Waterpeople Podcast – Détails, épisodes et analyse

What does it mean to live a life of service? Pipeline pioneer John Peck was devout to many things over this 81 years, and exploring this question was amongst them. 

In 2015, we hosted John for what was a precursor to this podcast - a storytelling evening in our local community hall. He was captivating - virtually no one moved for hours, as Dave's questions and John's stories interwove with improvisational tunes from The Babe Rainbow. Sipping chai and sitting on cushions in concentric circles, it felt like a gathering from a bygone era.

In honour of John's metamorphosis, we share this snippet from that evening - an audio recording that was only re-discovered after his passing - thanks twice to Nathan Oldfield. 

We trace John Peck’s path from pioneering Pipeline to a life of service, music, and sobriety, and reflect on why elders’ stories matter to surf culture. The ocean rebirths us; our job is to carry that clarity home and be useful.

On John Peck in the Encyclopedia of Surfing: 

"Peck placed fourth in the juniors division of the 1960 Makaha International, and returned the following year to finish third, but was virtually unknown in the surf world until New Year's Day, 1963, when he and California switchfooter Butch Van Artsdalen put on a fantastic display at Pipeline, with Peck spontaneously inventing a low-crouch stance, his right hand grabbing the rail of his board, that allowed him to ride high and tight to the curl. That summer, Peck's thrilling Pipeline rides were the highlight of three surf movies—Angry Sea, Gun Ho!, and Walk on the Wet Side—and earned the 18-year-old the first-ever SURFER foldout cover.

Peck had meanwhile set out on a lengthy course of alcohol and drug abuse, including a seven-year LSD phase beginning in 1965. He was involved in the Brotherhood of Eternal Love, a Laguna Beach consciousness-raising group...". 

He gave up drugs and drinking in 1984, four years later began surfing again, and in the mid-'90s was reintroduced to the no

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Sound + Video Engineer: Ben J Alexander

Theme song: Shannon Sol Carroll

Additional music by Kai Mcgilvray + Ben J Alexander

Join the conversation: @Waterpeoplepodcast

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Thanks to our generous sponsors this season:

Patagonia Australia

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The Sunglass Fix

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You'll get water-centric reading and listening recommendations, questions worth asking, and ways to take action for the wellbeing of Planet Ocean delivered straight to your inbox.

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Two friends chart a path from pain to agency: Layne Beachley examines the drive behind seven world titles and finds a search for self-worth, while Tess Brouwer turns a hidden spinal injury and a hospital-bed reckoning into a mental fitness toolkit. 

Together, Layne and Tess are the co-authors of the book Awake Academy, wherein they share the life altering changes that shook their respective senses of purpose.   

Layne details the comedown from her 19-year professional surfing career, and Tess, former head of partnerships for Virgin Australia, shares the tumultuous road to recovery after injury in frozen water. 

Their stories and friendship led to the creation of the Awake Academy workshop, and the book adaptation of that popular workshop features their personal stories, positive psychology principles and practical exercises to boost energy, emotional intelligence and empathy.

They talk us through adoption, shame, midlife freedom, and why labels become lenses that shape every relationship and result. There’s no toxic positivity here, just candid stories and actionable tools for stress management, trauma recovery, and sustained success—at work, in sport, and at home. 

This episode is live from The Byron Writer’s Festival –  a celebration of the act of creation, of writing and art making, community building, and the good, hard work of progress. Courtney Miller joins as cohost - she’s chair of the Byron Writer’s Festival, relentless advocate for art and community engagement  and a veritable surf rat. 

If you’re curious about cultivating resilience, mental health, high performance, and the kind of friendship that tells the truth, this conversation will land.

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Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound + Video Engineer: Ben J Alexander

Theme song: Shannon Sol Carroll

Additional music by Kai Mcgilvray + Ben J Alexander

Join the conversation: @Waterpeoplepodcast

...

Thanks to our generous sponsors this season:

Patagonia Australia

Alkaway

The Sunglass Fix

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Get monthly musings and behind the scenes content from the podcast by subscribing to our newsletter.

You'll get water-centric reading and listening recommendations, questions worth asking, and ways to take action for the wellbeing of Planet Ocean delivered straight to your inbox.

You can stream every Waterpeople episode from your desk.

When was the last time you followed a spark of curiosity all the way to some distant shoreline?

Kiana Weltzien's ocean adventures began in 2016 when she left her real estate career in Miami for a year of travel. Along the way, she met a mentor and moved onto his boat; a replica Polynesian double-canoe. She sensed that this was her new way of life.

In 2018, Kiana acquired her own boat, Mara Noka, a modern Polynesian double-canoe. Despite her limited sailing knowledge, Kiana navigated challenging passages, often sailing alone to avoid the responsibility of others.

Kiana crossed the Atlantic to North Florida in late 2020, to begin her 14-month boatyard restoration of Mara Noka. In 2022, she captained the Women + the Wind  North Atlantic crossing,  her first voyage with a crew. 

After that, Kiana sailed through Madeira, the Canaries, and Cape Verde, aiming for Brazil. She completed a 43-day solo crossing from Santiago to Ilhabela. 

We caught up with Kiana remotely from the cabin of her boat in Brazil (the audio is pretty dodgy at times).

She talked us through the making of her forthcoming documentary Women and the Wind, the work of life at sea, what drew her to Wharram craft and the challenge of addressing plastic pollution. 

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Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound + Video Engineer: Ben J Alexander

Theme song: Shannon Sol Carroll

Additional music by Kai Mcgilvray + Ben J Alexander

Join the conversation: @Waterpeoplepodcast

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Thanks to our generous sponsors this season:

Patagonia Australia

Alkaway

The Sunglass Fix

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Get monthly musings and behind the scenes content from the podcast by subscribing to our newsletter.

You'll get water-centric reading and listening recommendations, questions worth asking, and ways to take action for the wellbeing of Planet Ocean delivered straight to your inbox.

You can stream every Waterpeople episode from your desk.

Delve into one of surfing's new, ancient histories with surf explorer and author Nik Zanella's first-hand account of unravelling the ancient story of wave riding in dynastic China.

Nik is the author of Children of the Tide and a former coach to the Chinese National Surf Team.

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More about Nik

Sound Engineer: Shannon Sol Carroll

Music by: Shannon Sol Carroll & Band of Frequencies 

Join the conversation: Waterpeoplepodcast.com

@Waterpeoplepodcast 

Photo Credit: Unknown (If you took this photo please reach out)

Send a text

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Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound + Video Engineer: Ben J Alexander

Theme song: Shannon Sol Carroll

Additional music by Kai Mcgilvray + Ben J Alexander

Join the conversation: @Waterpeoplepodcast

...

Thanks to our generous sponsors this season:

Patagonia Australia

Alkaway

The Sunglass Fix

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Get monthly musings and behind the scenes content from the podcast by subscribing to our newsletter.

You'll get water-centric reading and listening recommendations, questions worth asking, and ways to take action for the wellbeing of Planet Ocean delivered straight to your inbox.

You can stream every Waterpeople episode from your desk.

Emi Koch is a surfer and the 2018 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year. More recently, she was awarded a prestigious Fulbright Fellowship for her work that explores social-ecological wellbeing in artisanal, Tropical-Majority fishing villages amidst a changing climate.

Emi’s non-profit, Beyond the Surface International, hosts a suite of projects that use surfing as tool for social justice, youth empowerment, and sustainable community development around the world. In this exploratory chat, Emi talks about the white saviour complex, the power of imagery, expanding dated ideas of "charity" work for a more systems-based approach, and the subsequent responsibility of pushing someone into a wave.

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Welcome to our new series, Watershed Chats, conversational deep dives with experts and those in service of solutions for a healthier and habitable future on Planet Ocean.

Watershed Chats are presented by The Waterpeople Podcast in collaboration with Patagonia. 

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Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound Engineer: Shannon Sol Carroll

Music by: Shannon Sol Carroll

Artist in Residence: Chris Miyashiro 

Join the conversation: Waterpeoplepodcast.com

@Waterpeoplepodcast 

Photo Credit: Unknown (If you took this photo please reach out)

Send a text

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Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound + Video Engineer: Ben J Alexander

Theme song: Shannon Sol Carroll

Additional music by Kai Mcgilvray + Ben J Alexander

Join the conversation: @Waterpeoplepodcast

...

Thanks to our generous sponsors this season:

Patagonia Australia

Alkaway

The Sunglass Fix

...

Get monthly musings and behind the scenes content from the podcast by subscribing to our newsletter.

You'll get water-centric reading and listening recommendations, questions worth asking, and ways to take action for the wellbeing of Planet Ocean delivered straight to your inbox.

You can stream every Waterpeople episode from your desk.

Live from the Waterpeople stage at The 2020 Byron Byron Surf Festival, 1993 World Champion Pauline Menczer, switch-foot wizard Raf Browne, Vanlife Diaries founder and musician Jonny Dustow, and writer Rosalie Bryant share personal tales of new beginnings. They explore how the ocean buoyed them through health crises, bizarre ego smashing, fleeting moments of superhuman strength, and unexpected loss.

.....

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound Engineer: Shannon Sol Carroll

Music by: Shannon Sol Carroll & Band of Frequencies 

Join the conversation: Waterpeoplepodcast.com

@Waterpeoplepodcast 

Send a text

...

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound + Video Engineer: Ben J Alexander

Theme song: Shannon Sol Carroll

Additional music by Kai Mcgilvray + Ben J Alexander

Join the conversation: @Waterpeoplepodcast

...

Thanks to our generous sponsors this season:

Patagonia Australia

Alkaway

The Sunglass Fix

...

Get monthly musings and behind the scenes content from the podcast by subscribing to our newsletter.

You'll get water-centric reading and listening recommendations, questions worth asking, and ways to take action for the wellbeing of Planet Ocean delivered straight to your inbox.

You can stream every Waterpeople episode from your desk.

Dr. Wallace 'J' Nichols is a marine biologist and author of Blue Mind, an interdisciplinary reimagining of the story of water and the vast cognitive, social, physical and spiritual benefits of being in, around, and under healthy water systems. His integrative approach to research and activism, informed by decades scientific inquiry, begs the question: how can we create a healthier world if we aren't well in our own minds and bodies?

.....

Welcome to our new series, Watershed Chats, conversational deep dives with experts and those in service of solutions for a healthier and habitable future on Planet Ocean.

Watershed Chats are presented by The Waterpeople Podcast in collaboration with Patagonia. 

.....

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound Engineer: Shannon Sol Carroll

Music by: Shannon Sol Carroll

Artist in Residence: Chris Miyashiro 

Join the conversation: Waterpeoplepodcast.com

@Waterpeoplepodcast 

Photo Credit: Unknown (If you took this photo please reach out)

Send a text

...

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound + Video Engineer: Ben J Alexander

Theme song: Shannon Sol Carroll

Additional music by Kai Mcgilvray + Ben J Alexander

Join the conversation: @Waterpeoplepodcast

...

Thanks to our generous sponsors this season:

Patagonia Australia

Alkaway

The Sunglass Fix

...

Get monthly musings and behind the scenes content from the podcast by subscribing to our newsletter.

You'll get water-centric reading and listening recommendations, questions worth asking, and ways to take action for the wellbeing of Planet Ocean delivered straight to your inbox.

You can stream every Waterpeople episode from your desk.

Legend of style, ease and ingenuity, Gerry Lopez, shares stories about growing up in Hawaii, the balance he found in the mountains, tube-riding mysticism, and one of the unsung sheros of surfing.

Gerry pioneered deep tube riding at the Pipeline, acted in Hollywood films, and helped to build the early surf industry with his entrepreneurial curiosity. He is an icon of the art of surfing, a masterful boardbuilder, dedicated yogi, and teacher of the great metaphors of ocean life.

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Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

More about Gerry

Sound Engineer: Shannon Sol Carroll

Music by: Shannon Sol Carroll & Band of Frequencies 

Join the conversation: Waterpeoplepodcast.com

@Waterpeoplepodcast 

Photo Credit: Jeff Johnson

Send a text

...

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound + Video Engineer: Ben J Alexander

Theme song: Shannon Sol Carroll

Additional music by Kai Mcgilvray + Ben J Alexander

Join the conversation: @Waterpeoplepodcast

...

Thanks to our generous sponsors this season:

Patagonia Australia

Alkaway

The Sunglass Fix

...

Get monthly musings and behind the scenes content from the podcast by subscribing to our newsletter.

You'll get water-centric reading and listening recommendations, questions worth asking, and ways to take action for the wellbeing of Planet Ocean delivered straight to your inbox.

You can stream every Waterpeople episode from your desk.

Freshly back from an expedition to Antarctica, Alice shares her experience of the frozen ocean and talks us through the complex conversation, but simple solutions, found in her new publication, Micro Plastics, Massive Problem.

Alice’s field work has taken her to remote islands throughout the Pacific & Indian Oceans to study marine debris on beaches, and that consumed by birds, fish and humans. 

Alice Forrest is dive master, wildlife guide and marine biologist specializing in marine plastic pollution.
.....

Welcome to our new series, Watershed Chats, conversational deep dives with experts and those in service of solutions for a healthier and habitable future on Planet Ocean.

Watershed Chats are presented by The Waterpeople Podcast in collaboration with Patagonia.  

.....

Waterpeople episodes resume on July 7th, 2020 

.....

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound Engineer: Shannon Sol Carroll

Music by: Shannon Sol Carroll

Artist in Residence: Chris Miyashiro 

Join the conversation: Waterpeoplepodcast.com

@Waterpeoplepodcast 

Photo Credit: Alice Forrest

Send a text

...

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound + Video Engineer: Ben J Alexander

Theme song: Shannon Sol Carroll

Additional music by Kai Mcgilvray + Ben J Alexander

Join the conversation: @Waterpeoplepodcast

...

Thanks to our generous sponsors this season:

Patagonia Australia

Alkaway

The Sunglass Fix

...

Get monthly musings and behind the scenes content from the podcast by subscribing to our newsletter.

You'll get water-centric reading and listening recommendations, questions worth asking, and ways to take action for the wellbeing of Planet Ocean delivered straight to your inbox.

You can stream every Waterpeople episode from your desk.

What are the links between social justice and environmentalism? Leah Thomas is at the leading edge of Intersectional Environmentalism, a term she coined as a way to advocate for the protection of people and the planet simultaneously.

Leah, a writer and activist, is blooming the efforts of Environmental Justice advocates. After posting a simple, but powerful graphic and pledge on Instagram, Leah’s unifying ideas went viral amidst the rising tide of the Black Lives Matter movement.

By focusing on the lived experiences of marginalised people and communities, who also bear disproportionate impacts from environmental crises, Intersectional Environmentalism connects the dots between personal, political and planetary.

.....

Welcome to our new series, Watershed Chats, conversational deep dives with experts and those in service of solutions for a healthier and habitable future on Planet Ocean.

Watershed Chats are presented by The Waterpeople Podcast in collaboration with Patagonia.  

.....

Waterpeople episodes resume on July 7th, 2020 

.....

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound Engineer: Shannon Sol Carroll

Music by: Shannon Sol Carroll

Artist in Residence: Chris Miyashiro 

Join the conversation: Waterpeoplepodcast.com

@Waterpeoplepodcast 

 

Photo Credit: FP Movement

Send a text

...

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Sound + Video Engineer: Ben J Alexander

Theme song: Shannon Sol Carroll

Additional music by Kai Mcgilvray + Ben J Alexander

Join the conversation: @Waterpeoplepodcast

...

Thanks to our generous sponsors this season:

Patagonia Australia

Alkaway

The Sunglass Fix

...

Get monthly musings and behind the scenes content from the podcast by subscribing to our newsletter.

You'll get water-centric reading and listening recommendations, questions worth asking, and ways to take action for the wellbeing of Planet Ocean delivered straight to your inbox.

You can stream every Waterpeople episode from your desk.