Lauren L. Hill

Podcasts

Episódios

  1. Howie Cooke: Artivism

    11 DE MAR.

    Howie Cooke: Artivism

    When was the last time you had an epiphany?  Artist/activist Howie Cooke shares the sudden realisation that steered the course of his life's work - a handful of decades on the front lines of marine protection via NGOs, art, music and direct action.  Howie has spent 50 years boogie boarding, playing guitar and painting. He has shown in hundreds of art exhibitions around the world – in addition to his large-scale murals, mostly of cetaceans.  Twenty years ago, Howie co-founded the NGO Surfers for Cetaceans to activate surf media on the issue of whaling. S4C then grew into one of surfing’s most scrappily impactful direct action organisations – through campaigns like Transparentsea, films like Academy Award winning documentary The Cove, and collaborating with groups like Paul Watson’s Sea Shepherd. Along the way we dig into what keeps conviction alive as you age: ideals without absolutism, humor as a tool, and the role of the artist in a world flooded with distraction.  If you care about the power of art, cetacean conservation, ocean pollution, or creative environmental activism, this conversation offers both practical lessons and deep emotional re-centering.  We talk through the campaigns, contradictions, and  mindset that have kept Howie moving forward without slipping (too far) into perfectionism or despair. Send us Fan Mail ... 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.

    2h38min
  2. Soli Bailey: Maps to Now

    1 DE MAR.

    Soli Bailey: Maps to Now

    There's no straight lines in the ocean - nor in a surfing life. We sit with professional surfer and Bundjalung waterman Soli Bailey to trace his lines from early talent and success, through the grind of competing and a life-threatening neck injury, to a grounded love of surfing that’s deeper than any accolades. Soli opens up about the quiet crisis that arrived during lockdowns: paddling out and not wanting to be there. He breaks down how stepping off the contest treadmill, and reconnecting with community brought the spark back. Then comes the hard turn: a violent injury, neurosurgeons warning he was lucky to walk, and the decision to have surgery. Soli shares what recovery taught him about slowing down, caring for his body, and holding ambition without letting it hollow you out.  We revisit his dream run—Cloudbreak’s drainers, Shipstern’s step-ladders, and hidden points—and why he doesn’t need “bigger, faster, farther” to feel complete. Along the way, he honors the people who steadied him: a steadfast stepmum, a patient partner, mentors, and sponsors who backed a freesurf path over results. Send us Fan Mail ... 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.

    1h 16min
  3. Sterling Spencer: Fan of the Universe

    12/12/2025

    Sterling Spencer: Fan of the Universe

    At age 8, Sterling Spencer was signed to surf sponsorship and then had a successful amateur career before chasing the Pro Tour.  He was an early internet adopter who found his stride not in competitive surfing, but in making good fun of an earnest surf industry and culture.  Sterling is a pro surfer and media maker from Florida’s Gulf Coast known for blending high performance surfing with comedic skits in films like GOLD and Surf Madness. He is the host of Pinch My Salt, a mashup surf and comedy podcast “where surf culture gets roasted, worshipped, and flipped upside down.”  Sterling was the subject of the 2024 film Are You Serious? That traces his diagnosis and recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury.  We go deep on the invisible chaos of concussion—why scans can miss it, how symptoms creep, and what happens when COVID and old infections complicate healing.  Surfing becomes both mirror and medicine, not a performance, but a practice that quiets the noise and rebuilds trust in body and mind. Along the way, Sterling opens up about his upbringing, the relief of humor, and the early internet era when he roasted the surf industry and found sudden notoriety.  There are stories you’ll replay: Kelly Slater’s psychological heat tactics, centaur sightings that became an icebreaker, and the hard-earned lesson that being a nobody can feel like freedom.  We talk parenting and breaking cycles, why algorithms flatten originality, the comedic brain, crisis as creative fuel, and making surfing his own again.  Send us Fan Mail ... 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.

    1h 31min
  4. Patti Paniccia: Raising the Bar

    9 DE FEV.

    Patti Paniccia: Raising the Bar

    What are you unwilling to ignore?  Through her experience in pro surfing, journalism and law, Patti Paniccia is a formidable advocate for equity in the water and the workplace.   Patti helped build the IPS tour from the ground up, organised the Hawaii Women’s Surfing Hui to create opportunity, and then carried that same tenacity into law and journalism—ultimately winning a landmark workplace discrimination case against CNN. We sit down with Patti to unpack how a young surfer inspired by chasing lost boards at Huntington Pier became the woman cold-calling promoters, writing qualifying criteria, and pushing the sport past the tired trope of “curiosities with too many male hormones.” Patti takes us inside the inaugural 1976 world tour—its camaraderie and the mess of sponsors asking for wet t‑shirt contests and “date raffles.” She breaks down why equal pay without equal opportunity is still inequity, citing the principle that interest and ability grow from access and experience. We talk media erasure and the plaques that forgot women, and the everyday tactics it took to earn respect in the lineup. Then the story widens. Law school at Pepperdine with dawn sessions at Malibu. Local TV, an Emmy nomination, and an on-air career shaped by a reporter’s craft: tell the human story first. Motherhood reveals the limits of “we love your reporting” as doors close and memos suggest “mommydom.” Patti’s lawsuit—gruelling and precedent-setting—shows what it costs to confront power and what changes when you win. Through it all, surfing remains the anchor: of strength, confidence, and perspective that travels from the lineup to the classroom, newsroom and courtroom. If you care about surfing history, gender equity, media accountability, or how to hold a line under pressure, you’ll find a blueprint here. Patti Paniccia is one of professional surfing's under-celebrated architects.  Send us Fan Mail ... 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.

    1h 14min
  5. Jack Johnson: Time, Dreams & The Heart

    09/08/2022

    Jack Johnson: Time, Dreams & The Heart

    In Greek myth, staring at the monster Medusa would turn mortals to stone; one needed a mirror to take the edge off.  Surfer, filmmaker and musician Jack Johnson reckons music and art can play a similar role in reflecting more digestible, less paralysing iterations of the ills and obstacles facing us all.  Jack studied film at UCSB, and went on to make culture shaping movies like Thicker Than Water and A Broke down Melody. More recently, he’s a Grammy nominated artist, and founder of two charitable foundations  with his wife and business partner Kim, including the  Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation, which supports and funds environmental, art, and music education, and the Kokua Hawaii Foundation, which provides experiential environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawaiʻi.  We caught up with Jack as he prepped to release his eighth studio album Meet the Moonlight in June 2022 about Greek mythology, watching dragonflies,  balancing family and work, the function of the artist today and where style comes from — in both music and surfing.  ... Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich Sound Engineer: Ben Alexander Soundtrack By: Shannon Sol Carroll Additional music by Wave Brain  - Dave, Neal Purchase Jr. and Christian Barker  Join the conversation: @Waterpeoplepodcast Waterpeoplepodcast.com Photo Credit: Protect Our Rivers Send us Fan Mail ... 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.

    57 min
  6. Holly Beck: Simplicity + Therapy

    10/08/2025

    Holly Beck: Simplicity + Therapy

    Is there a particular fear that's still holding you back?  Holistic surf therapist and coach Holly Beck talks us through the way she sees terrestrial life play out in the water -  in terms of how we behave and how we engage with others and with the ocean.  Holly spent 10 years as a professional surfer, where she pioneered new pathways for women in the industry as a competitor, savvy freesurfer and as president of International Women's Surfing, a largely forgotten union to push for equal pay and opportunity in the early 2000s.  In the year 2000, Holly took home the Teen Choice award for Female Extreme Athlete. She was also one of surfing’s first reality TV stars: as one of seven pro surfers filmed and followed on Oahu’s North Shore during the 2002 Triple Crown of Surfing. Holly moved to Central America at age 30, eventually building a tiny off-grid home that pulled focus on her values.  Holly has a degree in psychology, an MBA, and a master’s in counselling. She is the founder Surf With Amigas – an all-inclusive surf and yoga retreat for adventurous women – which she’s run for the last 15 years from her homebase in Central America.  Today she is part of innovating the space of therapeutic surf coaching – a modality that combines experiential and talk therapy with surf coaching to elucidate clients mental wellbeing, while also improving their surfing. Send us Fan Mail ... 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.

    1h 30min
  7. Living the Questions: answering your queries

    22/12/2025

    Living the Questions: answering your queries

    Ever felt the ocean fix what land couldn’t?  This episode, we turn the mics on one another and answer your questions about grief, love, parenting, and crowded lineups.  Hear the stories behind the sails, the garden, and the choices that have shaped us.  Also:  It’s time for our annual giveaway – you can enter by leaving a review of the podcast before January 15th – wherever you listen to podcasts. A couple of years ago our dear friends took us to their favourite hidden gem in Indonesia: Ngalung Kalla Eco Retreat nestled into the cliffs of Sumba. We want one lucky listener to experience it, too.  To enter: Leave us a review wherever you listen – Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc with at least two sentences. The first sentence is about your favorite Waterpeople episode, and the second is about who you would like to bring with you to experience the spaciousness and reeling rights of Ngalung Kalla in 2026 – and why you want to take that person with you.  Don’t forget to leave a way to get in touch with you – your name, email, - any way you prefer.  Send us Fan Mail ... 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.

    1h 19min
  8. Theory of Change (pt. 1): Waterwomen Camp Out

    01/09/2025

    Theory of Change (pt. 1): Waterwomen Camp Out

    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 Barker,  Zoe 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.  Send us Fan Mail ... 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.

    1h 1min
  9. Arne Rubinstein: Rites of Passage

    25/06/2025

    Arne Rubinstein: Rites of Passage

    Rites of passage, once central to marking life’s transitions, have faded in modernity. As we navigate rising anxiety, social fragmentation, and a world where technology permeates nearly all aspects of our shared human experience, what role could a revival of rites of passage play in reclaiming our resilience and our capacity for social cohesion? Dr Arne Rubinstein is the CEO and Founder of the Rites of Passage Institute. His goal is to make Rites of Passage mainstream once again. He has over 30 years experience as a medical doctor, counsellor, mentor, speaker and workshop facilitator.  He has developed programs, seminars and camps attended by more than 350,000 people globally and has effectively implemented rites of passage frameworks into some of the largest schools in Australia. His work emphasises the importance of recognising and reflecting on key moments in our lives and pausing to understand them deeply before moving forward. ... This episode is made possible by our generous partners: Patagonia is in business to save our home planet.  Its unique ownership structure reflects that Earth is its only shareholder: Profits not reinvested back into the business are paid as dividends to protect the planet. ... Primal Water, by Alkaway, is an at-home water filter that mimics nature and is boosted with molecular hydrogen. It's a game-changer. Head to Primal-water.com and use the code waterpeople for $100 off your purchase until June 30th, 2025. Send us Fan Mail ... 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.

    1h 16min
  10. Kiana Weltzien: More with Less

    17/05/2025

    Kiana Weltzien: More with Less

    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 us Fan Mail ... 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.

    1h 3min
  11. Rusty Miller: Surfing Through Life

    08/06/2023

    Rusty Miller: Surfing Through Life

    What's possible in the eighth decade of life?  Rusty Miller will be 80 this year - and he's still rocking off at Lennox Point and taking off on the best set waves.  Born in Southern Californian, Rusty was the 1965 United States Surfing Champion. He moved to Byron Bay Australia in 1970, where he has since lived, surfed, taught, and written about surfing -- and been an integral member of the community.  Rusty was amongst the first surf travellers to venture to Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt and Portugal in the mid-1960s. In 1971, he was featured in Albe Falzon’s iconic film Morning of the Earth.  In 1973 Rusty started the North Coast region’s first alternative newspaper, The Byron Express, and has been printing an annual magazine - Rusty’s Byron Guide–  since 1984. It offers a practical and philosophical introduction to the Byron area.  In 2012, Rusty co-wrote his first book Turning Point: Surf Portraits and Stories From Bells to Byron 1970-1971. Then came Turning Point II: Surf Portraits and Stories Hawaii: Oahu-Kauai-Maui 1968-1972. Both of which were collaborations with his partner, social  geographer Trisha Shantz. They have two daughters, Taylor and Courtney. Rusty continues to share his ample surfing wisdom through his school – Rusty Miller Surf. .... Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich Sound Engineer: Ben Alexander Theme song: Shannon Sol Carroll Additional music by Dave & Ben Join the conversation: @Waterpeoplepodcast Waterpeoplepodcast.com Photo Credit: Chris Duczynski Send us Fan Mail ... 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.

    1h 36min
  12. Mary Setterholm: So Then I Prayed

    08/12/2020

    Mary Setterholm: So Then I Prayed

    One year after founding the Women's International Surfing Association in 1975, Mary Setterholm bought a bus ticket and left surfing behind -- her community and the culture she was helping to shape. Mary is a  graduate of Harvard Divinity School has gone on teach hundreds of women and at risk youth the art of riding waves. She shares the painful story of why she left and how she found her way back to the ocean. ..... Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich More about Mary Sound Engineer & Music By: Shannon Sol Carroll  Join the conversation: Waterpeoplepodcast.com @Waterpeoplepodcast  Send us Fan Mail ... 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.

    2h7min
  13. Bob McTavish: Trim & Wonder

    30/08/2024

    Bob McTavish: Trim & Wonder

    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.  Send us Fan Mail ... 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.

    58 min
  14. John Peck: Rebirth

    04/11/2025

    John Peck: Rebirth

    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 nostalgia-hungry surf Send us Fan Mail ... 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.

    39 min
  15. Mobilizing the Coastal Constituency with SEAN DOHERTY

    24/05/2020

    Mobilizing the Coastal Constituency with SEAN DOHERTY

    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 us Fan Mail ... 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.

    29 min
  16. Bonnie Tsui: On Muscle + Movement

    08/06/2025

    Bonnie Tsui: On Muscle + Movement

    What moves you through the world? In the most literal sense, it's the same answer for all of us: muscle.  In On Muscle, Bonnie Tsui brings her signature blend of science, culture, immersive reporting, and personal narrative to examine not just what muscles are - but what they mean to us.  Bonnie attended Harvard University, where she rowed crew, snowboarded, and studied American literature. She came to surfing in her late 20s after relocating to California.  Today, Bonnie lives, swims, and surfs in the Bay Area and contributes regularly to the New York Times.   She is the author of four books: American Chinatown: A People’s History of Five Neighborhoods, Why We Swim,  Sarah and the Big Wave, and her latest, On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters Bonnie talks us through the purpose of the brain (!), learning to surf as an adult, the gendered cultural narratives around strength, the name of a whale's powerful butt muscle, and the inevitability of age related muscle loss (and what we can do about it).  More about Bonnie here & here ... This episode is made possible by our generous partners: Patagonia is in business to save our home planet.  Its unique ownership structure reflects that Earth is its only shareholder: Profits not reinvested back into the business are paid as dividends to protect the planet. ... Primal Water, by Alkaway, is an at-home water filter that mimics nature and is boosted with molecular hydrogen. It's a game-changer. Head to Primal-water.com and use the code waterpeople for $100 off your purchase until June 30th, 2025. Send us Fan Mail ... 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.

    1h 20min
  17. Jock Sutherland: Muscle Memory

    14/12/2022

    Jock Sutherland: Muscle Memory

    In early 1970, Jock Sutherland enlisted in the U.S. Army to fight in Vietnam. At  that time, he was considered amongst the most visible and versatile surfers on the planet. The surfing world was shocked; and so was his mother.  Jock never made it to active duty, but spent two years in the service, after which he was rarely included in surf media.  In 1989, Jock was busted for running cocaine and spent two years in prison.   In his complexity and cleverness, Jock Sutherland has held an iconic position in the surfing community – a kind of hero’s hero – for his pioneering approach to tuberiding and switchoot surfing in waves of consequence. Jock grew up on Oahu's North Shore and is the son of adventurer Audrey Sutherland, author of several books including Paddling My Own Canoe, who lived by the motto "Go Simple, Go Solo, Go Now." Continuing in the slipstream of his mother’s daring, Jock went on to become a defining surfer of the 1960s.  He claimed the cover of SURFER MAG in 1966, won the 1967 Duke Kahanamoku Invitational, and was featured in nearly a dozen surf movies, including Pacific Vibrations.  "We used to call him 'the Extraterrestrial,'" fellow surfer Jeff Hakman later said, "because he was so good at everything. He could beat anyone at chess or Scrabble; he could smoke more hash than anyone, take more acid, and still go out there and surf better than anyone." Jock talks us through the highs, lows and the middle ground where he is currently anchored in service and surfing.  … Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich Sound Engineer: Ben Alexander Soundtrack By: Shannon Sol Carroll Additional music by Ben Alexander Join the conversation: @Waterpeoplepodcast Waterpeoplepodcast Send us Fan Mail ... 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.

    1h 9min
  18. Jamie Brisick: Breaking the Surface

    07/11/2024

    Jamie Brisick: Breaking the Surface

    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.  Send us Fan Mail ... 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.

    1h 15min
  19. The Rivers Run: Theory of Change (pt. 2)

    17/12/2025

    The Rivers Run: Theory of Change (pt. 2)

    What's a river to you?  After cyclone Alfred crossed Australia's East Coast earlier this year, tens of thousands of fish died in our local river, Dave got a persistent staph infection and our community tousled with a question: what's wrong with our river? And what can we do about it ? 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.  The first episode heard from organisers and attendees of the 2025 Waterwomen Camp Out put on by the NGO Surfers for Climate.  In today's episode, we head to Richmond River Fest 2025,  a month-long celebration of the rivers, cultures, and communities of the Northern Rivers put on by Richmond Riverkeeper. We hear from marine scientist Liz Hawkins, who reveals how our resident Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins use the Richmond as a kitchen and nursery. She connects river health to coastal resilience.  Then, lifelong commercial fisher Mark lays down hard truths about the Teven/Tuckean barrage and failed floodgates. The fix is practical and proven. Revive The Northern Rivers founder Tom Wolff speaks of his seventh generation connection to the river and gives Dave a guiding question that fills his sails. Dave shares the story behind one of his projects this year, The Rivers Run. It's a 50-kilometer run–paddle–swim designed to recruit surfers, divers, and sailors into tree-planting, mangrove restoration, and on-the-ground river care with OzFish and Revive the Northern Rivers.  Along the Cape Byron Marine Park and a UNESCO-recognized Hope Spot, we remember why this coastline still inspires—and what it demands in return. Send us Fan Mail ... 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.

    43 min
  20. John Florence: Navigating Edges

    25/11/2021

    John Florence: Navigating Edges

    Olympian and two-time surfing World Champion John John Florence masterfully navigates the edges of flying and falling. Riding big waves  and sailing at high speed around the Hawaiian Islands are amongst his most instructive and inspiring moments. Seen as the most technically gifted surfer on the planet right now, John has the eyes of the surfing world focused on everything he does. His broad ranging interests -- from beekeeping to photography to science fiction -- are  cracking the mold of what it looks like to be a competitive surfer. In the tradition of Hawaiian watermen, John has embraced all kinds of ocean activity, and also the wisdom of surfers from the timeline of surfing. In our meandering chat, John talks us through high speed  sailing with eighty-year-old surfing legend Joey Cabell,  the value of taking breaks from the singular focus of competitive surfing, the ambiguity of the impacts of social media, his favourite surf film, and how he navigates being an introvert in a culture of extroverts. John also speaks to his absolute love of surfing that leaves him speechless, even after decades of marathon  surf sessions.  ... Listen with Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich Sound Engineer & Music By: Shannon Sol Carroll Additional music: ‘Evergreen’ by Band of Frequencies:  Men of Wood & Foam album    Join the conversation: @Waterpeoplepodcast Waterpeoplepodcast.com Photo Credit: Hurley Send us Fan Mail ... 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.

    1h 17min
Lauren L. Hill na Apple