STAFF

Evan Quarnstrom

Senior Writer

Title: Contributing Writer

Email: evan@theinertia.com

Location: Roaming the globe; Born and raised in Santa Cruz, California.

Social Media Links:

Instagram

Expertise

Surfing, Travel, Outdoors

Years in This Expertise: 9+

Education & Certifications

Education: BA in International Business with emphasis in Latin America, San Diego State University

Years of Writing: 9+

Experience

Evan Quarnstrom is a writer who specializes in surf, the outdoors, travel, and the NBA. He previously worked as the Marketing and Media Manager of the International Surfing Association (ISA) from 2015-2021. He grew up in the quiet surf town of Santa Cruz, California where he developed a connection to the ocean and nature. That’s where he picked up his love for surfing, skimboarding, snowboarding, volleyball, hiking, and playing guitar. Evan moved to San Diego at 18 years old to attend San Diego State University. He graduated in 2014 with a degree in International Business. Evan’s current passions in life include studying languages and traveling the world. He’s been to 32 countries and counting and speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and French.

Career Highlights

Planning and implementing a media and communications plan for surfing’s debut inclusion in the Olympics at Tokyo 2020 that made surfing one of the most popular “new” sports in the Games.
150+ stories published across surf, outdoors, travel, and local news publications.
Managing media production and communications strategy of 25+ ISA events across four continents.
Blogger covering the Golden State Warriors.

Features

A Hiker Was Lost in the Santa Cruz Mountains for 10 Days; I Retraced His Steps to Find Out Why

10 min read Jul 18, 2024

Gabriel Medina Says He Declined to Pay the WSL $30,000 for His Full-Size 2021 Title Trophy

News

Here’s What It’ll Take in Fiji for Gabriel Medina to Make the Final 5 at Trestles

4 min read Jul 17, 2024

Why Competitive Surfing Needs Italo Ferreira

Opinion

Why Competitive Surfing Wouldn’t Be the Same Without Italo Ferreira

4 min read Jul 16, 2024

Surf

The U.S. and Other Nations Are Bringing Their Own Air Conditioning to the Olympics

3 min read Jul 16, 2024

Smartphones have revolutionized the way we hike. They’ve given us access to useful apps that provide maps, trails, weather, and, more recently, emergency communication outside of cell signal range. Back in January I openly posed the question if Apple’s SOS emergency satellite messaging feature on iPhone 14 and 15 could replace the long-trusted satellite devices specifically built for those who recreate outdoors. The conclusion that I reached was: not just yet. While useful, feedback on Apple’s satellite feature indicated that it wasn’t as reliable as dedicated satellite communication devices like Garmin, and the smartphones themselves aren’t as durable in the elements. However, I also curiously ended my story with this sentence: “I can’t imagine it will take too long for Apple to improve its satellite capabilities to more strongly compete in the market.” With the latest software update, iOS 18, which will be released in the fall, Apple is building on its satellite communication service. Now, instead of only emergency calls via satellite, you’ll be able to freely communicate via iMessage or SMS with whomever you please on iPhone 14 or newer. Want to message your friends while camping out of cell range? No problem. It may seem like a minor update, but it’s another smartphone incursion into the satellite device space. Even Android is experimenting with it too. Grayson Haver Currin penned a piece for Outside that gave a great example of how this service would have saved him some trouble. Currin got separated from his wife on the Continental Divide Trail. Unable to directly contact her, he used his iPhone satellite feature to contact emergency services and get search and rescue involved. Had he instead been able to contact her to request her location, the crisis would have been quickly averted. The satellite messaging service will only be available in the US, which is a tick on the “cons” side of the Venn diagram for those who live elsewhere. But, again, the point is that the service is improving fast. Apple is making its product increasingly tantalizing for outdoorsy people. As a hiker, I am tempted to pick up a new iPhone just for this update. Satellite messaging is not Apple’s only foray into the space currently dominated by outdoors-oriented technology companies. The iOS 18 update will also replicate features found in popular hiking apps, like AllTrails, in Apple’s own Maps app. As a thrifty, avid hiker, it’s hard to complain about the technology race. These desired features are becoming more accessible and at lower price points, which, in theory, should translate to safer hiking.

Mountain

iPhones as a Backcountry Tool? Latest iOS Messaging Update Improves Apple’s Position

3 min read Jul 11, 2024

Health

Why Hiking Is Way More Dangerous Than Surfing

5 min read Jul 10, 2024

Health

Is the Latest Apple Maps Update the Beginning of the End for Hiking Apps?

4 min read Jul 9, 2024

Surf

Kelly Slater and Jack Johnson Push to Get Para Surfing Included in 2028 L.A. Paralympics

2 min read Jul 8, 2024

Opinion

Samsung’s Actions Serve as a Reminder That Competitive Surfing Can Survive Post-Ziff

4 min read Jul 8, 2024

Surf

Portuguese Surfer Vasco Ribeiro Banned From Competition for 3 Years After Refusing Drug Test

6 min read Jul 3, 2024

Opinion

Where Is Surf Localism at Its Worst? It Might Be at Home in California

5 min read Jun 27, 2024

Despite a Slow Indonesian Surf Season, These Photos Prove Padang Has Been On

Features

Surfline’s Schaler Perry on What to Expect From La Niña and Its Impacts on the WSL Final 5

9 min read Jun 26, 2024

Features

Kanoa Igarashi On Why He Wrote a Six-Figure Check for a Wave Pool Project

6 min read Jun 24, 2024

News

Lunada Bay ‘Localism’ Lawsuit Returns to Court With Just 2 ‘Bay Boys’ Left Standing

5 min read Jun 21, 2024

Features

Ramzi Boukhiam on His Near-Perfect Teahupo’o Barrel and Preparing for the Olympics

5 min read Jun 18, 2024

Features

As Wooden Boats Deforest the Mentawais, a Surf-Camp Owner Is Devising a Solution

5 min read Jun 18, 2024

Opinion

The Olympics Will Show the World How Important Home Field Advantage Is in Surfing

4 min read Jun 13, 2024

Surf

Watch Matahi Drollet Jump Over Joan Duru’s Discarded Surfboard in a Teahupo’o Pit

2 min read Jun 13, 2024

Surf

Canadian Kiteboarder in Recovery After Losing Leg in Caribbean Shark Attack

2 min read Jun 10, 2024