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Explore every episode of the podcast Waterpeople Podcast

Dive into the complete episode list for Waterpeople Podcast. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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TitlePub. DateDuration
John Peck: Rebirth 04 Nov 202500:38:57

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

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.

Layne Beachley + Tess Brouwer: Mental Fitness21 Oct 202500:56:33

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.

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.

Kiana Weltzien: More with Less 17 May 202501:02:40

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. 

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.

Nik Zanella: Decoding Dynasties04 Aug 202001:05:17

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.

.....

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

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

...

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.

The Blue Economy & A Rights Based Approach with Beyond the Surface International's EMI KOCH27 Jul 202000:46:39

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.

.....

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.

Starting Over & The Sea: LIVE featuring '93 World Champ Pauline Menczer, Raf Browne, Jonny Dustow & Rosalie Bryant20 Jul 202001:35:50

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.

How Water Shapes Us with Blue Mind author Dr. WALLACE 'J' NICHOLS13 Jul 202000:43:10

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.

Gerry Lopez: A Sense of Stillness07 Jul 202001:09:13

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.

.....

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.

Mitigating Micro-plastics with Marine Biologist ALICE FORREST30 Jun 202000:40:40

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.

Protecting People & The Planet with Intersectional Environmentalist LEAH THOMAS16 Jun 202000:34:16

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.

Mobilizing the Coastal Constituency with SEAN DOHERTY24 May 202000:29:20

Deconstruct strategies from the successful Fight for the Bight campaign with one of the movement's central voices, Sean Doherty, one of surfing's most celebrated storytellers. The campaign was a win not only for Australian marine life, livelihoods and coastlines, but also for the power of community to peacefully resist corporate insanity.

Sean is a journalist and author who has spent more than three decades shaping the way we perceive the happenings of surf culture, identity, and industry, with a humorous, self-deprecating, Aussie larrikin tone.

Sean has helped to empower, educate, and activate a coastal constituency along Australia's - and the world's - coastlines by connecting with mainstream ocean folk and using the "old story" to the movement's advantage.

Welcome to our new series, Watershed Chats, conversational deep dives with experts and those having a go at building and dreaming new ways into fruition for a healthy 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: 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.

Getting Solution-Centric with Filmmaker DAMON GAMEAU19 May 202000:41:57

Explore the cultivation of critical thinking, harnessing hope by localising climate change actionables, and the transformative power of the experiential with filmmaker Damon Gameau.

Damon is an actor and filmmaker. He directed That Sugar Film, an exposé on the personal and political impacts of consuming refined sugars, which became the highest grossing Australian documentary of all time. 

More recently, Damon wrote and directed 2040 a feature documentary that explores what the future would look like if we embraced the best solutions already available to us to counter climate change.

Welcome to our new series, Watershed Chats, conversational deep dives with experts and those having a go at building and dreaming new ways into fruition for a healthy 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: 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.

Watershed Chats: Introduction 19 May 202000:01:48

Welcome to our new series, Watershed Chats, conversational deep dives with experts and those having a go at building and dreaming new ways into fruition for a healthy and habitable future on Planet Ocean.

We’ll pick up with our usual Waterpeople storytelling on July 7th,  and until then, we’ll be releasing bi-monthly episodes of Watershed Chats, presented by The Waterpeople Podcast in collaboration with Patagonia.  

Watershed moments are traditionally understood as a division or distinction between two phases. They can be turning points that define our shared history. 

We want to know -- where to from here?

We'll hear from ground-breaking researchers, filmmakers, artists, feral foragers and others daring to move us toward the more beautiful world we know is possible. 

.....

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

Music composed and performed by: Shannon Sol Carroll

Sound Engineer: Shannon Sol Carroll

Artist in Residence: Chris Miyashiro 

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.

Putting Tech in its Place with Helena Norberg-Hodge + friends05 Feb 202500:48:50

What's lost when we hand over skills or experiences to technology ? 

We sat down with localisation pioneer Helena Norberg-Hodge to learn more about the waves of radical economic and social changes she has experienced first hand. 

In 1975, as a student of linguistics amongst the glacial melt of the Himalayas, Helena witnessed the rapid erosion of traditional culture that followed the introduction of Western ideas and economics to the isolated territory of Ladakh, or "Little Tibet." 

 As an economist, linguist and filmmaker, Helena has worked to popularise an economics of happiness for more than 30 years.

Our first episode with Helena aired back in April 2020. Her organisation Local Futures offers practical solutions for changing the systems that aren't serving us best; for coping and deepening connection – what they see as key to unlocking healthier futures for people and planet. 

We wanted to have Helena back on to address a topic that’s been coming up a lot in our house – about technology and whether mechanistic tech is always the best or healthiest solution.  

More specifically – what's lost when tech takes over our skills or experiences ? 

We also hear from two listeners on the topic of tech: Surfers for Climate board member Courtney Miller and Nick Hounsfield, founder of The Wave wavepark in the UK. 

We’d love to hear from your lived experience on this topic, too. 

If you’d like the chance to be featured in a forthcoming episode – please  email over a voice memo to waterpeoplepodcast@gmail.com

 

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.

Helena Norberg-Hodge: Our Local Futures 14 Apr 202001:27:26

Helena Norberg-Hodge has experienced radical economic and cultural change before. In 1975, as a student of linguistics amongst the glacial melt of the Himalayas, Helena witnessed the rapid erosion of traditional culture that followed the introduction of Western ideas and ideals to the isolated territory of Ladakh, or "Little Tibet."

As an economist, linguist and filmmaker, she has been promoting an economics of personal, social and ecological well-being for more than 30 years. Helena is a pioneer in the field of localisation and offers practical solutions for changing the systems that aren't serving us best; for coping and deepening connection – what she sees as the key to unlocking healthier, local futures. 

.....

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

More about Helena

Sound Engineer: Shannon Sol Carroll 

Join the conversation: Waterpeoplepodcast.com

@Waterpeoplepodcast 


Photo Credit: Emma Wise

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.

Albe Falzon: Everything Is Surfing27 Dec 201901:09:06

Sometimes loss never really leaves us. We can't stop those waves of emotion, longing or pain, but we can learn to ride them compassionately. Albe Falzon is one of surfing's great storytellers. His study of eastern spiritual traditions, and the wholistic commitment to a surfing life, have guided him through the inevitable tumult of human existence; through seasons of unthinkable loss, love, adventure, and solitude.

Albe's celebratory films, including Morning of the Earth and Festivals of the World, convey the deep reverence and wonderment that he walks every single day.

.....

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

More about Albe

Sound Engineer: Shannon Sol Carroll 

Join the conversation: Waterpeoplepodcast.com

@Waterpeoplepodcast 


Photo Credit: Albe Falzon

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.

Liz Clark: Re-inventing Rites of Passage08 Dec 201900:54:37

Liz Clark has sailed and surfed 25,000 nautical miles across and around the Pacific. Mostly solo. She is a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year.

But before all of that, Liz started with a simple dream to explore by sea. That seemingly simple dream turned into more than a decade of rich and complex ocean life, and became a transformative rite of passage of her own making.

Liz shares a story from being pushed to her limits during a 1300 mile solo crossing and the salty, rough conditions that opened her eyes to the 'caustic' nature of comfort, and exposed deep spiritual learnings she hadn't really been seeking.

.....


Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

More about Liz

Sound Engineer: Shannon Sol Carroll 

Join the conversation: Waterpeoplepodcast.com

@Waterpeoplepodcast 


Photo Credit: Tasha Van Zandt

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.

Madison Stewart: Shark Girl 20 Nov 201901:21:45

"I work to take back what I believe is mine, and that is a future in an ocean that has sharks.” At 14, Madison Stewart had a transformative experience with sharks on the Great Barrier Reef that set her on a path to marine science and conservation work. She is a dive master, filmmaker, 2017’s Australian Geographic Society Young Conservationist of the Year and author of The Australian Guide to Surfing with Sharks. 

Madison is a young filmmaker and entrepreneur who knows sharks as both gnarly and magical. She's spent the last decade dedicating her time and energy to revealing the global attack on sharks - largely for the shark fin market - but also addressing cultural attitudes that are contributing to the dramatic decline in global shark populations. As apex predators, impacting shark populations means altering the entire marine ecosystem.   

Hers is a story about uncompromising young passion, compassionate approaches to conservation work, and overcoming fear to see reality more clearly.

.....


Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich

More about Madison

Sound Engineer: Shannon Sol Carroll 

Join the conversation: Waterpeoplepodcast.com

@Waterpeoplepodcast 


Photo Credit: Caragh Creative

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

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Jake Mackenzie: More, more, more03 Nov 201900:45:16

"One is too many and a thousand isn’t enough," says Jake Mackenzie, of his adventurous, but addictive tendencies. Jake is an all-around waterman, and an entrepreneur. 

Jake shares a story of the spiritual awakening that led him back to the sea, after descending into "a vampire lifestyle" of addiction, hallucination and off-the-rails experimentation. A single moment sent him packing for a slow-moving journey of detox and healing though Europe and, eventually, to the Mediterranean. He knew the medicine he needed was sunlight and saltwater.

Jake's is a story of surrender, regaining connection, service and always finding a way to have a good laugh.


.....


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Hayley Talbot: Paddling in the Dark19 Oct 201901:05:07

Hayley Talbot is the first person to solo kayak the great Clarence River (Boorimbah) from source to sea, a 400 kilometre voyage. She's a former competitive surfer and lawyer who found her home in fresh water. 

In 2017, Hayley Talbot found herself mired in the monotony of raising two young children. She’d yearned to know more about the source of the Clarence River, where she’d grown up and surfed around the river mouth. She wanted to know where it came from. 

Hayley spent two years preparing, having never kayaked before, but kissed her two young children goodbye for a self-initatied right of passage adventure. Hers is a story about belonging, making space for self amidst parenthood, connecting with indigenous wisdom, and daring to venture outside of our social conditioning. 

...

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Derek Hynd: Conducting Chaos02 Oct 201901:12:51

Culture shaper and former world Tour Surfer Derek Hynd has always felt like an outsider looking in. In Episode 8, he talks far field theory, seeing magic in the mundane, how style has been made irrelevant in modern competitive surfing and the impact of vanishing hipsters. He also boils down the gender performance gap to one singular element. It's a meandering conversation with many delightful twists and turns that'll make you want to revisit your surf history.

Several months after recording this episode, Derek's house tragically caught fire and he lost almost all of his earthly possessions. Some friends have set up a GoFundMe to help fund his rebuild. If you feel moved to support, here's the link.
.....

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Zara Noruzi: Surfing in Exile15 Sep 201901:01:29

Zara was kidnapped and imprisoned by the Iranian government for her activism. The ocean helped her find a path toward belonging after fleeing her homeland.

Zara Noruzi was born an upper middle class girl with political subversion in her blood. She lived through the devastating war between Iraq and Iran. At university she wrote feminist articles and participated in student protests, begging for answers about why women were being denied basic human rights after the regime change.

Zara detailed her experiences in her memoir My Life As a Traitor.

In Episode 7 of The Waterpeople Podcast, she  picks up where her memoir left off -- with discovering surfing and how it has subsequently shaped her life.

Zara's is a story of youthful idealism, no-apologies activism, and the power of surfing to bring us back to ourselves.

It is a story about the pure and enduring power of the ocean to heal.


.....

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Peter Whish-Wilson: Senator Surfer 01 Sep 201901:02:44

Peter Whish-Wilson walked away from a big shot banking career in NYC to honor a deep responsibility to protect wild spaces and species. He's now a surfing senator for the great, wild Australian state of Tasmania. 

What do we do when we've made life choices that make us miserable? Listen as Peter Whish-Wilson shares about the moments that changed his life and livelihood, inspired by the freedom and connection surfing revealed for him. 

Peter speaks candidly about internalising the stress of negotiating high stakes political situations, the power of the surfer’s circle as a symbolism and activism, and the necessity of community in pursuing political change. 

@SenatorSurfer

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Leah Dawson: Discovering Femininity 15 Aug 201900:37:03

Freesurfer Leah Dawson peels back the layers and dares to ask: "What makes me feel most like myself?" and "How is my surfing an extension of that self?"

There are many ways to be male, and many ways to be female. Though our culture is full of prescriptions for how to do it the “right” way. Leah Dawson thanks surfing for leading her along the path to honouring her femininity. Exploring retro-to-modern single fins, twin fins, finless boards, and shaping herself, Leah is among a small handful of surfers who seek to explore the spectrum of wave sizes and crafts.

Leah's is a story about asking the tough questions of ourselves, confronting societal expectations, the power of mentorship, and finding ourselves more fully within the context of a loving community. She also shares some of the wisdom from her daughterly experiences with legendary Gerry Lopez.

Leah Dawson is a professional surfer, filmmaker and co-founder of the Changing Tides Foundation, which empowers women and girls through travel and surfing.

changingtidesfoundation.org

@LeahLoves


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Gary McNeill: Make It Last 03 Feb 202500:59:39

How do we make magic boards last longer?

Gary McNeill and Dave have been experimenting with alternative, non-petrochemical materials for the last decade. The front runner in their experiments? Flax cloth, for board strength and durability.

Stab recently ran The Electric Acid Surfboard Test, to explore the validity of their flax tinkerings.

This episode features the flax master himself, shaper Gary McNeill.

Gazza absolutely fizzes about all things board design. He's an accomplished competitive surfer and has worked as production manager and/or ghost shaper for some of surfing’s most well-known board brands. Today, he focuses his energy on making left of centre, high performance surfboards under the Gary NcNeill Concepts label. 

Gazza considers himself an 'accidental activist;' in the pursuit of good design, he cemented a more ethical business model. He hopes to help the board building industry mature beyond 'planned obsolesce.'

"As a result of growing up in humble surroundings, I have a full appreciation of the value of a dollar. In creating my Concept boards, I always strive to produce high-performance boards using materials that provide strength and longevity. 

I want customers to have a board that they can build a quiver around, that last, and that they know they can surf in the conditions that best suit them, and their boards. Importantly, boards that last reduce environmental impact."

We wrangled Gazza into sitting down for a whole hour to share more about his story, and the nitty gritty of experimental surfboard design and materials. 

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Mark Healey: Confronting Discomfort 31 Jul 201900:47:36

Legendary waterman Mark Healey lost three friends to heavy water situations through the course of the early 2000s. He speaks candidly about the ways these experiences rewired his process of risk assessment, while maintaining his relationship with the water and his career as a professional risk taker: chasing big waves, free diving, spearfishing, shark tagging, bow hunting, and working as a Hollywood stuntman. 

Mark also shares about relying on instincts in heavy situations, the importance of being able to override the fear response through preparation, and asking the tough questions of yourself about the 'whys' of decision-making. Mark’s yogic approach to confronting discomfort inspires us to keep facing our self-built boundaries. He reminds us that without challenge, there is no growth.

 …

 The Waterpeople Podcast is a gathering for our global ocean community to dive into the critical conversations of our culture through storytelling. We sit with some of the most adept waterpeople on the planet to explore common themes of aquatic lives lived well: ecology, adventure, community, activism, science, egalitarianism, inclusivity, meaningful play.  And surfing, of course.

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich 

Sound Engineer: Shannon Sol Carroll 

Music by Band of Frequencies. Available via www.lowpressureproductions.com and on Spotify.  

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Kimi Werner: Flipping Your Instincts19 Jul 201901:01:28

At the height of her competitive spearfishing career, Kimi Werner began battling with inner demons that turned the once-solace of the ocean into a cacophony of self-criticism. Kimi’s is a story about attaining dreams, losing love, wrestling with dissatisfaction and, ultimately, finding love again in the deep.  

Our conversation dives into reckoning with fear, flipping your instincts in heavy water situations, and the beauty of knowing where your food comes from. 

 Kimi Werner is a former U.S. National Champion spearfisher, a freediver, and chef. 

 …

 The Waterpeople Podcast is a gathering for our global ocean community to dive into the critical conversations of our culture through storytelling. We sit with some of the most adept waterpeople on the planet to explore common themes of aquatic lives lived well: ecology, community, activism, science, egalitarianism, inclusivity, meaningful play.

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Sound Engineer: Shannon Sol Carroll 

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Introduction to The Waterpeople Podcast with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich 17 Jul 201900:28:44

On The Waterpeople Podcast, we're delving deep into the intricacies of how the world's most adept waterpeople make lives of great meaning through meaningful play. In this episode Lauren L. Hill and Dave Rastovich elucidate the the 'whys' of making the podcast, reveal about their highlights from Season One, and welcome you to their watery world. 

...

 The Waterpeople Podcast is a gathering for our global ocean community to dive into the critical conversations of our culture through storytelling. We sit with some of the most adept waterpeople on the planet to explore common themes of aquatic lives lived well: ecology, community, activism, science, egalitarianism, inclusivity, meaningful play.

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich 

Sound Engineer: Shannon Sol Carroll 

Join the conversation: Waterpeoplepodcast.com

@Waterpeoplepodcast 

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'Overcoming:' Live at Byron Bay Surf Festival 201917 Jul 201901:06:23

Stories of triumph, challenge and the sea, brought to you live from Byron Bay Surf Festival. Listen as five brave waterfolk share their real and raw stories of overcoming or being overcome: finding surfing later in life, realising purpose after a life changing injury, living with cancer, searching for an unknown family member, wrestling with the death of a parent – and finding the dark humour.  The ocean buoyed them amidst some of the most tumultuous experiences of their lives. With live musical performances by Dusty Boots Music & Felipe Baldomir. 
...
 The Waterpeople Podcast is a gathering for our global ocean community to dive into the critical conversations of our culture through storytelling. We sit with some of the most adept waterpeople on the planet to explore common themes of aquatic lives lived well: ecology, community, activism, science, egalitarianism, inclusivity, meaningful play.

Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich 

Sound Engineer: Shannon Sol Carroll 

Join the conversation: Waterpeoplepodcast.com

@Waterpeoplepodcast 

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Krista Comer: Reading Power 23 Dec 202400:47:32

How do you better a culture?  How do we better surf culture?

Dr. Krista Comer is a scholar of American literature and cultural politics. She has written widely about women and surfing as a way "to build bridges between university and community, or subcultural knowledges. Because we need each other to understand the worlds we inhabit, and to make better worlds. I need bridges to stay true to who I am, my own histories and hopes for the future."

Dr. Comer offers clarifying perspectives on the gendered realities of modern surf culture - and has been part of supporting surfers to create inclusive research, social movements and events.

Professor Comer teaches at Rice University in Houston, Texas and has lived near the coast of the Gulf of Mexico for 25 years. She is the author of Surfer Girls in the New World Order (2010) and is currently working on her latest book:  Feminist Surf Life in the Age of Climate Change.  

In 2014,  Dr. Comer co-founded the Institute for Women Surfers (IWS), an international grassroots political education initiative in the Public Humanities. The institute has conducted trainings in California, Europe, and Australia. For more on IWS see “Surfeminism in an Era of Trump” (2019).

Our episodes typically revolve around stories — lived experiences, often from the water, looking landward. This one is a little different.

We recorded at the close of the Waterwomen Camp Out near a point break in Northern NSW, Australia. The event was hosted by the NGO Surfers for Climate and invited more than 100 women to gather for a weekend of workshops, wellness, and celebration of our shared love of watery play.

Dr. Comer presented work and encouraged dialogue around intergenerational activism, along with local researcher Dr. Rebecca Olive from RMIT University. 

We sat down to discuss the relevance of surf feminism, learning from current social

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Otto Flores: Stepping Up 21 Dec 202401:04:06

Many professional athletes struggle to transition from their sport-as-career. The highs are often out of reach for pedestrian life - especially for pro surfers who spend their years in whirlwinds of hedonistic wave chasing.

For Puerto Rican tube connoisseur Otto Flores, the key to transition was community.

After many national titles and a spell on the World Qualify Series, Otto veered away from competitive surfing and toward chasing perfect waves of consequence, a decision that landed him on the covers of all the mainstream surf mags through the early 2000s. 

 Today, Otto is based on his home island with family, where he's  held in the highest regard for a community minded spirit and commitment to protecting Puerto Rico’s coastlines. 

In 2017, he lead a team with Waves for Water in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, helping set a course for recovery with an emphasis on sustainability. 

More recently, Otto was instrumental in working with Save the Waves Coalition to secure 8 kilometres of Puerto Rico’s  northwest as its 11th recognised World Surf Reserve. The World Surfing Reserves is a program of Save the Waves Coalition, which is a nonprofit focused exclusively on conservation of surfing coastlines on an international scale.

We caught up with Otto to talk about stepping into leadership, and the juggle of carrying many responsibilities – while managing  an abundant watery life. 

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Gail Couper: With Bells On21 Dec 202400:52:35

Called the "most underrated sports person in Australia" and the "greatest Bells surfer of all time”  Gail Couper has been both: at the centre and the sideline of surf culture and sport for the better part of her 77 years. She's seen a lot change, and helped to lay the foundation for Aussie surf culture as we know it today.

Gail is a five-time national champion, and 10-time winner of the prestigious Bells Beach/Djarrak event.  In the year 2000, she was inducted into the Australian Surfing Hall of Fame and awarded the Australian Sports Medal for lifetime achievement.

We had the privilege of sitting down with Gail in front of a hometown audience in Lorne as part of the The Great Ocean Road Women’s Surf Festival, to talk about  competitive drive, the value of volunteering, and helping to establish the world's first Surfing Reserve.


....


Held on Gadubanud Country, The Great Ocean Road Women’s Surf Festival offers opportunities for surfers from all backgrounds and experiences to come together and celebrate their riding waves and the ocean. Special thanks to Surfing Victoria for having us and hosting their all-inclusive festival to celebrate surfing. 

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Lane Davey: Body Language 21 Dec 202400:58:09

How many kids from Tennessee end up devoting their life to the world's heaviest waves? At least one. That's Lane Davey: Pipe Disciple, PhD, journalist and college lecturer at UH Mānoa. 

Lane has dedicated much of her adult life to being present in the line-up at Pipeline – she was long the lone woman amongst the sword fight. We trace her unlikely trajectory from growing up in Tennessee, to breakdancing, and surfing some of the most notorious waves on the planet.

Lane talks us through the importance of acknowledging fuller histories of surfing, the role she’s played in creating momentum for women’s surf culture and performance, and the silver lining of living with her stage four cancer diagnosis.

....

Read Lane's  PhD dissertation here - it traces the parallels between of break dancing and riding waves.

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Danny Johnson: Don't Overthink It19 Nov 202401:12:53

We’re getting tangential. This episode is part of a three episode slip slide behind the scenes of a project that Dave’s been working on for the better part of 2024: The Electric Acid Surfboard test

It's a series that explores “alternative” surfboard design. Basically, iconic surfers on left-field, experimental surf craft. 

Our very own aquatic wombat, renowned question repeater, one David Rastovich, is this year’s test pilot.

It's no secret: the stuff we use to go surfing is pretty toxic. Neoprene, wax, swimwear, surfboards. Most are petroleum products in one form or another. Most are built with planned obsolesce in mind.

 So, what do we do about it?

Dave agreed to do the series with a catch: all the boards had to be wrapped in flax cloth instead of fiberglass; a prod to the makers and riders of surfboards that cleaner, or at least more durable, options for surfboard construction are already available.

Dave mostly signed on to the project because of its' mastermind: Danny Johnson.  His skillful storytelling and brilliant editing, hilarious musical moments make the episodes fun to watch - even if you aren’t that into surfboards. 

Today we’re in conversation with Danny – he’s Head of Films at Stab, and has been writing, producing and directing for years with the best sense of humour in the surf space.

We recorded behind the scenes episodes with two other influential characters in the series: flax master Gary McNeill and Puerto Rican tube connoisseur Otto Flores. 

You can watch the whole thing over at Stabmag.com 

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Jamie Brisick: Breaking the Surface 07 Nov 202401:15:02

Who modelled kindness for you? Who showed you how to be kind and curious in the face of difference?

Before he was a Fulbright Scholar, Jamie Brisick surfed on the ASP world tour from 1986 to 1991, and has since documented surf culture extensively.

His writings and photographs have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Guardian. 

Jamie hosts the podcast Soundings and is the author of several books, including We Approach Our Martinis With Such High Expectations, and Becoming Westerly:  The transformation of surfing champion Peter Drouyn into Westerly Windina – which Jamie adapted for the screen. 

Jamie popped by after the World Premiere of his film The Life and Death of Westerly Windina at the Byron Bay International Film Festival  -- where it took home top honours as  Best Surf Film, as well as the festival’s highest recognition, Best Film

The Life and Death of Westerly Windina explores Westerly’s upbringing, her years as a surfing titan, and follows her into a new chapter as she searches for acceptance from friends, family, a still-hyper masculine sport, and most importantly – from herself.

We were grateful to sit down with Jamie to chat about the film, the fire that took almost all his earthly possessions, where tech is taking surfing, and the folks in his life who modelled curiosity and compassion. 



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Josie Prendergast: Tidal Transitions 20 Oct 202401:08:08

Longevity in any career begs for reinvention. With more than a decade at the pro surfing game, Josie Prendergast has been navigating new waters in her career - by taking the reins on her own storytelling. 

Born in Siargao and raised in both Australia and the Philippines, Josie is a standout surfer on any craft – from 10+ gliders to fishes – and she’s expert at nasal navigation on heavy logs. 

We caught up with Josie for her first podcast experience between surfs in Byron – where she talked us through finding early commercial success in the surf industry, finding belonging between two cultures, surviving the Philippines Supertyphoon of 2021 and aiding her community to rebuild after the disaster.  

Josie’s latest edit Expressions of Interest is out now. It’s a film she produced with local filmmaker Georde Grigor as a tribute to the simple pleasure of wave riding and the special moments shared with friends in the water.

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Brenden 'Margo' Margieson: Renaissance Man 23 Sep 202501:13:43

Every mid-aged Aussie bloke's favourite surfer? That's Margo. 

Widely recognised as the first paid freesurfer - Brenden 'Margo' Margieson is famed almost as much for his gentle demeanour as his explosive power surfing. 

We traced some of his undulating journey through a surfing life's highs and lows. From early days being propelled by legendary filmmaker Jack McCoy, to unexpectedly winning a major contest against World Tour pros, Brendan's career defied conventional paths. His distinctive "pendulum" surfing style - flowing with gravity rather than muscling through - contrasted dramatically with his contemporaries and continues to influence surfing aesthetics today.

Perhaps most inspiring is Brendan's midlife renaissance. After stepping away from surfing for half a decade, he's back in the water fresh enthusiasm. Now in his fifties, Margo is experiencing an unlikely career resurgence: complete with new sponsorships and a growing social media presence. Throughout it all, his parallel passion for bird watching reveals a sensitive man who finds joy in careful observation, whether it's reading a wave or identifying rare species.

Ready to hear how one of surfing's most beloved figures navigates the balance between risk, responsibility, and rediscovery? This episode offers wisdom for anyone seeking to maintain their passions through life's changing seasons.

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Hanneke Boon: At the Helm 23 Sep 202401:07:55

Did sailing have more to do with early human locomotion than the wheel? Hanneke Boon, head of James Wharram Designs, suggests that may be so. 

Born in the Netherlands, Hanneke grew up in a sailing family. She was building and sailing Polynesian Catamarans at the age of fourteen and joined the James Wharram team at the age of 20.

A gifted artist / graphic designer / craftworker, she became James Wharram's co-designer. For half a century, all Wharram Designs have been marked with her signature.

According to Yachting World, “Despite this unique pencil stroke, she has remained in the shadow of Wharram’s mythology for 50 years. Since 1970, Boon has drawn the majority of the construction plans by hand. They’re works of art and the best way to imagine yourself aboard a Wharram. Without her, JW Designs would not be what it is.” 

Of the Polynesian double canoe inspired designs - once called ‘dangerous and eccentric,’ James Wharram said:

“A philosophic attitude behind the Wharram designs is that 'urban man' can, with a little financial saving and some handcraft work, create an object of beauty. This object of beauty can then, for a period of hours, days, weeks or months, carry him/her out of the urban world into a natural never-never land; the seas and oceans; to a time when the world was young; when Mankind was directly and intimately interacting with the beauty and power of nature. There are hundreds/thousands of Wharram builders or, as I prefer to call them, "Sea People", who have done or are now doing that!" 

Hanneke has built, or taken part in building, more than sixteen Wharram designs, including developing many prototypes and the 63ft Spirit of Gaia - and is an expert epoxy worker.

She talked us through the simple joys of life at sea, the central role that sailing has played in human evolution and the near death revelation that set her a new course. 


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Bob McTavish: Trim & Wonder 30 Aug 202400:57:56

Over the last half century, Bob McTavish has shaped thousands of custom surfboards. 

Always an innovator in surfboard design and technology, Bob pioneered cutting edge changes to the basic concept of a surfboard. 

In 1965,  he started tinkering with rail and bottom design to maximise performance. This was part of the movement that would become known as the shortboard revolution, in which Bob’s role was pivotal, but only part of his ongoing contribution to the evolution of the surfboard.

Now in his eighth decade, Bob continues to push the limits of surfboard design across the full range of wave-riding vehicles, including the shape that we focus on in this conversation – the 10 foot plus glider.  

After 5 years dormant, Bob brought his objective surf contest concept - The McTavish Trim -  to our local surf festival with three rules:

Rule #1 - Board must be 10ft+
Rule #2 - Furthest up the beach wins -- must hit the sand (paddle around the very wide  buoy) 
Rule #3 - Must stay on your feet

Surfing is full of old men who calcify and only speak of the good 'ole days.   Bob is not one of those guys -- he's still full of wonder and has made a career out of his wave riding curiosity.

We were lucky enough to sit down with Bob in front of a live audience at the 2024 Byron Bay Surf Festival in the parking lot of the McTavish factory - to talk all things glider, the surf/life balance, and how he has stayed perpetually stoked. 

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Ruby Southwell: Natural Action 14 Aug 202401:18:38

Did you feel safe in your childhood home? If not, were you able to leave, or did you have to stay? 

Ruby Southwell hit the road, travelling solo for years, searching for guidance. What she found was a deep and clear inner well - and a renewed love for riding waves. 

At age 22, Ruby moved to Indonesia’s remote Mentawai Islands, where she surf guided, taught herself how to tube ride, and lived offgrid with a local family for just over two years.  

Ruby is known as a wildly talented navigator of weighty situations – both on land and in the water. Clips of her have been shared readily on social media – where you’ve probably seen her riding twinnes, pulling into big barrels, and displacing water in a distinctly feminine way. 

When "Big Surfing" came knocking about sponsorship, Ruby took the deal, but she also took the reins. With her content budget, Ruby defied the norms and made a short film about the Mentawai’s pioneering female surfer Siska

Parallel to wave riding, and now back in Australia, Ruby works to support at risk youth, with her sights on exploring the best of what her big island home has to offer. 

She shares generously about the joys and adversities that have shaped and are shaping her path forward: the life changing joy of a magic board, travelling humbly,  keeping an eye out for gurus in the Himalayas, and the only core surfer she's ever met. 

 

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Brett Burcher: Deep Breaths 26 Jul 202401:08:32

What's the most challenging experience you've faced? Did it ultimately hinder or heighten your self-clarity?

Brett Burcher is a heavy water specialist - a slab hunter who chases the thickest waves to some of the most far flung locations. He was given an irrevocable invitation to learn to lay down, be still and breathe when he hit the reef and suffered a spinal cord injury in remote South Australia.

We wanted to talk story with Brett not only for his crazy stories of stretching the edges of his genre of wave riding, but also because he’s transformed the intense things that have happened to him into meaningful action to help others.

Brett is a former professional surfer, turned primary school teacher, who now shares his experientially honed breathwork skills through retreats and workshops
Brett also works as a disability support worker. He was recently in town to support surfer Cliffo Gralton — who competed at the Adaptive Surfing World Tour event held in Byron in March 2024.

We caught up with Brett between heats to talk about facing insomnia, training  the "Sunset  special" and getting into flow. 


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In this episode we also hear briefly from 5x ISA Para Surfing World Champion Victoria Feige who is campaigning for the inclusion of Para Surfing at the 2028 Olympics. She's looking to gather 25,000 signatures - Sign on to support her efforts here.

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Levelling Breath Practice with Brett Burcher26 Jul 202400:07:25

As a follow up to our episode with heavy water specialist Brett Burcher we wanted to share a couple of breathwork practices that Brett found most practical in his own life - whether he’s dealing with insomnia, or about to drop into a bomb set wave.

This is a levelling breath practice— not an upper or downer -- just a way to reconnect with a gentle balanced breath state. 

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Thanks to our generous sponsors this season:

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Energising Breath Practice with Brett Burcher26 Jul 202400:02:39

In this bonus episode slab hunter Brett Burcher takes us through an energising breath practice that he’s found useful when you need a little extra pep in your step.  

This is your reminder: breathe like you mean it. 

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Nidala Barker: Where We Belong 06 Jul 202401:36:57

“Whether or not you think you belong to the Earth is irrelevant, for you simply do. By virtue of breathing in you receive a gift of oxygen given by the tree and soil, by virtue of breathing out you gift carbon dioxide to the kelp so the fish may have their home. To accept our shared responsibility to the Earth, IS to remember our belonging.” – Nidala Barker

Nidala is a surfer, musician and custodianship educator. She traces part of her ancestral roots to the Djugun and Jabirr-Jabirr people of the Kimberley in Australia’s  North West, where she was initiated in lore and story. 

Nidala holds a Masters Degree in Sustainability, in addition to degrees in Public Policy and Social Justice Law. In 2021, she released a carbon neutral EP named Colours of my People.’ and sits on the board of Green Music Australia and The Returning Indigenous Corporation. 

Through her music and custodianship workshops, Nidala blends Indigenous wisdom with innovative scientific perspectives to remind us of our belonging to this world. Her work invites us to step bravely into our shared responsibility to protect country. 

Nidala talks us through the near drowning that saved her, how to acknowledge country meaningfully - and why, building a tiny home from waste, and what it means to step into custodianship. 


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Dr. Kevin Stone: How to Play Forever 23 Jun 202400:49:59

Why are some octogenarians still surfing, while others struggle to walk up the stairs? It isn’t luck.

Harvard and Stanford trained Orthopaedic surgeon Kevin R. Stone, MD, believes that injuries present as opportunities to better our athletic potential - they can make us fitter, faster, and stronger than before.   He is the author of Play Forever: How to Recover From Injury and Thrive.

Dr. Kevin Stone is a waterman and a world-renowned expert in biologic joint replacement. He founded The Stone Clinic and is Chairman of the Stone Research Foundation.

Dr. Stone has served the US Ski Team, the US Pro Ski Tour, the Marin Ballet, the Smuin Ballet, the Modern Pentathlon at the US Olympic Festival, and the US Olympic Training Center. His innovative work in the orthopaedic arena has led to multiple awards, publications, and grants and has resulted in approximately fifty issued US patents.

Dr. Stone talks us through a recent injury, the vulnerabilities of a surfing body, new paradigms of ageing, the remarkable regenerative capacity of our bodies, and why play should be part of every day.  


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Pauline Menczer: The Uncensored Underdog 09 Jun 202401:25:06

How to fund a pro surfing career in the 1980s? Sell stickers, Levi’s jeans, bicycles, whatever. Sleep in your board bag. Live on a diet of mushrooms and bread.  World Champion Pauline Menczer got resourceful and hustled however it took to get her to the next stop of the tour. 

“In the 80s and 90s, surf culture was toxic, especially towards women. Pauline was a dirt-poor, chronically ill teen from Bondi, who defied insults and intimidation to make a name for herself in the surfing world. 

When Pauline's determination propelled her onto the pro tour, her battle for acceptance and equality didn't end there. The endemic sexism of the industry meant prize money for women was a pittance, while sponsors ignored her because she was gay and didn't have the stereotypical surfer girl look that male marketing managers were after. Despite these challenges, Pauline became the 1993 World Champion and played a key role in bringing greater equality to the sport. 

Pauline recently penned a memoir called Surf Like a Woman. Through it we see clearly the unfairness of a sexist surf industry, and the rise of a modern surf shero who won the world title — and has made a life of sharing the gifts of a surfing despite physical, emotional and financial adversities. 

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Sung Min Cho: African Aloha08 Jun 202401:11:51

When is surfing about more than just selfish wave hoggery? 

Mozambique’s first professional surfer, Sung Min Cho, or ‘Mini’ for short, is writing a new story for surfing – he’s part of a burgeoning surf culture rising from the wake of three decades of armed conflict in the region.

 In 2018, Mini  co-counded Tofo surf club, Mozambique’s outpost of Surfers Not Street Children, which empowers street kids through surf coaching and mentorship. The effort has been funded in part by Pope Francis.  

Mini is on a mission to earn representation for his country in the Olympics — and spoke to us passionately about his love of surfing – not just for himself, but as a tool to lift up others, especially kids -- and as a lens for Mozambiqucans to write and tell their own stories in their own words. Stories about a nation brimming with natural beauty, resilient people and very good surf.

photo credit: Alan Van Gysen

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Theory of Change (pt. 1): Waterwomen Camp Out 01 Sep 202501:01:28

How does change happen when we, and the world, seem stuck in our ways? 

We’re curious about how change happens – and what people are doing on the ground, in our community, to create the causal pathways to shift social and environmental ideas, norms, and policy. 

Listen in for stories from the 2025 Waterwomen Camp Out put on by the NGO Surfers for Climate

The Waterwomen Camp is an annual weekend of women in nature coming together to help shape the future of surf culture and protect what we love. Through a series of workshops, wellness, connection and celebration we focus on educating and empowering women to own their place in and out of the water.

We hear from a range of attendees - from twenty to seventy-somethings. From those new to environmental work, to those five or more decades into their activism. These are stories about women seeing needs in their community and rising to meet them – from climate policy, to first aid, cultural reconciliation, right to the hands-on nitty gritty of cleaning our local river water, so the waterways, and the surfspots that catch them, stay clean and healthy – so we can, too.

One thing we know for sure about cultural change: it doesn't happen alone. We need each other, and we need strong communities. 

This episode is part of a two part mini-series exploring theories of change. Later this year, Dave will take us to a local River Festival involved in revitalising waterways. 

Thanks to Caitlin Fine, Nidala BarkerZoe White, Lucy Ewing, Courtney Miller, Aunty Lois Cook, Emjay Freeman, Kate McMahon, Tilly Hiscock, Stella, Emily, Britney, Dianne Tucker, Aunty Leila, and everyone who shared stories at the Waterwomen Camp Out 2025. 

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Torren Martyn & Aiyana Powell: Solo, Together08 Jun 202401:36:15

Ever want to pack up normalcy and set sail over the horizon? What’s it really like to live at sea for a year and rarely be further than 35 feet from your new significant other?

Torren Martyn and Aiyana Powell talk us through the peaks and troughs of life aboard Calypte, a borrowed 35-foot sailing boat that they spent 12 months sailing 9,000-kilometres - from Pattaya in the Gulf of Thailand to Lombok, an Indonesian island east of Bali -  a journey chronicled in their new independent film Calypte

With little practical sailing experience, Torren and Aiyana learned as they went – how to be fisherfolk, navigators, meteorologists, and mechanics to take care of running repairs — and still found plenty of surf along the way. 

Torren and Aiyana talk us through the happenstance of meeting, their time aboard Calypte – the trials of trust and communication at sea— and their newest adventure – starting a family together.

Photo credit: Ishka Folkwell


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Annie Ford: Adventurous Activism17 Jan 202401:42:44

The loudest human-made sounds: Nuclear Bomb (224 dB), Rocket launch (204 dB). And clocking in at 260 underwater decibels is the seismic blast, part of a process for exploring for oil and gas in the ocean. Unlike bombs and rockets, however, seismic blasts "fire approximately every 10 seconds around the clock for months at a time."

For eight years, Marine Biologist Annie Ford worked onboard seismic blasting vessels, and felt the relentless explosions and reverberations from her bed at night. She has since peddled away from the fossil fuel industry and  become one of its most creative whistleblowers.

Annie is a mountain biking  world record holder and has spent time surfing and sailing around the world, including multiple expeditions to Antarctica.

Today, Annie is the National Campaign Manager for the Surfrider Foundation Australia, where she is currently working to halt the largest marine seismic blasting project ever proposed. It is slated to take place off the coast of her home island of Lutruwita (Tasmania) – and will emit some of the loudest human made noises ever created – to the detriment of an entire ecosystem.

We caught up with Annie as she completed a 4,000 km bike ride (that about 2,500 miles) to talk about endurance, optimism, changing careers, and her entwined commitment to kindness, climate action and adventure.

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To get a download of the seismic blasting audio file to share at your community event, school, or tense family gathering, please send us an email: waterpeoplepodcast@gmail.com

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Thanks to our generous sponsors this season:

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