August 26, 2025 • 53 mins
As women’s sports continue to rise, women’s surfing isn’t just riding the wave — they’re leading it. Lakey Peterson, a veteran of the World Surf League Championship Tour, represents a pivotal generation of female trailblazers. She recalls a time when winning a contest earned her $15,000, while the male winner of the same event took home $100,000. Since then, she’s witnessed the league evolve, achieving equal prize money, combined tours, and better waves.
For Peterson, embracing these changes later in her career has been both a challenge and an opportunity. On this episode of the PowHERful Podcast, she shares how she’s adapted, where she draws the perseverance to keep pushing forward, and her vision for the future of women’s surfing.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Powerful Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
I'm your host Aja McCord.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
In this podcast, we introduce you to powerful women who
were changing the game in and outside of their field
of play.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
These are women's stories, women.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Who happen to be doing things that many of us
can only dream of, but.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
The lessons and inspiration they share is universal.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
What's up, y'all is aj McCord and welcome back to
the Powerful Podcast. I am thrilled with this week's guest
because she is a veteran of the World Surf Leagu's
Championship Tour. She is a part of this generation that
is so key right now in women's surfing, because this
sport is on the rise and literally every time the
women hit the water, ceilings are getting shattered. But Lady
(00:44):
Peterson has been a part of women's surfing before it
became what it is right now, and in this episode
she shares a lot about resilience and gratitude and how
to be a part of a trailblazing generation and the.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Perspective that she keeps throughout this entire journey.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
So it's such a fun conversation.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
We laugh a lot, there's a little bit of emotion,
and so I hope, I hope you enjoy this one
because Lakey is a really special individual and an incredible
surfer and I just can't wait for y'all to hear
this conversation.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Thanks for being.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Here, Welcome back to The Powerful Podcast.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
She is one of the veteran surfers on the WSL
Championship Tour. She has six event wins, She's finished top
three in the world for female surfers not once, but twice,
and she's from Santa Barbara, California, so just up the
coast from where I'm from, and personally, I have seen
this girl go beast mode more than a time or
two in my years of covering the world's surf leak.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Welcome Laky Peterson too the Powerful Podcast.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
Thank you. Aja soked to be here finally.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
I'm so stoked.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
I know we've been trying to make this happen for
really as long as the podcast has been in existence.
You were one of the surfers we just connected so
quickly when I started working for the World.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Surf League, and it's so fun.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
I'm gonna pop the picture up here because not only
like I don't fangirl over many athletes, anymore because you're
just around them and you realize.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
How human every single one of you are. And it's
one of my favorite things.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
How Web College AJ was fangirling over Laky Peterson because
you were riding for Nike and you were part of
the Nike Women's half Marathon that I was running with
my mom and I.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Remember like, oh Goshlaky Peters and it's Lakey Peterson.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
And then when I first saw Pipe a few years ago,
I was like, you're not gonna remember this, but I
remember this, So I'm been a fan of Laky for
a long time.
Speaker 5 (02:37):
Actually crazy, I forgot you even told me that pipe too. Sorry,
Oh yeah, that is wild. I'll never do another one
that was the same I did.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Like I am not she's not a runner, like the
my knees are too bad, my back is too bad.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
I'm over it.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
But at the time it was so fun, and the
Nike Women's Race Little Rundown Memory Lane was so epic
because instead of a trophy at the end, you got
a Tiffany's necklace handed to you by a fireman in
a tuxedo.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
Yeah, it was pretty sick. Why they just know how
to make everyone feel cool it's so crazy.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
I know, it's wild.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
So anyway, I've been a fan of Laky Peterson much
longer than I've been a friend of Lakey Peterson. So
I'm so excited to have you on the podcast because
I think there's so many places that we could start,
which is like introing a little bit about who you are.
But I want to start with just an overview of
your career. So I mentioned some of the highlights, six events, wins.
You've had a couple of top three finishes in the world,
(03:39):
but you've been a part of the best group of
female surfers on the planet for more than a decade.
So tell me a little bit about how you got
into surfing in general. I know you're from Santa Barbara,
but I understand it was another continent where you fell
in love with the sport.
Speaker 5 (03:55):
Yeah, you do your research, you're good. Yeah, I mean
obviously growing up in Santa Barbara and growing up just
in California in general, like I loved the ocean and
I was a water baby and whatnot. But I definitely
never like came from a surfing family or surfing background.
I think a lot of surfers on the tour especially
(04:15):
my generation. It was like, you know, like if your
family did it or your parents did that's how everyone
kind of got started. And I like was fully opposite
of that. We like played tennis and went to track.
It was like nothing to do with professional surfing. So anyways,
when I was five, my family took a trip. It
was quite my mom was definitely thinking before the time,
(04:37):
so we did a trip like around the world as
a family before that was like a cool thing to do.
And we spent a month in Manley Beach, Australia, and
we started doing like the local little Manly surf school
down there, and so that's where I learned to surf,
just getting pushed in on the Doyle. I still remember
my teacher's name there was Tom and I. Funnily enough,
(04:58):
I actually married in Australian different but sometimes there. So yeah,
but that's really like where it started for me and
where I just fell in love with it. And it
was just so pure, like it was just going down
to the surf school with my brother every morning, and
we would go every single day just to zinc on
the face and we wouldn't get out until we had to,
(05:21):
So it was a very natural way to fall in
love with surfing, and I think that's really cool, like
it just it was just also organic from the beginning
for me, and.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
You touched on the other sports you played.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
There was an interview that you did with Connor Coffin,
who was another professional surfer for a really long time
on the tour, and he was like, growing up with Laky,
this girl was more competitive and better at more sports
than all of us. She was just like a fierce,
fierce fighter on the playground from elementary school on. Where
do you think that came from?
Speaker 5 (05:53):
I mean, I don't know. I think a little bit,
just like we all have our natural god giving gifts,
and for me, just sporting ability has been that thing definitely,
Like I'm an athlete and I was blessed with a
body that's coordinated. So that's why I've always really thrived.
I certainly never thrived like in the school classroom doing
(06:14):
reading hour, but I did thrive on the tennis quarter,
on the blacktop or whatever it was, you know. So
I don't know, I just always loved it. And I
think because I was good at sports, obviously I loved it.
But I just enjoyed competing and enjoyed doing all the
different types of sports growing up, whether it was like
tennis or flag football. I always played flag football. Was
the only girl on the team. The boys hated me,
(06:36):
but I loved it. And I also run back and forth,
back and forth, yeah, all the way to the end zone.
So I don't know. And I had cutice to my
parents for just like never making me feel like I
had to be in a certain box. Like they just
let me do the sports I wanted to do and
what I wanted to try. You know, they were in
full support, So I think that was really special. And
then when surfing came along, it was, like I said,
(06:58):
it was just this organic, natural per aggression and I
just I don't know, I just fell in love with
it and it was just felt like I was good
at it and the stars sort of aligned and here
I am.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
So you get back from the show, You're like, Okay,
this was a very fun vacation, but like, I'm serious
about this. How did you start entering competitions? And how
old were you when you started actually competing?
Speaker 5 (07:20):
Yeah, I mean we got home and I was six,
so like I wasn't I think I was like, I
don't know if I'm serious about this, but this is fun.
I want to keep doing it when I get home.
And I think my mom and dad saw that too,
like wow, she really loves this. But I was really
into competitive tennis at that time actually at that age,
and I was doing like tournaments around the coast and
(07:42):
around California, and then more so I just stuck with it.
And my neighbor across street his dad surfed, So when
I got home from that trip after school, they would
they would take me down to like our little local
point break by our house and take me serving. Because
my parents didn't surf that much, like I said, and
so my mom and she's actually a great surfer now,
but at the time she didn't that much. So that's
(08:04):
how I started serving at home. And then I was like, oh,
I want to do like this local Ringcon Classic event,
which is like this event that I once a year
at Ringcon. There was only a boys division at the time,
so they signed me up for that. I was like
in the little Manahuney division and I think I wanted
or I did well, I made the final or whatever.
And then from there then I was about like ten
(08:24):
years old, and that's when I signed up for nssas
up and down the coast and then did those for
like four years, and then that's really when things like started.
When I was like twelve years old, I was into
it all in on the nssas, and then I won
the Nationals when I was fourteen, which was like a
huge turning point. That's when I got sponsored by Nike
(08:45):
and we made this Women's surf film. So I felt
like it was all like pretty quick happening, honestly, from
doing some little local events all the way to making
the tour. I qualified I was seventeen, so like from
twelve to seventeen, it just was like boom boom boom.
So yeah, yeah, and.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
It's been so cool.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
So you make your debut in the tour in twenty seventeen,
walk me through how you would describe, like where was
what was it like to compete on the Women's Tour
in twenty seventeen.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
Or yeah, twenty seventeen.
Speaker 5 (09:15):
Yeah, yeah, even sorry, yeah, because I was seventeen twenty eleven,
so I qualified twenty eleven. I think my first rookie
year was twenty twelve, so that was my first year
on tour and I was seventeen at the time. And
it was polarizingly different than the tour we have now,
(09:37):
like for multiple reasons. One just being the schedule we had,
like we only had I think we only had six
events back then that was our whole year, and the
events weren't all with the guys, like we had our
own separate events from the boys. We had like maybe
one or two events that were scheduled with them, but
other than that, they were like their own thing at
(09:58):
way worse Waves, And yeah, it was obviously like Safia
Ivlandovitch was on the tour, then s on a Lima,
Steph was there, Chris was there, they were all I
mean they were a little bit before me in terms
of their time. Steph like a fair bit before me,
but then Chrisa and Coco and Malia all of them
were like three years ahead of me sort of thing.
(10:20):
So yeah, it was it was different in the sense
of the tour and the ways we had. And then
also obviously the tailor pool my generation was pretty stacked.
It was really really good. But things have progressed even
more since then. Obviously here we are like thirteen years later.
You know, it's it's done like a one to eighty
in terms of the progression of everything so and then
(10:40):
also prize money, like it wasn't really a legitimate career
half back in the day, and now it fully is.
And I think through my generation, in my younger years
on tour that really started, Like I really felt the shift.
I feel lucky I was on tour before the women
had equal prize money all the way to now and
even like sponsorship dollars because I remember my first event
(11:01):
I won. It was the US Open twenty twelve, and
I won fifteen thousand dollars to win and breds th
and he won the boys and I remember looking over
in his check was like for one hundred thousand dollars,
and I was like, whoa, that's a really big difference.
I was thankful when I was like whoa. And it's
so cool that I think that I was on tour
(11:22):
then and I'm on tour now, and I like really
can appreciate that shift and the recognition we get now
and obviously the equal pay and like, what a difference
that makes ress people do we do? And I'm you know,
the younger girls, I'm like, you have no idea how
hard this used to be. You know, is way different.
But it's been cool to be able to see it
come so far, Like on the woman's side, I really have.
(11:44):
I've felt the whole shift. I've been here the whole time.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Yeah, that's one of the things that I am so
excited to talk with you about because we were chatting
about it a little bit before. But I really consider
you a part of a critical generation in women's surfing
because you.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
Have been a part of the of.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
The years where women surfing had fewer events at worse waves,
with way less money and way less legitimacy, if you will,
in terms of prize money, in terms of broadcast rights,
in terms of coverage, everything, everything, everything.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
But now you're a part of this generation too.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Like you were hanging, you were competing winning in the
same generation as well. That is a part of women
charging the biggest, gnarliest waves that they were kept out
of for the longest time because it was deemed too risky, right,
Like it was it was all of what a few
years ago until the women had a contest at te Hoopo.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Because it was deemed too dangerous.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
So as a part of that bridge generation of female surfing,
you said you were sort of grateful to be a
part of those first few years on tour. Why do
you feel like you have that gratitude instead of another emotion.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
I guess I think just because I've like felt it
and seeing it the whole chan excuse me, from now
until then, Like how far women's surfing has come since
my first few years on tour is astronomical and in
the best way possible for the girls, And I think
(13:17):
I'm just grateful because I know what it was like
before we had all the opportunities that we have now,
or the prize money that we have now, or the
sponsors we can get now. You know, the industry is
still in a tough place and hard, but like it
is so different, and I feel like too. You know,
back on my when I first got on tour, it
was the women's who was a little bit looked at, like, oh,
we just put them on when the waves get bad,
(13:39):
or like they're kind of a little bit of a statche,
or like they never would have us at events with
the boys because whatever would take up a bit too
much time. So to see it now where I honestly,
I mean obviously the men's tour is absolutely incredible. I'm
such a fan and the boys are insanely good and
it's so fun to watch. But I honestly feel like
the women's who are right now this moment in time
(14:01):
is like almost like the tour to watch right now
at moments, you know, it's so exciting. There's there's so
many surf fans, boys, girls all over wanting to watch
the girls, and I guess it just never used to
feel like that. So I'm just grateful to like see
that positive change. And I don't know if I would
be that grateful if it was the norm, although I'm
(14:23):
very happy it's now the norm for the younger girls.
But I think I just was really able to like
feel it from the bad days to the good days,
the glory Here's.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
I love the perspective there because I think, you know,
it's similarly right like I can look at sports broadcasting
and I can see how far it's come because when
I first started, you know, I wanted to be a broadcaster.
When I was sixteen years old, I competed in competitive
gymnastics that kind of, you know, fizzled out for me
because of back injuries and.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Fear and all this stuff.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
But I always knew that I wanted to be in
sports and it was so crazy because when I first started,
you could look around and there would be a scrum
of twenty reporters and there'd be one woman, and you'd
be at a women's basketball game covering it and you'd
be the only.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
One because women's sports didn't get the coverage then.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
And so it's always interesting because I feel like I
feel like there's oftentimes different perspectives you can take when
you're a part of the generation that is moving it forward.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Right, you can view it as dang.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
I wish that I had had had that right like
I wish that I had been I had gotten the
benefit of all this hard work earlier. Or you can say, no,
I'm really actually stoked to be leaving this place better
than I found it to be a part of the
generation that is making the change. And I think it
says a lot about you as a person to say
that that is the attitude that you're taking because you
(15:42):
could see some of the you know, you could see
some of the women who are competing right now and go, dang,
yeah that for like fifteen thousand versus one hundred grand,
that would have made a massive difference. You know, when
I was in my early lateeens, early twenties, but dive
into a little bit more for people who aren't as
familiar with surfing about the like worst waves and the
(16:02):
women's tour combining, because one of the things that I
love about surfing is that the women travel, especially now
since I've been covering it. You guys all travel together.
I know that that's been the case since long before
the tours combined.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
But you guys have such a.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Voice in the way the sport is changing, Like the
athletes competing now have a voice in how things are
getting shaped when the when the you know, competition goes,
when it doesn't, and like what is becoming history in
women's surfing.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
So take us inside sort.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Of the locker room, if you will, of what it's
been like to be a part, to be one of
those voices in the last you know, five six, seven years.
Speaker 5 (16:41):
Yeah, I mean it's been it's been amazing just to
feel like we have a voice that will be you know,
listened to or wants to be listened to by people
and by an organization. I think for a long time,
even the men like it just sort of felt like
things were getting run this way, and that's what was happening,
so I feel like, I don't know, I feel like
(17:02):
for the girls and what to backtrack a little bit,
what I mean by, you know, my first few years
on tour and being kind of at worst waves than
the men. Like we used to have, like I said,
just six events and which is now we have ten minimum,
And our event in Europe was in June, which is
like the worst time of year for Europe is the
(17:24):
middle of summer, so they don't get swell, and it
was in furits for like the longboard, which amazing place,
sick for longboarding, but like we're like a short board
women's performance tour, so like I still remember we went
one time and they had to cancel the contest because
it didn't break for ten days. They could not run
the event. It was the only time that's ever happened.
They literally couldn't run it. And then we had us Open,
(17:45):
which obviously is like a classic event but kind of brutal.
We did always have Snapper Rocks, which was the pride
and joy and we'd start there with the men, which
was cool. But yeah, so anyways, we just we just
didn't have like this super complete tour that I think
showed like you need good waves to do good surfing.
Like the better the waves, the better the show. And
(18:06):
I think that really proves too now with the women
going to places like Chopu and Pipe that are scary
and gnarly, but every time we've gone, it's like the
biggest highlight reel ever for women surfing, and people are like, wow,
this is insane. The girls are ripping, and not to
say we don't need more time, and then there's still
a long way to go and way more progression, like
(18:28):
you know, not every heat's perfect or you know, all
the girls are sort of at different levels, but having
these better waves between there and also just better high
performance waves on two that we have too, it's like, yeah,
the girls cancer really well and we're getting the chance
to really show that, where before I felt like we
just never had that many chances to show that and
you need that. So that's been one thing. And then
(18:52):
just yeah, I mean obviously working with a WSL and
I've seen it all the way back since you know,
when it was the ASP and then it got bought
and different CEOs like a whole way through and yeah,
I mean we're I certainly I think being on tour
for as long as they have now, Like I'm not
afraid to share my opinion with the organization or people
who want to hear my opinion, Like I will always
(19:13):
talk on behalf of the girls or say what I
think would be best for the women's tour. And it's cool,
Like a lot of the girls on tour that are
younger will text me like, hey, what do you think
about this? Or could you say that? Or you know,
they're maybe a little bit scared to say, but I
will say it. And I think that just comes with
age and being there and maybe a little confidence. But
it's also really cool to be in that position of like, hey,
(19:34):
they trust me to maybe represent not represent them, but
be a voice for the Women's Tour to the WSL
or you know, whoever it is, and that's been great.
I think the camaraderie on the tour for the ladies
is really cool. We're all great friends. I think there's
a lot of respect for everyone there, and yeah, I
definitely do my best to try and I guess just
(19:57):
get the girls what they deserve. Well.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
It's it's so cool too, because I think that one
of the most impressive things to me about the generation
that you were a part of in women's surfing. Is
that not only are you, like I said, competing, but
you've had to learn these waves while you've been competing, right,
Because I remember Churisa saying, Chriisa, right, being from Hawaii,
(20:20):
Olympic gold medalists, five time world title holder, she didn't
grow up surfing at pipeline because it wasn't a part
of the women's tour. So why would you go practice
at something that you are not going to get a
chance to compete at. How did you maintain your level
of excellence while these waves of consequence are getting added
(20:41):
to the tour.
Speaker 5 (20:42):
Yeah, it's honestly a really great question that no one's
really asked me before. I think it's been like the
most challenging part of my career probably honestly is having
to adapt at a later stage in my career rather
than from the beginning. I think because the waves you're
so scary and so hard, and there's so much consequence,
(21:04):
Like it's it's really really gnarly and and yeah, I
never used to go to the north short and paddle
of the pipe ever. Ever, Ever, I wouldn't even think
about it, like I'd go sort you know, maybe Sunset
and Halliva because it was sort of relatable to the tour,
but never would I do that. And so now having
to be like, Okay, we're going to pipe and the
girls are getting better every year, which is so cool,
(21:26):
but also like I need to be able to go
out there and position myself and you know, try and
catch a good way and stay with it with the
pack here. I think personally it's definitely been such a
challenge because waves of consequence have never been my thing either,
like I don't I don't love big waves, I don't
love scary waves. Like I've never been that person that
(21:49):
like really wants to go chase that. And so there's
that side of just personally being like, gosh, this is
super scary and hard, and then the side of like,
you know, having that motivation to go do it, because really,
to go practice a pipe or to go take a
trip to Chopes, like outside of the event, it's not
the most fun thing in the world, but also it
(22:10):
has like been the most rewarding thing to maybe get
some waves I ever thought I would ever get or
get the chance to even try, so super challenging mentally
for me to have to learn these waves like halfway
through my career rather than yeah, just as a rookie
learning them, you know, before even on tour and just
kind of knowing what to expect.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
Yeah, And I feel like it's important for people to
understand that it's not like you can just be like, Okay,
I understand that. Now Pipeline is a part of the
Women's Tour, Chopes is a part of the Women's Tour.
Cloud Break, I'm going to go practice at these waves
and I'm going to be guaranteed to get my waves
and get my practicing. No, you were out there and
you're still battling a hundred people Like I remember talking
to Katie Simmers this year at Pipeline and she's like,
(22:53):
I didn't catch a wave in the free serf leading
up to it, because it's crazy to try and catch
a wave and there's all these, you know, rules of
etiquette and all this stuff. So in addition to it
being scary, in addition to it being later in your career,
you've also had to try and learn it with the
general public being out there and crowding your space. Which
(23:15):
we're gonna get to your viral video in a minute,
because that absolutely cracked me. Up a week ago, two
weeks ago. I'm glad you're safe, But how would you
describe what it feels like to try and get waves,
get time, get experience at these waves.
Speaker 5 (23:31):
It's such a good questions. It's really hard. I remember
the first year we were going to pipe and I
was like, okay, okay, I'm gonna go to the north
Shore super early, and like I've never even pollowed out there,
so you know, let's just see, let's just see how
this goes. And I follow, and I remember Shane Dorian
told me actually is like, hey, if you just don't
(23:53):
even catch a wave out here, like just realize that's
happening to like ninety percent of the people out here,
and just learn from where you're sitting and look at
where the best guys are taking off and try and
see like, oh that was a good wave, that was
a bad wave. Like, don't even get frustrated if you
don't catch a wave, like literally at all. And it
was such good advice because obviously it's frustrating to not
(24:15):
catch a wave, and also you're scared, so like maybe
even if you do have the chance to catch a wave,
especially in those beginning stages, you're like, oh, I'm not
really in the right position to go on this, Like
there's a lot of factors to it, you know, where
you're like, I don't want to just go on a
close out or I don't want to go where I
don't feel comfortable taking off or whatever. So a lot
of times now, honestly, I mean now I paddle obviously
(24:35):
when they with the intention to ride a few waves,
but still there's so many days I paddle out there
and I've just paddled back in, but like two hours later,
but I'm just continuously observing or paddling over here, sitting
in a little further like backdoor or whatever, and there's
always just something to learn. But it's true. I mean,
I think for a lot of the girls, like in
(24:56):
our heats is when you're getting the most waves and
learning the most. Even I just can't an event in
ta heating and I was just in my heat. I
was just finally starting to figure it out because I
finally could catch a waves in my second heat and
I was like, I got one decent wave, but I
felt like I just need one more heat to like
ride a few more waves, and I was there. But
it's definitely. Yeah, it's a tricky part about surfing, and
especially in those waves of consequence, but it's I don't know,
(25:19):
you just got to be open minded and realize like
everyone feels the same way. It's not just you.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
It's such a surfing is such a hilarious like mental battle,
because I I don't paddle out at pipeline or chokes,
nor do I have any intention to ever.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
However, even at.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
My local break right when I paddle out at Cardiff
Reef or in Santaejo or wherever in Insinitas, and I
go out there and I start sitting there and maybe
I've missed a wave, or maybe it's a little bigger,
maybe it's a little steeper, and all of a sudden,
I'm in my head and I'm like, who the frick cares?
But you see everybody else catching these waves, and you're like,
wait a minute, am I doing something wrong?
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Like?
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Am I scared of something that I shouldn't been?
Speaker 2 (25:57):
How do you you're now? You know you're a veteran
on tour.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
You're one of the most mentally tough competitors I've ever
gotten a chance to cover.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
How did you develop? Girl? Yes, yes, I have proof.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
I have proof to back up my statement, But how
did you develop that ability? How did you develop the
ability to talk to yourself in a heat, to talk
to yourself in a free surf, to become that that
capable mentally?
Speaker 5 (26:25):
Oh gosh, I mean, it's good that I come across
that way. I don't know. I'm pretty sensitive, little cookie
that can crumble. But I think, you know, like, the
longer you do something I've done this for a long
time now, you go through like heartbreak and triumph and
everything in between within the sport along the way, and
(26:47):
the more you go through, the more you learn to
just grow through things. And I think that just gives
you perspective and it makes you realize how important the
mindset is. And I think for any sport, the mental
side of it is like fifty percent of it. Honestly,
it is ridiculous how much of it matters. But I
think in surfing, especially like it's honestly probably like seventy
(27:11):
percent of it. There's so many different variables in our sport,
from the judging to the conditions, the waves, to whatever
else could happen that's out of your control. So there's
such an element of like learning to just surrender to
those things of like, you could be the best serf
for there and have the surfing better than everyone and
lose first heat like probably will, honestly, or you could
(27:34):
go in feeling like, god, I'm just off my boards
are off this or that, but then like a couple
things go your way in a heat and then all
of a sudden you win the event and you're like, oh,
that was so weird, you know. So I think I
think dancy question the mental side of it and just
having some mental toughness is just rolling with the good
and the bad, and that's I mean, that's anything in life.
(27:55):
But you're gonna have ruts that you go through and
then you're gonna have times where you roll in and
just you know, learning from the tough times. And that
can get really monotonous and really hard and really tricky
to continually trust the process when it feels like it
just keeps, you know, not working. And obviously you can
tweak stuff and learn from it and try and get better.
But I just think that if you can, yeah, just
(28:18):
keep knocking at the door, eventually it'll open. But you
got to keep knocking at it. You can't turn around
and that's what's hard. And a lot of times, really
right when you feel like I can't do I cannot
like do this one more time, I'm gonna lose it.
Like if I lose one more heat, I'm gonna I can't.
I don't want to do this. It's too hard, it's
too painful. Usually, like right when you're at that breaking
point is when you're gonna get that breakthrough. I've learned too,
(28:40):
so it's just just keep knocking and have perspective like, yeah,
it's surfing. We're living this beautiful life and we're healthy,
and you know what I mean. It's I think a
lot of times you got to just take a step
back and go, Okay, I'm bummed and I'm heartbroken, and
I'm allowed to be because this has been a tough year.
That was a hard event and we all try so
(29:01):
hard and it's not fun to lose. Of course, like
all those feelings is so valid, but also geez, like
I have so much in my life and you got
to just big picture it. That always helps me if
I can just like zoom out, you know.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
So take me back to Margaret River this year, because
I feel like when we got to Margaret River. You
had been knocking for a long time. This season had
not started the way that you thought it was going to.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
You missed the cut in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
You get the wild card this year, and you had
a mountain to climb, laky to make the cut and
then heat by heat.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
I kid you not, y'all.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
I wish that I could, like, I wish I.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Could show you what I'm seeing as I replay that
day in Western Australia, because you went into another mode
and it wasn't like a.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Hell half, no fury, I'm going it all costs.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
It was so calculated, it was so confident, and it
was one of those moments that I was like, damn,
this girl knows exactly what she wants. She's got the fire,
she's got the confidence. And you climbed all the way
up the rankings. You didn't just qualify for twenty twenty six,
you made the back half of the tour. How did
you like?
Speaker 2 (30:17):
Where did that come from that day?
Speaker 1 (30:19):
And was that moment one of those moments that you've
been knocking and going, I don't know if I can
do this again?
Speaker 5 (30:26):
Oh thank you? It's nice to me to say, I mean, yeah,
it was definitely like one of those moments like I
don't know if I could do this again. I mean,
I I've been through a lot of amazing times in
my career and I'm really thankful to have had incredible
success at what I do, but I've also been through
some serious heartbreak and surfing and I definitely coming into
(30:47):
Mart River was like, Okay, I just don't think this
is how my story here ends, Like I just don't.
I just don't. I just don't think that. In my head,
I was like, I everyone on this tour is so
good and to be a champion and be on tour
every single girl, But in my head, I was just
like I know, like I'm good enough to be here,
(31:08):
and I know I'm good enough to go for world titles,
Like I know, I knew it, and sometimes I don't
believe that, and it's hard to find that confidence for me.
I've always struggled to like really be super confident myself.
But I guess I got to Mark River and I
was just I got pushed into such a corner of
like you have to perform or like this is done
(31:33):
and the amount of pressure and my husband Tom always
is like, gosh, you do so good under pressure, like
whether it's like whether it's like playing knockout in the
backyard or whatever, like if I have a little pressure,
I'm like, oh okay, this is me. And so anyways,
as a cibe anecdote, but I definitely think being in
that position of like this is it. You either do
(31:55):
it or you're not doing it was so clear like
you're either making the fine are semi finals of this
event or you're like not this year off tour, this
is done. It was just sort of I just got
in this zone like the whole week. And don't get
me wrong, I mean there was a lot of tears
that whole week, Like the waiting weird period went as
long as it possibly could. By the end, I was like,
(32:16):
just get this thing.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
Over with, like throws out like whatever it is.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
Yes, it was just like, oh my gosh, another lady
to think about it. Oh my gosh. It was all
like a little bit torturous. Yeah, But on the day,
I don't know. I just like before my heat with
Tyler Wright, I was like, Okay, this is gonna be
a hard heat. You're gonna need sixteen points. I'll never
free In my head, I was like you didn't need
sixteen points to beat here. I think I think it's
(32:42):
gonna be two eight to better. And I like did
this little visualization before I paddled out, and I was
just like, okay, I'm gonna I'm I'm I'm doing it.
And even before the heat, Tom was like are you good?
Do you need to like calm down? I was like, nope,
I don't need to calm down, Like I'm so fired
up right now. He was like, okay, get out of
my honey. Yeah. I was like, move on, this is yeah.
(33:03):
I got like almost not at him, but at the situation,
I was almost angry, like I was mad. I was
in that position. I was mad ahead and succeed and
I was just like, I'm gonna go take it. And
also things just fell into place, like there's a little
bit of luck with everything too, So I think I
got a bit lucky with the rhythm of the waves
and things like that. But yeah, I just I just
hunk her down and I just believed in myself and
(33:23):
I was just like, Okay, this is it. You're doing
it or you're not, so just go out guns blazing.
And it worked. I just kept rolling.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
It was so incredible to watch, and I think for
me as a fan of surfing, I was so stoked
because I think there's all who's always that question?
Speaker 5 (33:39):
Right?
Speaker 1 (33:40):
You made your CT debut in twenty eleven. Right, you
have been a part of this tour for so long,
and I feel like every year your generation of athletes
gets asked, Okay, so how are you feeling? Like what's next?
You know, like Joanna Fay is about to have her baby,
Carrissa just had her baby, Like we're just in that
stage where like it feels like that.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
That's the question. And I remember as a surf fan being.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
Like, yes, we get Laky Peterson again because you made
it through that and now not only did you compete
the back half of this year, but you're into the
CT again in twenty twenty six, which is gonna be
almost back too, in some ways a tour that the
women really never had, because you guys are gonna combine
your combining tours with the men. You're starting in April
(34:23):
in Australia ending at Pipeline in December.
Speaker 5 (34:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
How fired up are you right now to be a
competitive surfer?
Speaker 1 (34:31):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (34:32):
Yeah, I mean it's the schedule next year is so awesome.
I think going back to kind of this old system
of dishing the final five and the cuts not as weird,
and so there's the tour next year definitely was like
a cherry dangling like a little carrot, you know, in
front of me too. I was just like, gosh, you know,
I want that opportunity next year and the rest obviously
(34:52):
this year. So I'm certainly fired up. And it's funny,
you know, you mentioned like Joanne's having a baby and
Chris just had baby, and you know, a lot of
girls for my generation like we're married, I want kids,
like and we you know, we hit thirty and it
feels like everyone's just like, okay, so so when are
you done surfing? And it's just like, hey, like I'm
(35:13):
I'm still still I don't know, It's just funny. It's
this narrative that is just like you have to be
done at this age or you know, it's and that's amazing,
Like I want to have kids one day and I'm
excited for the next chapter of my life after surfing
one day for sure. But I do think it's just
it's funny the moment you're not like eighteen, you're just
(35:34):
old on tour and there's still so much to give
for me and all the other girls kind of my generation,
I think. So I'm excited for next year. I think
it'll be great, and I just feel I don't know,
I just feel like I have such awesome friends on tour.
I feel like the girls on tour are so rad
and we're all so close and respectful of each other.
(35:54):
And yeah, I'm just having so much fun with it
right now that I can't really see my doing anything
else for the time being. So yeah, I'm excited for
it for sure.
Speaker 1 (36:04):
I love that one of your friends on tour that
we have to talk about because when you two get together,
it is like the sassiest giggle fest ever. You and
Molly Picklam are two of my favorite. It's like there's
like these little duos right at that like develop and
it is so fun to watch y'all interact. I know
Molly has stayed at your house in San Clementy a
(36:26):
few times when she was competing for the Final five.
We just saw her and Katie go head to head
on a massive day at te Hopo. I just can
you contextualize for people how important that day and having
Molly and Katie in the water for that size of wave,
(36:47):
at that wave, can you contextualize what that meant for surfing?
Speaker 5 (36:52):
Yeah? Yeah, I mean it was an amazing final, and
honestly it was an amazing whole contest for the ladies,
and Molly in particular. I feel like she when she
won the other day, I texted her and I was like, Wow,
I think you just surfed like a perfect event. Like
I think every single way it was yours was perfect.
It was incredible to watch, actually, and just obviously an
(37:14):
ode to like the time she spent there and the
effort at that wave that she's really put in, you know,
that doesn't come with like a thousand trillion wipeouts and
scary moments that she's already put herself through to be
able to do that and perform like that. And then
also just having Katie, who like it feels like the
Mollie Katie rivalry is just growing and growing and growing.
You can see it, you know, even from my perspectively,
(37:36):
it's cool to see, Oh wow, these girls are going
to battle so hard. They're a hole for the next
eleven years, you know, and it's gonna be insane, and
each of them kind of have a different strength, which
I think is really cool too. They're both willing to
send it in charge, as you saw, you know, in
this beautiful display of the finals. I think obviously Molly
(37:56):
surfed an insanely good final and got just her technique
is incredible. I think it's by far the best in
the world for a woman in terms of backside brow writing.
And Katie as well. And I was bum Katie didn't
like make a wave because I feel like her scores
did not reflect just the courage and and the positioning
and the technique that she also has. But geez it
(38:17):
was it was so cool to watch. And again I
think like just having these moments for the ladies, we
keep showing up and doing it, you know, and it's
just it's so cool, Like it's really cool to watch,
and I'm really proud of both of them. Honestly, I
feeling a mom but it's like, you know, it's really
scary and and it's hard to do that, and it's
hard to fight for your spot in the lineup, and
(38:39):
and so to see the girls doing it, like even
for me, I'm like, wow, Okay, Like I'm inspired by
them in a huge way, and so it's just, yeah,
it's really cool. I'm super stoked from Ali. She definitely
was wow, like a very deserving champion.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
Yeah, And I also feel like, I'm so glad you
called out Katie because if you look at the box
score or the you know, the heats from that event,
from that finals, you'd be like, wow, Molly like full
on ran ran away with it, which in an.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
Essence she did.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
But that's like, yeah, the difference between excellent and a
two in that kind of wave and shows, it's just
so it's so small, and to me, I will not
forget the image of Katie Duck diving a freaking monster
after she got worked.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
And I feel like, in some ways, seeing.
Speaker 1 (39:28):
The women handle that is almost as important in some
ways as seeing them crush the barrels, because that's part
of what kept women out of these lineups for so long, right,
is like, okay, cool, if you make it, then you
know you make the barrel and the takeout, you know
it's fine. Yeah, but it's important to show that Yeah, no,
(39:48):
I can handle the beating too, like I can handle
what comes with earning your stripes at a wave.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
And so that's why even though Katie's scores obviously is
not what she.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
Wanted to do at all. It was important, I felt
like to see both of them go out there give
it absolutely everything they had and take what the ocean
through at them.
Speaker 5 (40:08):
For sure. Yeah, I couldn't agree more. And also just
getting to a place of being that good at a
wave like that doesn't come without having those beatings, Like
you can't really avoid it if you're gonna get as
good as Molly and Katie are, like too writing at
a pipe and at chokes. I mean, they're certainly better
than me at those waves, and and they the only
(40:29):
way to get there is by taking those beatings. And
it sucks and it's scary and it's exhausting and it
hurts and all the things, you know, But the girls
are doing it, and I think too, like there's such
a level of like, wow, Okay, she did it. I
can do it, but it just takes those first few
to do it and then realize, okay, all right, Like
I guess we're doing it, you know. But but it's
(40:52):
inspiring to see and it's definitely yeah, it's just it's
just really cool, Like it's just cool to see the
girls getting what they deserve and just see the positive
response is amazing.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
I got to ask for your finals prediction.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
What do you think at cloud Break Molly in particular,
why do you think that wave brings out such a
dangerous side of Molly Pickle and surfing.
Speaker 5 (41:16):
I mean, Mollie obviously, as we've all seen, is pretty fearless,
pretty like she's gonna send it and do whatever she
has to do to get the craziest wave you've ever
seen out there. But also I think the thing with
Molly for somewhere like cloud Break is a pretty hard wave.
It's a perfect, beautiful, one of the best waves in
the world, but it's really long, and it's positioning is hard.
(41:38):
It's very different than like chokepurper Pipe. You kind of
just can sit in a spot. It's very mechanical, like
you pull and you're done, and that's the wave. Cloud
Break is harder, and I think where you're sitting and
how to read the wave. I think Mollie's really good
at that. I think she's been super good at her
decision making this whole year, which is why she's been
so consistently like making finals, especially in the back half
(42:01):
of the year. So I feel like she just clicked in,
and especially when you go to wave like cloud Break,
that's perfect but hard tricky. I feel like she's just
not going to make that many mistakes. But I can
just see it being a Molly at Katie. I think
Katie's so gnarly on her back hand, and I think
that's gonna be the final again, and it's gonna be exciting.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
It's gonna be so exciting. I just I cannot wait
to watch it.
Speaker 1 (42:26):
I think this generation of women's surfers you included in that,
like the women on tour right here, right now, are
so important for every single generation that they are a
part of you. Tati, Joanne, You're important because of what
you have been through and what you have helped push
forward Katie, Molly, Betty Lou. They are important because of
(42:47):
the example that they're setting for the ten year old,
the eleven year old.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
The Miss Tahopo who competed.
Speaker 5 (42:52):
At twelve at chokes right like.
Speaker 1 (42:54):
They're important because now the next generation is they're not
going to know a world where women.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
Don't belong in those lineups.
Speaker 3 (43:01):
They're not going to know a world where they don't
go to Hawaii and say, well, of course.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
I'm gonna paddle out of Pipe because it's a part
of the tour and I want to be a world
champ someday. So it's just an honor to cover surfing
right here, right now, because I just feel like I'm
so excited every time you guys hit the water because
I know something crazy going to happen. You guys are
pushing the envelope every time you hit the water, and
it's just it's epic to be a part of. I
cannot wait to see you in twenty twenty six with
(43:25):
the revamped tour starting in Oz, little Baby cut in
you know, September, October, whatever that is with three events
and then back of Pipe, I just think it's going
to be sick. And I'm just yeah, I'm so grateful
that you are bringing your best self to tour even
when it feels hard.
Speaker 2 (43:43):
It's just you show up and you can feel it.
Speaker 5 (43:46):
Oh, thank you, aj, I appreciate it. Yeah, Well, we
love having you there. Who love having you cover us
in our post ta interviews and tiktoks. You're the best.
Actually yeah, right, good ones for this coming year.
Speaker 1 (43:59):
But no, I'm gonna I've got a note to have
on my phone it's right, We're gonna have so much fun. Okay,
before we let you go here, we're gonna switch to
our powered up segment.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
This is where I ask you three kind of.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
Off the cup questions of things that keep you powered
up for your sport. So the first one is how
many layers of wax do you need to have on
your board to feel comfortable?
Speaker 5 (44:22):
Mmm? Well, starting from no layers of wax, you need
well at least three. I think you need the base
coat layer and then your first surf on top of
the base coat, and then the next coat. So like,
does that make sense to free up one base coat,
(44:43):
one regular wax surf it, and then the and then
one more after that. Then I feel like you're like, okay,
the first surf is sometimes still a little flippery when
there's a link.
Speaker 2 (44:51):
Two are you?
Speaker 1 (44:52):
Are you somebody who waxes up like the same way
every single time before we heat?
Speaker 5 (44:58):
No, I'm not that weird with that. Mm hmm, Okay,
I don't. I mean I waxed my board well before.
He of course I waxed my board every time, but
I'm not like, got some certain.
Speaker 2 (45:09):
Design I do it.
Speaker 5 (45:10):
Yeah, No, I just check it on there I am superstitious, yes,
but I'm not superstitious with that, not with.
Speaker 2 (45:16):
The Okay, well we're gonna pivot.
Speaker 1 (45:18):
Then what is the one superstition that keeps you powered
up in the middle of a competition.
Speaker 5 (45:24):
It depends that superstition will change. So it's like if
a song is working, or a wet suit. One time,
I had this red bikini. I wore that thing for
like freaking five years straight at bikini. It was rolling.
I don't know where it went, but we gotta find it. Yes,
we do, we do, but just stuff like that, like okay,
(45:47):
this like obviously if a certain board's working, but that's
more just realistic. But yeah, like yeah, an outfit or whatever,
if there's like something working, or sometimes I'll just keep
making the same I remember it bells. This year, I
like a good heat and I had had spaghetti bowlonnes
A night before, and I was like, I don't want
I'm skitty Bolonnais again, but I'm gonna do it again.
And then I want another heat and I was like,
(46:07):
dang it, I don't want spaghetti Bollonnes again.
Speaker 1 (46:12):
I was like, we gotta be really careful with our
preheat meals because it might become every single night.
Speaker 5 (46:18):
Yes see, wisely, that's.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Fantastic, okay, And then the other The last question for
this segment is you guys travel all the time and
anywhere in the world. Right Like, it took what forty
plus hours to get to Jbay, it takes right around
the same time to get to Abu Dhabi, probably three
or four events at least a year. You're traveling close
to two days in order to get there. What is
(46:42):
the travel hack that you have developed that you cannot
live without for these long haul flights. I'm asking for
this is I'm not asking for a friend, I'm asking for.
Speaker 5 (46:51):
Me personal Jesus, I don't know if I have one.
Do your best to save miles to get the occasional upgrade.
H A non negotiable, for sure, is like super good
Bow's noise cancelers, absolute non negotiable. What else is a
good travel hack? Honestly, I just freaking I just I
(47:16):
just I just do it. I don't even know. I
don't have that much stuff with me. I just get
back there. I'm in the back of the bus and
I just put the headphones on and I just go.
Speaker 3 (47:27):
I don't know, who do you try and like beat
the jet lag or do you just accept that you're
gonna be tired when you get there and try to
get on it quickly?
Speaker 2 (47:35):
How do you beat jetlag?
Speaker 5 (47:37):
That's a good one. No, if I'm on the plane,
I'm gonna sleep. If I can sleep, I'm sleeping because
we travel too much. I'm like already, I'm like, if
I can sleep and just kill hours sleeping, I'm gonna sleep.
I'm not gonna like torture myself, even if it's gonna
mess up my jet lag. But when I get to
a location, I have to no matter what, the first night,
stay up till nine pm. I will not go to
(47:58):
sleep before that, even if I'm I'm like dying. But
I if as long as I get to nine pm
the first night, and then I'll the next morning, I'll
wake up at like seven am every time. I swear.
That's like the biggest actual travel hack is just make
it to nine? Got it?
Speaker 2 (48:12):
Okay? Duly noted?
Speaker 1 (48:14):
Because I feel like, for me, the second night is
always bad because the first night I'm freaking exhausted, So like, yes,
make it to nine and then I wake up at seven.
I'm like, oh, look at me. I beat this, and
then I get into bed on the second night and
I'm like, Okay, it's twelve o'clock and it's one o'clock
and it's two o'clock.
Speaker 5 (48:31):
Yeah, that's true. Night too is always harder. I think.
Then you just gotta makes you wake up, like you
just gotta get up. You just gotta like, hey, we're
getting up at seven and then.
Speaker 2 (48:42):
And nothing like that. I know, all right, Well.
Speaker 5 (48:45):
We'll keep that helps. Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (48:48):
In the morning, all right, we'll keep developing it.
Speaker 2 (48:50):
You know, we've got a.
Speaker 3 (48:51):
Few more years on tour. We'll figure it out, okay.
And then the next segment is called Something to Sip On.
Speaker 1 (48:57):
This is brought to you by the Sports Bra, which
is the very first women's sports bar in.
Speaker 2 (49:00):
The entire world, based in Portland, Oregon.
Speaker 1 (49:03):
So, Laky, I gotta know, what are you sipping on
after a heat win, after a Warrior Mode day in
Western Australia, what are we sipping on?
Speaker 5 (49:13):
Well? I usually have an five beer, but that's you know,
that's just part of my deal. But I will say
the day if I'm gonna make a nice little bevy
for myself, or that day actually after Marto River we
went to dinner. It's always a margarita, just on the
rocks with salt every time. That one never never isn't
(49:35):
good honestly, No, that's a.
Speaker 1 (49:37):
Cold beer and a margarita. Cold and margarita. Yeah, it's
it's a combo of champions. Really, you're really honest. And
then Lake's The last question I have for you is
this is the Powerful podcast, So we are all about
highlighting incredibly powerful women like yourself. What is the moment
or when is the moment that you feel the most
(49:59):
powerful or what does powerful mean to you? Oh?
Speaker 5 (50:03):
That's cool. I think when I feel the most powerful
probably in the moments that are the toughest to overcome
but you finally overcome them. Is like when I feel
the most empowered. So, whether that's being super scared at
CHOPU but then finally getting a wave and making it
in that moment you're like yes, like that was so hard,
(50:25):
or just having that breakthrough event that you like worked
and worked and worked and worked and worked and just
didn't take no for an answer, like those that break
through a moment when you just really don't feel like
doing it one more time, or you're really scared to
do it, but you do it. I think that's when
I feel the most powerful.
Speaker 3 (50:44):
I'm gonna absolutely agree to that.
Speaker 1 (50:46):
I yeah, I feel The other day, I was surfing
and it was a little big for me, which was like,
you know, all of five to six feet, and I
took off on a wave a little like steeper than
I normally take off. I'm working on my takeoffs, so
I'm working on angling I take off and like getting
better at steeper takeoffs. And I heard this wave coming
out and I was like, oh, dang, this is like
(51:07):
I'm kind of late. It's a little big, but like
I scooped my hand and I angled really hard and
I took off and it was like oh, and.
Speaker 5 (51:15):
I did it.
Speaker 1 (51:15):
And I give a few little cars and I got
up and I finished the wave, and I was like,
I'm so.
Speaker 2 (51:20):
Proud of you.
Speaker 1 (51:21):
Like I said in the lineup, I'm so proud of you.
And it's like those moments, they really are the ones
where you're like, damn, that was powerful.
Speaker 2 (51:30):
Good job. Twist my here's my arm. Twist it.
Speaker 5 (51:38):
But I need to.
Speaker 1 (51:45):
We're notres I'll go to churches with you, but we
have to talk about before I let you go.
Speaker 2 (51:49):
Tell me about this viral moment at Trestles.
Speaker 1 (51:52):
But two weeks ago, we gotta we gotta break this
down Lakes because it about broke the internet.
Speaker 5 (51:59):
No oh well, I mean, if you haven't seen my
YouTube page, everybody go feel free to like and subscribe
and check my video out. If you want to know.
Speaker 1 (52:07):
Best best blogs on tour, like twenty minutes, you're gonna
get sandboarding in Abu Dhabi. You're going to find tasting
and marks like you gotta go check out YouTube.
Speaker 5 (52:18):
That's true. I appreciate that. I'm honestly shout out. Tommy
does everything. I don't even do anything, but he had
it's at all. But yeah, I don't know. The summers
in California just seem to keep getting more and more
chaotic and more and more busy and crowded with surfers
and people out there, and yeah, I just I don't know.
(52:39):
It's funny. I've I've had some solid like drop ins
and that over the years, but yeah, I just I
had this. I don't know, I don't know if the
guy even saw me, but you guys gotta go watch
the video for yourself. But I dropped in and then
a guy dropped in on me, which is fine. It
was like a one foot way. I do not care.
But then there was like this weird jumping action towards
me that I wasn't really sure what was happening, but it.
Speaker 2 (52:59):
Was so bizarre.
Speaker 3 (52:59):
I was like, are you falling?
Speaker 2 (53:01):
Are you falling? Or are you leaping at her?
Speaker 5 (53:03):
What is that? You guys?
Speaker 3 (53:05):
Check out the video it was it was.
Speaker 1 (53:07):
I was like, yeah, excuse me, personal space still still
get it out here in the ocean. Oh well, thank
you for being on here, lady. I'm so excited to
get a chance to catch up with you. Cannot wait
to see uh yeah, where you're going in the next
years and on tour in the water, out of the water.
Speaker 3 (53:26):
I just am a Lady Peterson fan. So thanks for
being Thank you.
Speaker 5 (53:29):
I appreciate it, Thanks for having me and all the
feelings are mutual. We love having you on tour. You're
the best.
Speaker 2 (53:35):
Thanks Carol. All right, off the pod squad. We will
see you next week. Have a good one.
Speaker 1 (53:40):
This is a reminder to check us out every Tuesday
everywhere you get your podcasts, And if you really enjoy
this and don't want to miss an episode, be sure
to hit that subscribe button,
Hello, friends, and welcome to the Powerful Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
I'm your host Aja McCord.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
In this podcast, we introduce you to powerful women who
were changing the game in and outside of their field
of play.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
These are women's stories, women.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Who happen to be doing things that many of us
can only dream of, but.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
The lessons and inspiration they share is universal.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
What's up, y'all is aj McCord and welcome back to
the Powerful Podcast. I am thrilled with this week's guest
because she is a veteran of the World Surf Leagu's
Championship Tour. She is a part of this generation that
is so key right now in women's surfing, because this
sport is on the rise and literally every time the
women hit the water, ceilings are getting shattered. But Lady
(00:44):
Peterson has been a part of women's surfing before it
became what it is right now, and in this episode
she shares a lot about resilience and gratitude and how
to be a part of a trailblazing generation and the.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Perspective that she keeps throughout this entire journey.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
So it's such a fun conversation.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
We laugh a lot, there's a little bit of emotion,
and so I hope, I hope you enjoy this one
because Lakey is a really special individual and an incredible
surfer and I just can't wait for y'all to hear
this conversation.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Thanks for being.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Here, Welcome back to The Powerful Podcast.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
She is one of the veteran surfers on the WSL
Championship Tour. She has six event wins, She's finished top
three in the world for female surfers not once, but twice,
and she's from Santa Barbara, California, so just up the
coast from where I'm from, and personally, I have seen
this girl go beast mode more than a time or
two in my years of covering the world's surf leak.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Welcome Laky Peterson too the Powerful Podcast.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
Thank you. Aja soked to be here finally.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
I'm so stoked.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
I know we've been trying to make this happen for
really as long as the podcast has been in existence.
You were one of the surfers we just connected so
quickly when I started working for the World.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Surf League, and it's so fun.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
I'm gonna pop the picture up here because not only
like I don't fangirl over many athletes, anymore because you're
just around them and you realize.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
How human every single one of you are. And it's
one of my favorite things.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
How Web College AJ was fangirling over Laky Peterson because
you were riding for Nike and you were part of
the Nike Women's half Marathon that I was running with
my mom and I.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Remember like, oh Goshlaky Peters and it's Lakey Peterson.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
And then when I first saw Pipe a few years ago,
I was like, you're not gonna remember this, but I
remember this, So I'm been a fan of Laky for
a long time.
Speaker 5 (02:37):
Actually crazy, I forgot you even told me that pipe too. Sorry,
Oh yeah, that is wild. I'll never do another one
that was the same I did.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
Like I am not she's not a runner, like the
my knees are too bad, my back is too bad.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
I'm over it.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
But at the time it was so fun, and the
Nike Women's Race Little Rundown Memory Lane was so epic
because instead of a trophy at the end, you got
a Tiffany's necklace handed to you by a fireman in
a tuxedo.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
Yeah, it was pretty sick. Why they just know how
to make everyone feel cool it's so crazy.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
I know, it's wild.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
So anyway, I've been a fan of Laky Peterson much
longer than I've been a friend of Lakey Peterson. So
I'm so excited to have you on the podcast because
I think there's so many places that we could start,
which is like introing a little bit about who you are.
But I want to start with just an overview of
your career. So I mentioned some of the highlights, six events, wins.
You've had a couple of top three finishes in the world,
(03:39):
but you've been a part of the best group of
female surfers on the planet for more than a decade.
So tell me a little bit about how you got
into surfing in general. I know you're from Santa Barbara,
but I understand it was another continent where you fell
in love with the sport.
Speaker 5 (03:55):
Yeah, you do your research, you're good. Yeah, I mean
obviously growing up in Santa Barbara and growing up just
in California in general, like I loved the ocean and
I was a water baby and whatnot. But I definitely
never like came from a surfing family or surfing background.
I think a lot of surfers on the tour especially
(04:15):
my generation. It was like, you know, like if your
family did it or your parents did that's how everyone
kind of got started. And I like was fully opposite
of that. We like played tennis and went to track.
It was like nothing to do with professional surfing. So anyways,
when I was five, my family took a trip. It
was quite my mom was definitely thinking before the time,
(04:37):
so we did a trip like around the world as
a family before that was like a cool thing to do.
And we spent a month in Manley Beach, Australia, and
we started doing like the local little Manly surf school
down there, and so that's where I learned to surf,
just getting pushed in on the Doyle. I still remember
my teacher's name there was Tom and I. Funnily enough,
(04:58):
I actually married in Australian different but sometimes there. So yeah,
but that's really like where it started for me and
where I just fell in love with it. And it
was just so pure, like it was just going down
to the surf school with my brother every morning, and
we would go every single day just to zinc on
the face and we wouldn't get out until we had to,
(05:21):
So it was a very natural way to fall in
love with surfing, and I think that's really cool, like
it just it was just also organic from the beginning
for me, and.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
You touched on the other sports you played.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
There was an interview that you did with Connor Coffin,
who was another professional surfer for a really long time
on the tour, and he was like, growing up with Laky,
this girl was more competitive and better at more sports
than all of us. She was just like a fierce,
fierce fighter on the playground from elementary school on. Where
do you think that came from?
Speaker 5 (05:53):
I mean, I don't know. I think a little bit,
just like we all have our natural god giving gifts,
and for me, just sporting ability has been that thing definitely,
Like I'm an athlete and I was blessed with a
body that's coordinated. So that's why I've always really thrived.
I certainly never thrived like in the school classroom doing
(06:14):
reading hour, but I did thrive on the tennis quarter,
on the blacktop or whatever it was, you know. So
I don't know, I just always loved it. And I
think because I was good at sports, obviously I loved it.
But I just enjoyed competing and enjoyed doing all the
different types of sports growing up, whether it was like
tennis or flag football. I always played flag football. Was
the only girl on the team. The boys hated me,
(06:36):
but I loved it. And I also run back and forth,
back and forth, yeah, all the way to the end zone.
So I don't know. And I had cutice to my
parents for just like never making me feel like I
had to be in a certain box. Like they just
let me do the sports I wanted to do and
what I wanted to try. You know, they were in
full support, So I think that was really special. And
then when surfing came along, it was, like I said,
(06:58):
it was just this organic, natural per aggression and I
just I don't know, I just fell in love with
it and it was just felt like I was good
at it and the stars sort of aligned and here
I am.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
So you get back from the show, You're like, Okay,
this was a very fun vacation, but like, I'm serious
about this. How did you start entering competitions? And how
old were you when you started actually competing?
Speaker 5 (07:20):
Yeah, I mean we got home and I was six,
so like I wasn't I think I was like, I
don't know if I'm serious about this, but this is fun.
I want to keep doing it when I get home.
And I think my mom and dad saw that too,
like wow, she really loves this. But I was really
into competitive tennis at that time actually at that age,
and I was doing like tournaments around the coast and
(07:42):
around California, and then more so I just stuck with it.
And my neighbor across street his dad surfed, So when
I got home from that trip after school, they would
they would take me down to like our little local
point break by our house and take me serving. Because
my parents didn't surf that much, like I said, and
so my mom and she's actually a great surfer now,
but at the time she didn't that much. So that's
(08:04):
how I started serving at home. And then I was like, oh,
I want to do like this local Ringcon Classic event,
which is like this event that I once a year
at Ringcon. There was only a boys division at the time,
so they signed me up for that. I was like
in the little Manahuney division and I think I wanted
or I did well, I made the final or whatever.
And then from there then I was about like ten
(08:24):
years old, and that's when I signed up for nssas
up and down the coast and then did those for
like four years, and then that's really when things like started.
When I was like twelve years old, I was into
it all in on the nssas, and then I won
the Nationals when I was fourteen, which was like a
huge turning point. That's when I got sponsored by Nike
(08:45):
and we made this Women's surf film. So I felt
like it was all like pretty quick happening, honestly, from
doing some little local events all the way to making
the tour. I qualified I was seventeen, so like from
twelve to seventeen, it just was like boom boom boom.
So yeah, yeah, and.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
It's been so cool.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
So you make your debut in the tour in twenty seventeen,
walk me through how you would describe, like where was
what was it like to compete on the Women's Tour
in twenty seventeen.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
Or yeah, twenty seventeen.
Speaker 5 (09:15):
Yeah, yeah, even sorry, yeah, because I was seventeen twenty eleven,
so I qualified twenty eleven. I think my first rookie
year was twenty twelve, so that was my first year
on tour and I was seventeen at the time. And
it was polarizingly different than the tour we have now,
(09:37):
like for multiple reasons. One just being the schedule we had,
like we only had I think we only had six
events back then that was our whole year, and the
events weren't all with the guys, like we had our
own separate events from the boys. We had like maybe
one or two events that were scheduled with them, but
other than that, they were like their own thing at
(09:58):
way worse Waves, And yeah, it was obviously like Safia
Ivlandovitch was on the tour, then s on a Lima,
Steph was there, Chris was there, they were all I
mean they were a little bit before me in terms
of their time. Steph like a fair bit before me,
but then Chrisa and Coco and Malia all of them
were like three years ahead of me sort of thing.
(10:20):
So yeah, it was it was different in the sense
of the tour and the ways we had. And then
also obviously the tailor pool my generation was pretty stacked.
It was really really good. But things have progressed even
more since then. Obviously here we are like thirteen years later.
You know, it's it's done like a one to eighty
in terms of the progression of everything so and then
(10:40):
also prize money, like it wasn't really a legitimate career
half back in the day, and now it fully is.
And I think through my generation, in my younger years
on tour that really started, Like I really felt the shift.
I feel lucky I was on tour before the women
had equal prize money all the way to now and
even like sponsorship dollars because I remember my first event
(11:01):
I won. It was the US Open twenty twelve, and
I won fifteen thousand dollars to win and breds th
and he won the boys and I remember looking over
in his check was like for one hundred thousand dollars,
and I was like, whoa, that's a really big difference.
I was thankful when I was like whoa. And it's
so cool that I think that I was on tour
(11:22):
then and I'm on tour now, and I like really
can appreciate that shift and the recognition we get now
and obviously the equal pay and like, what a difference
that makes ress people do we do? And I'm you know,
the younger girls, I'm like, you have no idea how
hard this used to be. You know, is way different.
But it's been cool to be able to see it
come so far, Like on the woman's side, I really have.
(11:44):
I've felt the whole shift. I've been here the whole time.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Yeah, that's one of the things that I am so
excited to talk with you about because we were chatting
about it a little bit before. But I really consider
you a part of a critical generation in women's surfing
because you.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
Have been a part of the of.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
The years where women surfing had fewer events at worse waves,
with way less money and way less legitimacy, if you will,
in terms of prize money, in terms of broadcast rights,
in terms of coverage, everything, everything, everything.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
But now you're a part of this generation too.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
Like you were hanging, you were competing winning in the
same generation as well. That is a part of women
charging the biggest, gnarliest waves that they were kept out
of for the longest time because it was deemed too risky, right,
Like it was it was all of what a few
years ago until the women had a contest at te Hoopo.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Because it was deemed too dangerous.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
So as a part of that bridge generation of female surfing,
you said you were sort of grateful to be a
part of those first few years on tour. Why do
you feel like you have that gratitude instead of another emotion.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
I guess I think just because I've like felt it
and seeing it the whole chan excuse me, from now
until then, Like how far women's surfing has come since
my first few years on tour is astronomical and in
the best way possible for the girls, And I think
(13:17):
I'm just grateful because I know what it was like
before we had all the opportunities that we have now,
or the prize money that we have now, or the
sponsors we can get now. You know, the industry is
still in a tough place and hard, but like it
is so different, and I feel like too. You know,
back on my when I first got on tour, it
was the women's who was a little bit looked at, like, oh,
we just put them on when the waves get bad,
(13:39):
or like they're kind of a little bit of a statche,
or like they never would have us at events with
the boys because whatever would take up a bit too
much time. So to see it now where I honestly,
I mean obviously the men's tour is absolutely incredible. I'm
such a fan and the boys are insanely good and
it's so fun to watch. But I honestly feel like
the women's who are right now this moment in time
(14:01):
is like almost like the tour to watch right now
at moments, you know, it's so exciting. There's there's so
many surf fans, boys, girls all over wanting to watch
the girls, and I guess it just never used to
feel like that. So I'm just grateful to like see
that positive change. And I don't know if I would
be that grateful if it was the norm, although I'm
(14:23):
very happy it's now the norm for the younger girls.
But I think I just was really able to like
feel it from the bad days to the good days,
the glory Here's.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
I love the perspective there because I think, you know,
it's similarly right like I can look at sports broadcasting
and I can see how far it's come because when
I first started, you know, I wanted to be a broadcaster.
When I was sixteen years old, I competed in competitive
gymnastics that kind of, you know, fizzled out for me
because of back injuries and.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Fear and all this stuff.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
But I always knew that I wanted to be in
sports and it was so crazy because when I first started,
you could look around and there would be a scrum
of twenty reporters and there'd be one woman, and you'd
be at a women's basketball game covering it and you'd
be the only.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
One because women's sports didn't get the coverage then.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
And so it's always interesting because I feel like I
feel like there's oftentimes different perspectives you can take when
you're a part of the generation that is moving it forward.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Right, you can view it as dang.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
I wish that I had had had that right like
I wish that I had been I had gotten the
benefit of all this hard work earlier. Or you can say, no,
I'm really actually stoked to be leaving this place better
than I found it to be a part of the
generation that is making the change. And I think it
says a lot about you as a person to say
that that is the attitude that you're taking because you
(15:42):
could see some of the you know, you could see
some of the women who are competing right now and go, dang,
yeah that for like fifteen thousand versus one hundred grand,
that would have made a massive difference. You know, when
I was in my early lateeens, early twenties, but dive
into a little bit more for people who aren't as
familiar with surfing about the like worst waves and the
(16:02):
women's tour combining, because one of the things that I
love about surfing is that the women travel, especially now
since I've been covering it. You guys all travel together.
I know that that's been the case since long before
the tours combined.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
But you guys have such a.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Voice in the way the sport is changing, Like the
athletes competing now have a voice in how things are
getting shaped when the when the you know, competition goes,
when it doesn't, and like what is becoming history in
women's surfing.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
So take us inside sort.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
Of the locker room, if you will, of what it's
been like to be a part, to be one of
those voices in the last you know, five six, seven years.
Speaker 5 (16:41):
Yeah, I mean it's been it's been amazing just to
feel like we have a voice that will be you know,
listened to or wants to be listened to by people
and by an organization. I think for a long time,
even the men like it just sort of felt like
things were getting run this way, and that's what was happening,
so I feel like, I don't know, I feel like
(17:02):
for the girls and what to backtrack a little bit,
what I mean by, you know, my first few years
on tour and being kind of at worst waves than
the men. Like we used to have, like I said,
just six events and which is now we have ten minimum,
And our event in Europe was in June, which is
like the worst time of year for Europe is the
(17:24):
middle of summer, so they don't get swell, and it
was in furits for like the longboard, which amazing place,
sick for longboarding, but like we're like a short board
women's performance tour, so like I still remember we went
one time and they had to cancel the contest because
it didn't break for ten days. They could not run
the event. It was the only time that's ever happened.
They literally couldn't run it. And then we had us Open,
(17:45):
which obviously is like a classic event but kind of brutal.
We did always have Snapper Rocks, which was the pride
and joy and we'd start there with the men, which
was cool. But yeah, so anyways, we just we just
didn't have like this super complete tour that I think
showed like you need good waves to do good surfing.
Like the better the waves, the better the show. And
(18:06):
I think that really proves too now with the women
going to places like Chopu and Pipe that are scary
and gnarly, but every time we've gone, it's like the
biggest highlight reel ever for women surfing, and people are like, wow,
this is insane. The girls are ripping, and not to
say we don't need more time, and then there's still
a long way to go and way more progression, like
(18:28):
you know, not every heat's perfect or you know, all
the girls are sort of at different levels, but having
these better waves between there and also just better high
performance waves on two that we have too, it's like, yeah,
the girls cancer really well and we're getting the chance
to really show that, where before I felt like we
just never had that many chances to show that and
you need that. So that's been one thing. And then
(18:52):
just yeah, I mean obviously working with a WSL and
I've seen it all the way back since you know,
when it was the ASP and then it got bought
and different CEOs like a whole way through and yeah,
I mean we're I certainly I think being on tour
for as long as they have now, Like I'm not
afraid to share my opinion with the organization or people
who want to hear my opinion, Like I will always
(19:13):
talk on behalf of the girls or say what I
think would be best for the women's tour. And it's cool,
Like a lot of the girls on tour that are
younger will text me like, hey, what do you think
about this? Or could you say that? Or you know,
they're maybe a little bit scared to say, but I
will say it. And I think that just comes with
age and being there and maybe a little confidence. But
it's also really cool to be in that position of like, hey,
(19:34):
they trust me to maybe represent not represent them, but
be a voice for the Women's Tour to the WSL
or you know, whoever it is, and that's been great.
I think the camaraderie on the tour for the ladies
is really cool. We're all great friends. I think there's
a lot of respect for everyone there, and yeah, I
definitely do my best to try and I guess just
(19:57):
get the girls what they deserve. Well.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
It's it's so cool too, because I think that one
of the most impressive things to me about the generation
that you were a part of in women's surfing. Is
that not only are you, like I said, competing, but
you've had to learn these waves while you've been competing, right,
Because I remember Churisa saying, Chriisa, right, being from Hawaii,
(20:20):
Olympic gold medalists, five time world title holder, she didn't
grow up surfing at pipeline because it wasn't a part
of the women's tour. So why would you go practice
at something that you are not going to get a
chance to compete at. How did you maintain your level
of excellence while these waves of consequence are getting added
(20:41):
to the tour.
Speaker 5 (20:42):
Yeah, it's honestly a really great question that no one's
really asked me before. I think it's been like the
most challenging part of my career probably honestly is having
to adapt at a later stage in my career rather
than from the beginning. I think because the waves you're
so scary and so hard, and there's so much consequence,
(21:04):
Like it's it's really really gnarly and and yeah, I
never used to go to the north short and paddle
of the pipe ever. Ever, Ever, I wouldn't even think
about it, like I'd go sort you know, maybe Sunset
and Halliva because it was sort of relatable to the tour,
but never would I do that. And so now having
to be like, Okay, we're going to pipe and the
girls are getting better every year, which is so cool,
(21:26):
but also like I need to be able to go
out there and position myself and you know, try and
catch a good way and stay with it with the
pack here. I think personally it's definitely been such a
challenge because waves of consequence have never been my thing either,
like I don't I don't love big waves, I don't
love scary waves. Like I've never been that person that
(21:49):
like really wants to go chase that. And so there's
that side of just personally being like, gosh, this is
super scary and hard, and then the side of like,
you know, having that motivation to go do it, because really,
to go practice a pipe or to go take a
trip to Chopes, like outside of the event, it's not
the most fun thing in the world, but also it
(22:10):
has like been the most rewarding thing to maybe get
some waves I ever thought I would ever get or
get the chance to even try, so super challenging mentally
for me to have to learn these waves like halfway
through my career rather than yeah, just as a rookie
learning them, you know, before even on tour and just
kind of knowing what to expect.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
Yeah, And I feel like it's important for people to
understand that it's not like you can just be like, Okay,
I understand that. Now Pipeline is a part of the
Women's Tour, Chopes is a part of the Women's Tour.
Cloud Break, I'm going to go practice at these waves
and I'm going to be guaranteed to get my waves
and get my practicing. No, you were out there and
you're still battling a hundred people Like I remember talking
to Katie Simmers this year at Pipeline and she's like,
(22:53):
I didn't catch a wave in the free serf leading
up to it, because it's crazy to try and catch
a wave and there's all these, you know, rules of
etiquette and all this stuff. So in addition to it
being scary, in addition to it being later in your career,
you've also had to try and learn it with the
general public being out there and crowding your space. Which
(23:15):
we're gonna get to your viral video in a minute,
because that absolutely cracked me. Up a week ago, two
weeks ago. I'm glad you're safe, But how would you
describe what it feels like to try and get waves,
get time, get experience at these waves.
Speaker 5 (23:31):
It's such a good questions. It's really hard. I remember
the first year we were going to pipe and I
was like, okay, okay, I'm gonna go to the north
Shore super early, and like I've never even pollowed out there,
so you know, let's just see, let's just see how
this goes. And I follow, and I remember Shane Dorian
told me actually is like, hey, if you just don't
(23:53):
even catch a wave out here, like just realize that's
happening to like ninety percent of the people out here,
and just learn from where you're sitting and look at
where the best guys are taking off and try and
see like, oh that was a good wave, that was
a bad wave. Like, don't even get frustrated if you
don't catch a wave, like literally at all. And it
was such good advice because obviously it's frustrating to not
(24:15):
catch a wave, and also you're scared, so like maybe
even if you do have the chance to catch a wave,
especially in those beginning stages, you're like, oh, I'm not
really in the right position to go on this, Like
there's a lot of factors to it, you know, where
you're like, I don't want to just go on a
close out or I don't want to go where I
don't feel comfortable taking off or whatever. So a lot
of times now, honestly, I mean now I paddle obviously
(24:35):
when they with the intention to ride a few waves,
but still there's so many days I paddle out there
and I've just paddled back in, but like two hours later,
but I'm just continuously observing or paddling over here, sitting
in a little further like backdoor or whatever, and there's
always just something to learn. But it's true. I mean,
I think for a lot of the girls, like in
(24:56):
our heats is when you're getting the most waves and
learning the most. Even I just can't an event in
ta heating and I was just in my heat. I
was just finally starting to figure it out because I
finally could catch a waves in my second heat and
I was like, I got one decent wave, but I
felt like I just need one more heat to like
ride a few more waves, and I was there. But
it's definitely. Yeah, it's a tricky part about surfing, and
especially in those waves of consequence, but it's I don't know,
(25:19):
you just got to be open minded and realize like
everyone feels the same way. It's not just you.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
It's such a surfing is such a hilarious like mental battle,
because I I don't paddle out at pipeline or chokes,
nor do I have any intention to ever.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
However, even at.
Speaker 1 (25:35):
My local break right when I paddle out at Cardiff
Reef or in Santaejo or wherever in Insinitas, and I
go out there and I start sitting there and maybe
I've missed a wave, or maybe it's a little bigger,
maybe it's a little steeper, and all of a sudden,
I'm in my head and I'm like, who the frick cares?
But you see everybody else catching these waves, and you're like,
wait a minute, am I doing something wrong?
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Like?
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Am I scared of something that I shouldn't been?
Speaker 2 (25:57):
How do you you're now? You know you're a veteran
on tour.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
You're one of the most mentally tough competitors I've ever
gotten a chance to cover.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
How did you develop? Girl? Yes, yes, I have proof.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
I have proof to back up my statement, But how
did you develop that ability? How did you develop the
ability to talk to yourself in a heat, to talk
to yourself in a free surf, to become that that
capable mentally?
Speaker 5 (26:25):
Oh gosh, I mean, it's good that I come across
that way. I don't know. I'm pretty sensitive, little cookie
that can crumble. But I think, you know, like, the
longer you do something I've done this for a long
time now, you go through like heartbreak and triumph and
everything in between within the sport along the way, and
(26:47):
the more you go through, the more you learn to
just grow through things. And I think that just gives
you perspective and it makes you realize how important the
mindset is. And I think for any sport, the mental
side of it is like fifty percent of it. Honestly,
it is ridiculous how much of it matters. But I
think in surfing, especially like it's honestly probably like seventy
(27:11):
percent of it. There's so many different variables in our sport,
from the judging to the conditions, the waves, to whatever
else could happen that's out of your control. So there's
such an element of like learning to just surrender to
those things of like, you could be the best serf
for there and have the surfing better than everyone and
lose first heat like probably will, honestly, or you could
(27:34):
go in feeling like, god, I'm just off my boards
are off this or that, but then like a couple
things go your way in a heat and then all
of a sudden you win the event and you're like, oh,
that was so weird, you know. So I think I
think dancy question the mental side of it and just
having some mental toughness is just rolling with the good
and the bad, and that's I mean, that's anything in life.
(27:55):
But you're gonna have ruts that you go through and
then you're gonna have times where you roll in and
just you know, learning from the tough times. And that
can get really monotonous and really hard and really tricky
to continually trust the process when it feels like it
just keeps, you know, not working. And obviously you can
tweak stuff and learn from it and try and get better.
But I just think that if you can, yeah, just
(28:18):
keep knocking at the door, eventually it'll open. But you
got to keep knocking at it. You can't turn around
and that's what's hard. And a lot of times, really
right when you feel like I can't do I cannot
like do this one more time, I'm gonna lose it.
Like if I lose one more heat, I'm gonna I can't.
I don't want to do this. It's too hard, it's
too painful. Usually, like right when you're at that breaking
point is when you're gonna get that breakthrough. I've learned too,
(28:40):
so it's just just keep knocking and have perspective like, yeah,
it's surfing. We're living this beautiful life and we're healthy,
and you know what I mean. It's I think a
lot of times you got to just take a step
back and go, Okay, I'm bummed and I'm heartbroken, and
I'm allowed to be because this has been a tough year.
That was a hard event and we all try so
(29:01):
hard and it's not fun to lose. Of course, like
all those feelings is so valid, but also geez, like
I have so much in my life and you got
to just big picture it. That always helps me if
I can just like zoom out, you know.
Speaker 1 (29:15):
So take me back to Margaret River this year, because
I feel like when we got to Margaret River. You
had been knocking for a long time. This season had
not started the way that you thought it was going to.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
You missed the cut in twenty twenty four.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
You get the wild card this year, and you had
a mountain to climb, laky to make the cut and
then heat by heat.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
I kid you not, y'all.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
I wish that I could, like, I wish I.
Speaker 1 (29:44):
Could show you what I'm seeing as I replay that
day in Western Australia, because you went into another mode
and it wasn't like a.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Hell half, no fury, I'm going it all costs.
Speaker 1 (29:57):
It was so calculated, it was so confident, and it
was one of those moments that I was like, damn,
this girl knows exactly what she wants. She's got the fire,
she's got the confidence. And you climbed all the way
up the rankings. You didn't just qualify for twenty twenty six,
you made the back half of the tour. How did
you like?
Speaker 2 (30:17):
Where did that come from that day?
Speaker 1 (30:19):
And was that moment one of those moments that you've
been knocking and going, I don't know if I can
do this again?
Speaker 5 (30:26):
Oh thank you? It's nice to me to say, I mean, yeah,
it was definitely like one of those moments like I
don't know if I could do this again. I mean,
I I've been through a lot of amazing times in
my career and I'm really thankful to have had incredible
success at what I do, but I've also been through
some serious heartbreak and surfing and I definitely coming into
(30:47):
Mart River was like, Okay, I just don't think this
is how my story here ends, Like I just don't.
I just don't. I just don't think that. In my head,
I was like, I everyone on this tour is so
good and to be a champion and be on tour
every single girl, But in my head, I was just
like I know, like I'm good enough to be here,
(31:08):
and I know I'm good enough to go for world titles,
Like I know, I knew it, and sometimes I don't
believe that, and it's hard to find that confidence for me.
I've always struggled to like really be super confident myself.
But I guess I got to Mark River and I
was just I got pushed into such a corner of
like you have to perform or like this is done
(31:33):
and the amount of pressure and my husband Tom always
is like, gosh, you do so good under pressure, like
whether it's like whether it's like playing knockout in the
backyard or whatever, like if I have a little pressure,
I'm like, oh okay, this is me. And so anyways,
as a cibe anecdote, but I definitely think being in
that position of like this is it. You either do
(31:55):
it or you're not doing it was so clear like
you're either making the fine are semi finals of this
event or you're like not this year off tour, this
is done. It was just sort of I just got
in this zone like the whole week. And don't get
me wrong, I mean there was a lot of tears
that whole week, Like the waiting weird period went as
long as it possibly could. By the end, I was like,
(32:16):
just get this thing.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
Over with, like throws out like whatever it is.
Speaker 5 (32:21):
Yes, it was just like, oh my gosh, another lady
to think about it. Oh my gosh. It was all
like a little bit torturous. Yeah, But on the day,
I don't know. I just like before my heat with
Tyler Wright, I was like, Okay, this is gonna be
a hard heat. You're gonna need sixteen points. I'll never
free In my head, I was like you didn't need
sixteen points to beat here. I think I think it's
(32:42):
gonna be two eight to better. And I like did
this little visualization before I paddled out, and I was
just like, okay, I'm gonna I'm I'm I'm doing it.
And even before the heat, Tom was like are you good?
Do you need to like calm down? I was like, nope,
I don't need to calm down, Like I'm so fired
up right now. He was like, okay, get out of
my honey. Yeah. I was like, move on, this is yeah.
(33:03):
I got like almost not at him, but at the situation,
I was almost angry, like I was mad. I was
in that position. I was mad ahead and succeed and
I was just like, I'm gonna go take it. And
also things just fell into place, like there's a little
bit of luck with everything too, So I think I
got a bit lucky with the rhythm of the waves
and things like that. But yeah, I just I just
hunk her down and I just believed in myself and
(33:23):
I was just like, Okay, this is it. You're doing
it or you're not, so just go out guns blazing.
And it worked. I just kept rolling.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
It was so incredible to watch, and I think for
me as a fan of surfing, I was so stoked
because I think there's all who's always that question?
Speaker 5 (33:39):
Right?
Speaker 1 (33:40):
You made your CT debut in twenty eleven. Right, you
have been a part of this tour for so long,
and I feel like every year your generation of athletes
gets asked, Okay, so how are you feeling? Like what's next?
You know, like Joanna Fay is about to have her baby,
Carrissa just had her baby, Like we're just in that
stage where like it feels like that.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
That's the question. And I remember as a surf fan being.
Speaker 1 (34:02):
Like, yes, we get Laky Peterson again because you made
it through that and now not only did you compete
the back half of this year, but you're into the
CT again in twenty twenty six, which is gonna be
almost back too, in some ways a tour that the
women really never had, because you guys are gonna combine
your combining tours with the men. You're starting in April
(34:23):
in Australia ending at Pipeline in December.
Speaker 5 (34:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
How fired up are you right now to be a
competitive surfer?
Speaker 1 (34:31):
Oh?
Speaker 5 (34:32):
Yeah, I mean it's the schedule next year is so awesome.
I think going back to kind of this old system
of dishing the final five and the cuts not as weird,
and so there's the tour next year definitely was like
a cherry dangling like a little carrot, you know, in
front of me too. I was just like, gosh, you know,
I want that opportunity next year and the rest obviously
(34:52):
this year. So I'm certainly fired up. And it's funny,
you know, you mentioned like Joanne's having a baby and
Chris just had baby, and you know, a lot of
girls for my generation like we're married, I want kids,
like and we you know, we hit thirty and it
feels like everyone's just like, okay, so so when are
you done surfing? And it's just like, hey, like I'm
(35:13):
I'm still still I don't know, It's just funny. It's
this narrative that is just like you have to be
done at this age or you know, it's and that's amazing,
Like I want to have kids one day and I'm
excited for the next chapter of my life after surfing
one day for sure. But I do think it's just
it's funny the moment you're not like eighteen, you're just
(35:34):
old on tour and there's still so much to give
for me and all the other girls kind of my generation,
I think. So I'm excited for next year. I think
it'll be great, and I just feel I don't know,
I just feel like I have such awesome friends on tour.
I feel like the girls on tour are so rad
and we're all so close and respectful of each other.
(35:54):
And yeah, I'm just having so much fun with it
right now that I can't really see my doing anything
else for the time being. So yeah, I'm excited for
it for sure.
Speaker 1 (36:04):
I love that one of your friends on tour that
we have to talk about because when you two get together,
it is like the sassiest giggle fest ever. You and
Molly Picklam are two of my favorite. It's like there's
like these little duos right at that like develop and
it is so fun to watch y'all interact. I know
Molly has stayed at your house in San Clementy a
(36:26):
few times when she was competing for the Final five.
We just saw her and Katie go head to head
on a massive day at te Hopo. I just can
you contextualize for people how important that day and having
Molly and Katie in the water for that size of wave,
(36:47):
at that wave, can you contextualize what that meant for surfing?
Speaker 5 (36:52):
Yeah? Yeah, I mean it was an amazing final, and
honestly it was an amazing whole contest for the ladies,
and Molly in particular. I feel like she when she
won the other day, I texted her and I was like, Wow,
I think you just surfed like a perfect event. Like
I think every single way it was yours was perfect.
It was incredible to watch, actually, and just obviously an
(37:14):
ode to like the time she spent there and the
effort at that wave that she's really put in, you know,
that doesn't come with like a thousand trillion wipeouts and
scary moments that she's already put herself through to be
able to do that and perform like that. And then
also just having Katie, who like it feels like the
Mollie Katie rivalry is just growing and growing and growing.
You can see it, you know, even from my perspectively,
(37:36):
it's cool to see, Oh wow, these girls are going
to battle so hard. They're a hole for the next
eleven years, you know, and it's gonna be insane, and
each of them kind of have a different strength, which
I think is really cool too. They're both willing to
send it in charge, as you saw, you know, in
this beautiful display of the finals. I think obviously Molly
(37:56):
surfed an insanely good final and got just her technique
is incredible. I think it's by far the best in
the world for a woman in terms of backside brow writing.
And Katie as well. And I was bum Katie didn't
like make a wave because I feel like her scores
did not reflect just the courage and and the positioning
and the technique that she also has. But geez it
(38:17):
was it was so cool to watch. And again I
think like just having these moments for the ladies, we
keep showing up and doing it, you know, and it's
just it's so cool, Like it's really cool to watch,
and I'm really proud of both of them. Honestly, I
feeling a mom but it's like, you know, it's really
scary and and it's hard to do that, and it's
hard to fight for your spot in the lineup, and
(38:39):
and so to see the girls doing it, like even
for me, I'm like, wow, Okay, Like I'm inspired by
them in a huge way, and so it's just, yeah,
it's really cool. I'm super stoked from Ali. She definitely
was wow, like a very deserving champion.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
Yeah, And I also feel like, I'm so glad you
called out Katie because if you look at the box
score or the you know, the heats from that event,
from that finals, you'd be like, wow, Molly like full
on ran ran away with it, which in an.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
Essence she did.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
But that's like, yeah, the difference between excellent and a
two in that kind of wave and shows, it's just
so it's so small, and to me, I will not
forget the image of Katie Duck diving a freaking monster
after she got worked.
Speaker 2 (39:24):
And I feel like, in some ways, seeing.
Speaker 1 (39:28):
The women handle that is almost as important in some
ways as seeing them crush the barrels, because that's part
of what kept women out of these lineups for so long, right,
is like, okay, cool, if you make it, then you
know you make the barrel and the takeout, you know
it's fine. Yeah, but it's important to show that Yeah, no,
(39:48):
I can handle the beating too, like I can handle
what comes with earning your stripes at a wave.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
And so that's why even though Katie's scores obviously is
not what she.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
Wanted to do at all. It was important, I felt
like to see both of them go out there give
it absolutely everything they had and take what the ocean
through at them.
Speaker 5 (40:08):
For sure. Yeah, I couldn't agree more. And also just
getting to a place of being that good at a
wave like that doesn't come without having those beatings, Like
you can't really avoid it if you're gonna get as
good as Molly and Katie are, like too writing at
a pipe and at chokes. I mean, they're certainly better
than me at those waves, and and they the only
(40:29):
way to get there is by taking those beatings. And
it sucks and it's scary and it's exhausting and it
hurts and all the things, you know, But the girls
are doing it, and I think too, like there's such
a level of like, wow, Okay, she did it. I
can do it, but it just takes those first few
to do it and then realize, okay, all right, Like
I guess we're doing it, you know. But but it's
(40:52):
inspiring to see and it's definitely yeah, it's just it's
just really cool, Like it's just cool to see the
girls getting what they deserve and just see the positive
response is amazing.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
I got to ask for your finals prediction.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
What do you think at cloud Break Molly in particular,
why do you think that wave brings out such a
dangerous side of Molly Pickle and surfing.
Speaker 5 (41:16):
I mean, Mollie obviously, as we've all seen, is pretty fearless,
pretty like she's gonna send it and do whatever she
has to do to get the craziest wave you've ever
seen out there. But also I think the thing with
Molly for somewhere like cloud Break is a pretty hard wave.
It's a perfect, beautiful, one of the best waves in
the world, but it's really long, and it's positioning is hard.
(41:38):
It's very different than like chokepurper Pipe. You kind of
just can sit in a spot. It's very mechanical, like
you pull and you're done, and that's the wave. Cloud
Break is harder, and I think where you're sitting and
how to read the wave. I think Mollie's really good
at that. I think she's been super good at her
decision making this whole year, which is why she's been
so consistently like making finals, especially in the back half
(42:01):
of the year. So I feel like she just clicked in,
and especially when you go to wave like cloud Break,
that's perfect but hard tricky. I feel like she's just
not going to make that many mistakes. But I can
just see it being a Molly at Katie. I think
Katie's so gnarly on her back hand, and I think
that's gonna be the final again, and it's gonna be exciting.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
It's gonna be so exciting. I just I cannot wait
to watch it.
Speaker 1 (42:26):
I think this generation of women's surfers you included in that,
like the women on tour right here, right now, are
so important for every single generation that they are a
part of you. Tati, Joanne, You're important because of what
you have been through and what you have helped push
forward Katie, Molly, Betty Lou. They are important because of
(42:47):
the example that they're setting for the ten year old,
the eleven year old.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
The Miss Tahopo who competed.
Speaker 5 (42:52):
At twelve at chokes right like.
Speaker 1 (42:54):
They're important because now the next generation is they're not
going to know a world where women.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
Don't belong in those lineups.
Speaker 3 (43:01):
They're not going to know a world where they don't
go to Hawaii and say, well, of course.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
I'm gonna paddle out of Pipe because it's a part
of the tour and I want to be a world
champ someday. So it's just an honor to cover surfing
right here, right now, because I just feel like I'm
so excited every time you guys hit the water because
I know something crazy going to happen. You guys are
pushing the envelope every time you hit the water, and
it's just it's epic to be a part of. I
cannot wait to see you in twenty twenty six with
(43:25):
the revamped tour starting in Oz, little Baby cut in
you know, September, October, whatever that is with three events
and then back of Pipe, I just think it's going
to be sick. And I'm just yeah, I'm so grateful
that you are bringing your best self to tour even
when it feels hard.
Speaker 2 (43:43):
It's just you show up and you can feel it.
Speaker 5 (43:46):
Oh, thank you, aj, I appreciate it. Yeah, Well, we
love having you there. Who love having you cover us
in our post ta interviews and tiktoks. You're the best.
Actually yeah, right, good ones for this coming year.
Speaker 1 (43:59):
But no, I'm gonna I've got a note to have
on my phone it's right, We're gonna have so much fun. Okay,
before we let you go here, we're gonna switch to
our powered up segment.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
This is where I ask you three kind of.
Speaker 1 (44:10):
Off the cup questions of things that keep you powered
up for your sport. So the first one is how
many layers of wax do you need to have on
your board to feel comfortable?
Speaker 5 (44:22):
Mmm? Well, starting from no layers of wax, you need
well at least three. I think you need the base
coat layer and then your first surf on top of
the base coat, and then the next coat. So like,
does that make sense to free up one base coat,
(44:43):
one regular wax surf it, and then the and then
one more after that. Then I feel like you're like, okay,
the first surf is sometimes still a little flippery when
there's a link.
Speaker 2 (44:51):
Two are you?
Speaker 1 (44:52):
Are you somebody who waxes up like the same way
every single time before we heat?
Speaker 5 (44:58):
No, I'm not that weird with that. Mm hmm, Okay,
I don't. I mean I waxed my board well before.
He of course I waxed my board every time, but
I'm not like, got some certain.
Speaker 2 (45:09):
Design I do it.
Speaker 5 (45:10):
Yeah, No, I just check it on there I am superstitious, yes,
but I'm not superstitious with that, not with.
Speaker 2 (45:16):
The Okay, well we're gonna pivot.
Speaker 1 (45:18):
Then what is the one superstition that keeps you powered
up in the middle of a competition.
Speaker 5 (45:24):
It depends that superstition will change. So it's like if
a song is working, or a wet suit. One time,
I had this red bikini. I wore that thing for
like freaking five years straight at bikini. It was rolling.
I don't know where it went, but we gotta find it. Yes,
we do, we do, but just stuff like that, like okay,
(45:47):
this like obviously if a certain board's working, but that's
more just realistic. But yeah, like yeah, an outfit or whatever,
if there's like something working, or sometimes I'll just keep
making the same I remember it bells. This year, I
like a good heat and I had had spaghetti bowlonnes
A night before, and I was like, I don't want
I'm skitty Bolonnais again, but I'm gonna do it again.
And then I want another heat and I was like,
(46:07):
dang it, I don't want spaghetti Bollonnes again.
Speaker 1 (46:12):
I was like, we gotta be really careful with our
preheat meals because it might become every single night.
Speaker 5 (46:18):
Yes see, wisely, that's.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Fantastic, okay, And then the other The last question for
this segment is you guys travel all the time and
anywhere in the world. Right Like, it took what forty
plus hours to get to Jbay, it takes right around
the same time to get to Abu Dhabi, probably three
or four events at least a year. You're traveling close
to two days in order to get there. What is
(46:42):
the travel hack that you have developed that you cannot
live without for these long haul flights. I'm asking for
this is I'm not asking for a friend, I'm asking for.
Speaker 5 (46:51):
Me personal Jesus, I don't know if I have one.
Do your best to save miles to get the occasional upgrade.
H A non negotiable, for sure, is like super good
Bow's noise cancelers, absolute non negotiable. What else is a
good travel hack? Honestly, I just freaking I just I
(47:16):
just I just do it. I don't even know. I
don't have that much stuff with me. I just get
back there. I'm in the back of the bus and
I just put the headphones on and I just go.
Speaker 3 (47:27):
I don't know, who do you try and like beat
the jet lag or do you just accept that you're
gonna be tired when you get there and try to
get on it quickly?
Speaker 2 (47:35):
How do you beat jetlag?
Speaker 5 (47:37):
That's a good one. No, if I'm on the plane,
I'm gonna sleep. If I can sleep, I'm sleeping because
we travel too much. I'm like already, I'm like, if
I can sleep and just kill hours sleeping, I'm gonna sleep.
I'm not gonna like torture myself, even if it's gonna
mess up my jet lag. But when I get to
a location, I have to no matter what, the first night,
stay up till nine pm. I will not go to
(47:58):
sleep before that, even if I'm I'm like dying. But
I if as long as I get to nine pm
the first night, and then I'll the next morning, I'll
wake up at like seven am every time. I swear.
That's like the biggest actual travel hack is just make
it to nine? Got it?
Speaker 2 (48:12):
Okay? Duly noted?
Speaker 1 (48:14):
Because I feel like, for me, the second night is
always bad because the first night I'm freaking exhausted, So like, yes,
make it to nine and then I wake up at seven.
I'm like, oh, look at me. I beat this, and
then I get into bed on the second night and
I'm like, Okay, it's twelve o'clock and it's one o'clock
and it's two o'clock.
Speaker 5 (48:31):
Yeah, that's true. Night too is always harder. I think.
Then you just gotta makes you wake up, like you
just gotta get up. You just gotta like, hey, we're
getting up at seven and then.
Speaker 2 (48:42):
And nothing like that. I know, all right, Well.
Speaker 5 (48:45):
We'll keep that helps. Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (48:48):
In the morning, all right, we'll keep developing it.
Speaker 2 (48:50):
You know, we've got a.
Speaker 3 (48:51):
Few more years on tour. We'll figure it out, okay.
And then the next segment is called Something to Sip On.
Speaker 1 (48:57):
This is brought to you by the Sports Bra, which
is the very first women's sports bar in.
Speaker 2 (49:00):
The entire world, based in Portland, Oregon.
Speaker 1 (49:03):
So, Laky, I gotta know, what are you sipping on
after a heat win, after a Warrior Mode day in
Western Australia, what are we sipping on?
Speaker 5 (49:13):
Well? I usually have an five beer, but that's you know,
that's just part of my deal. But I will say
the day if I'm gonna make a nice little bevy
for myself, or that day actually after Marto River we
went to dinner. It's always a margarita, just on the
rocks with salt every time. That one never never isn't
(49:35):
good honestly, No, that's a.
Speaker 1 (49:37):
Cold beer and a margarita. Cold and margarita. Yeah, it's
it's a combo of champions. Really, you're really honest. And
then Lake's The last question I have for you is
this is the Powerful podcast, So we are all about
highlighting incredibly powerful women like yourself. What is the moment
or when is the moment that you feel the most
(49:59):
powerful or what does powerful mean to you? Oh?
Speaker 5 (50:03):
That's cool. I think when I feel the most powerful
probably in the moments that are the toughest to overcome
but you finally overcome them. Is like when I feel
the most empowered. So, whether that's being super scared at
CHOPU but then finally getting a wave and making it
in that moment you're like yes, like that was so hard,
(50:25):
or just having that breakthrough event that you like worked
and worked and worked and worked and worked and just
didn't take no for an answer, like those that break
through a moment when you just really don't feel like
doing it one more time, or you're really scared to
do it, but you do it. I think that's when
I feel the most powerful.
Speaker 3 (50:44):
I'm gonna absolutely agree to that.
Speaker 1 (50:46):
I yeah, I feel The other day, I was surfing
and it was a little big for me, which was like,
you know, all of five to six feet, and I
took off on a wave a little like steeper than
I normally take off. I'm working on my takeoffs, so
I'm working on angling I take off and like getting
better at steeper takeoffs. And I heard this wave coming
out and I was like, oh, dang, this is like
(51:07):
I'm kind of late. It's a little big, but like
I scooped my hand and I angled really hard and
I took off and it was like oh, and.
Speaker 5 (51:15):
I did it.
Speaker 1 (51:15):
And I give a few little cars and I got
up and I finished the wave, and I was like,
I'm so.
Speaker 2 (51:20):
Proud of you.
Speaker 1 (51:21):
Like I said in the lineup, I'm so proud of you.
And it's like those moments, they really are the ones
where you're like, damn, that was powerful.
Speaker 2 (51:30):
Good job. Twist my here's my arm. Twist it.
Speaker 5 (51:38):
But I need to.
Speaker 1 (51:45):
We're notres I'll go to churches with you, but we
have to talk about before I let you go.
Speaker 2 (51:49):
Tell me about this viral moment at Trestles.
Speaker 1 (51:52):
But two weeks ago, we gotta we gotta break this
down Lakes because it about broke the internet.
Speaker 5 (51:59):
No oh well, I mean, if you haven't seen my
YouTube page, everybody go feel free to like and subscribe
and check my video out. If you want to know.
Speaker 1 (52:07):
Best best blogs on tour, like twenty minutes, you're gonna
get sandboarding in Abu Dhabi. You're going to find tasting
and marks like you gotta go check out YouTube.
Speaker 5 (52:18):
That's true. I appreciate that. I'm honestly shout out. Tommy
does everything. I don't even do anything, but he had
it's at all. But yeah, I don't know. The summers
in California just seem to keep getting more and more
chaotic and more and more busy and crowded with surfers
and people out there, and yeah, I just I don't know.
(52:39):
It's funny. I've I've had some solid like drop ins
and that over the years, but yeah, I just I
had this. I don't know, I don't know if the
guy even saw me, but you guys gotta go watch
the video for yourself. But I dropped in and then
a guy dropped in on me, which is fine. It
was like a one foot way. I do not care.
But then there was like this weird jumping action towards
me that I wasn't really sure what was happening, but it.
Speaker 2 (52:59):
Was so bizarre.
Speaker 3 (52:59):
I was like, are you falling?
Speaker 2 (53:01):
Are you falling? Or are you leaping at her?
Speaker 5 (53:03):
What is that? You guys?
Speaker 3 (53:05):
Check out the video it was it was.
Speaker 1 (53:07):
I was like, yeah, excuse me, personal space still still
get it out here in the ocean. Oh well, thank
you for being on here, lady. I'm so excited to
get a chance to catch up with you. Cannot wait
to see uh yeah, where you're going in the next
years and on tour in the water, out of the water.
Speaker 3 (53:26):
I just am a Lady Peterson fan. So thanks for
being Thank you.
Speaker 5 (53:29):
I appreciate it, Thanks for having me and all the
feelings are mutual. We love having you on tour. You're
the best.
Speaker 2 (53:35):
Thanks Carol. All right, off the pod squad. We will
see you next week. Have a good one.
Speaker 1 (53:40):
This is a reminder to check us out every Tuesday
everywhere you get your podcasts, And if you really enjoy
this and don't want to miss an episode, be sure
to hit that subscribe button,
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