people than I had thought.
In fact, besides Seitaro, I think you and Takei Tatsuo were the only other Japanese people at the Encinitas premiere, but while you were filming, did you sense that this was a film that would change the course of longboarding around the world?
Now it's been called a "masterpiece," but to be honest, at the time I was filming it, I was just enjoying the session and the atmosphere in front of me. I never expected that the footage would be talked about for so long.
When did you get your JPSA professional qualification in Japan?
I think I took the pro test and passed shortly after returning to Japan, or when I was back in Japan for a short while. I was around 18 or 19 years old. After that, I came back from California full-time and started playing full-time on the JPSA pro tour.
When I watch Seitaro riding, I get the sense that he has inherited the orthodox classic longboard style that had never been seen in domestic contests before. I wonder if this is largely due to his father's influence?
I think my father was a big influence on me. Mikkey Dora and David Nuiva were surfers he admired, and I remember watching old footage of them with him and thinking, "They're so cool." I'm still strongly drawn to their style. I used to watch a lot of videos of Gerry Lopez and Harvey Fletcher as a kid, and more recently I've been inspired by surfers like Robin Kegall, Harrison Roach, Jared Mell, and Kai Ellis.
There are so many Japanese surfers that I respect and have influenced me, but the ones that have made the biggest impression on me are Naganuma Kazuhito, Mame Masuda, Aota Takuji, Daii Yasunori, Omi Toshiya, Masuda Takuji, Miyauchi Kenji, Ogawa Tetsuya, Ogasawara Nobuhiro, Yamada Tatsuya, Sato Kazuya, Nakamura Ryu, Ando Kiyotaka, Oki Shinji, Sakuma Yonosuke, Numata Yuichi, and Harada Toshihiro.
I am inspired every day by my peers, Ueda Rio and Yoshida Yasushi, and my juniors Fujimura Atsushi, Daii Dan, Seto Yuta, Shinjo Jo, Kobayashi Masahito, Maeba Ren, and Kobayashi Naoki.
Have you been on a surf trip recently?
I haven't been able to go on a surf trip overseas recently, but for the past few years I've been visiting Aomori about once a year. The first time I went was for a magazine interview with photographer Pero, Yuta Seto, and Masahito Kobayashi. Since then, I've been drawn to the charm of the place and have started returning every year in early autumn, just before the weather gets cold.
I have also been shooting in Aomori with Tatsuo Takei for several years, and some of the footage was featured in an article in Surfer's Journal this year. Blessed with great waves and beautiful nature, it is a truly wonderful place.
(Photo: Junji Kumano)
About choosing your own surfboard.
Ever since I started surfing, I've mostly ridden single-fin longboards, so that image may have stuck with me. However, I'm not limited to single-fins; I'm also interested in mid-length and slightly shorter boards, and I sometimes ride them depending on my mood and the conditions. I've ridden boards of various lengths, but when it comes to longboards, I've come to realize that the length that best suits me, or that allows me to most naturally express my surfing, is around 9'7" to 9'9".
Finally, what do surfing and the beach mean to you, Seitaro?
Ever since I was a child, the sea has always been a familiar presence. It was my playground, a part of my daily life, and something I took for granted as a natural part of the scenery. The view of the sea, which changes its appearance with the changing seasons, continues to captivate me to this day.
My approach to surfing may change depending on my daily rhythm and state of mind, but I always find myself naturally heading towards the ocean. I've come to realise that the ocean is not just a place for me, but a way of being... a way of life itself.
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.