Finding Fire Island

Finding Fire Island, the GLAAD-nominated documentary series created, executive produced, and narrated by Jess Rothschild, has released its Season 2 finale, “The Pine Walk Collection” (Episode 8), and is available everywhere.

The final episode centers on Nate Pinsley and his husband, Peter Kriss, co-founders of Share Girl — the app that, in the summer of 2013, quietly upended how gay men found housing, community, and each other on Fire Island. What started as a winter project among friends looking to solve their own problem — never knowing which weekend which friend would be out on the island — grew into a 25,000-download phenomenon within a single summer, and eventually into a string of real-world ventures: The Botel, The Madison, and the guest house Pines Club.

The episode’s title nods to another discovery at the heart of the hour: while clearing out a newly purchased house, Pinsley and Criss found two milk crates of handwritten cassette tapes tucked in a closet — recordings from legendary Pines DJ sets, including sets by Roy Thode. With help from DJ and friend DJ Joe D’Espinosa, the tapes were digitized and preserved as the Pinewalk Collection, now streaming on Mixcloud, SoundCloud, and SiriusXM.

The finale closes out a season of Finding Fire Island produced in partnership with the Fire Island Pines Historical Society, which has spent the year excavating the community’s history, culture, and chosen family across generations.

The episodes covered:

• Share-house rituals
• The Doll Invasion
• Early rivalry with Cherry Grove
• Entrepreneurs and architects who shaped the Pines’ look and identity
• Shift from pre-Stonewall secrecy to open Tea dances and cruising culture
• The DJs and dance floors that built the Pines into a nightlife capital
• The Pantry girls and volunteer firefighters who keep the community running
• Broadway community’s response to the AIDS crisis.

Available online at https://www.findingfireisland.com.

About Finding Fire Island

Finding Fire Island is a documentary podcast series created, executive produced, and narrated by Jess Rothschild, co-produced with the Fire Island Pines Historical Society. Sound design by Caitlin White; video editing by Evelyn Darr. Special thanks to The Pines Foundation and SAGE USA. The series has been nominated for a GLAAD Media Award and features interviews with figures including Billy Porter, John Waters, Julio Torres, Jerry Mitchell, Cody Rigsby, and Jay Jurden.

About the Fire Island Pines Historical Society

The Fire Island Pines Historical Society preserves and shares the history of the Fire Island Pines community.