25 episodes

Welcome to Dropping In to Power, a podcast devoted to empowering women who surf (or dream of surfing) by sharing our personal stories of commitment, courage, frustration, epiphany, and transformation. Whether you are a newbie, soul surfer or a seasoned pro, our stories can collectively lift each other, change our world in the lineup, in our own heads and hearts, and out of the water. 

Dropping In to Power: Personal stories of the transformational power of surfing from women of all levels, all ages, all over‪.‬ Sheila Gallien

    • Health & Fitness
    • 5.0 • 16 Ratings

Welcome to Dropping In to Power, a podcast devoted to empowering women who surf (or dream of surfing) by sharing our personal stories of commitment, courage, frustration, epiphany, and transformation. Whether you are a newbie, soul surfer or a seasoned pro, our stories can collectively lift each other, change our world in the lineup, in our own heads and hearts, and out of the water. 

    "Auntie Mo" - Maureen McNamara - Maine

    "Auntie Mo" - Maureen McNamara - Maine

    "Auntie Mo"   - Maureen McNamara - Maine

    On Halloween of 2023, when Surfline shared her (now viral) video, we fell in love with a salty New England surfer hurling clean insults and sage advice to an offending “whippasnappa” in the lineup. “Auntie Mo” barreled into our hearts and has since graced our feeds with her elixir of deep surf knowledge, self-deprecating humor, and truly helpful surf (and life) tips embedded in gentle ribbing. Talking to the "the whole Mo," I discovered that “Auntie Mo” is a character she created to manage her own grumpiness about the bulging surf scene and her body’s refusal to act like a grom. For the usual flow of this podcast, Mo’s story is in reverse. An accomplished surfer since youth, she is learning to bring a beginner’s stoke back to her surfing as her ability declines. The whole Mo does not disappoint! She is brilliant, compassionate, articulate, thoughtful, kind, and funny. She is also an incredible talent - writer, photographer, shaper, triathlete, and storyteller. You may be surprised to hear the accent slip away, but the heart and soul of “Auntie Mo” shine through every moment in our interview as she espouses her ultimate mission:  "Share the stoke, and spread the stoke.” But heart-forward as she is, she is no shrinking violet. She has plenty to say about how contests temporarily killed surfboard innovation, why so many people are still riding the wrong boards, and why surfers need to play not just the big notes, but the long ones. 
    @waterwoman74 on IG
    Waterwomanphotography on fB
    Links to the Surfline posts - 
    The one that started it all:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/CywQqHQxAz8/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
    Wetsuit Truth Bombhttps://www.instagram.com/reel/Czy2tQAREHq/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
    Video we reference that the journalist shot and Surfline edited:https://www.instagram.com/reel/C09qJLmRHSx/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
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    • 1 hr 23 min
    Mermaid's Lament - Island of Hawaii

    Mermaid's Lament - Island of Hawaii

    “Moments before drowning, she became the sea.” - Mermaid’s Lament
    In this episode, we temporarily ditch our surfboards and plunge into the raw power of the ocean, its intersection with salvation, and creativity. I talk with the director and stars of Mermaid’s Lament, a film about trauma, grief, resilience, imagination and…mermaids! Shot entirely on the island of Hawaii with a regional cast and crew, director GB Hajim has created, in his words, “a love letter to all people who find peace in the ocean.” Stars Dayva Summer Escobar and Justina Mattos share their stories of breath-holding, fire-breathing, reef-harrowing ocean stunts, the surreal experience of being surrounded by dozens of mermaids, the development of trust, and the power of risk. We dig into the heart of art, and I couldn’t help but feeling, as we talked, that perhaps this surge in women’s surfing, and women’s community, is its own art form. As Dayva says, “Our job as human beings is to tell stories and share experiences that make everybody else feel less alone.” And, in surfing, art, and life, may we all follow GB’s advice, “Go out there and fail wondrously.” Listen and enjoy the passion and brilliance of these deeply authentic artists and if you are on the island, don’t miss it on the big screen!
    11/17, 7pm, Hilo Palace Theater Tickets: https://ticketing.uswest.veezi.com/purchase/716?siteToken=gm8khysj2xp8q7h501dqxk57cg
    Silent Auction of Movie Memorabilia to benefit the Palace: https://givebutter.com/c/mermaidslament/auction
    11/25, 7pm, Aloha Theatre Tickets: https://prod5.agileticketing.net/websales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=347091
    12/15, 5:30pm Honoka'a People's Theater: TBA
    @mermaidslament
    Mentions @sharksofhawaii, @oneoceandiving

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    • 1 hr 12 min
    Victoria Feige, Vancouver and North Shore, Hawaii

    Victoria Feige, Vancouver and North Shore, Hawaii

    Para surfer Victoria Feige, the winningest female adaptive surfer on record, unveils her inner nerd and offers us a breakthrough that will rock your world: a simple, visual explanation of the mechanics of the DUCK DIVE and WAVE MECHANICS. I promise, you will have an AHA moment! At heart, beyond her injury, Victoria is just a girl who LOVES to surf and has thought a LOT about it (and a lot of other things). Our convo touches on how hands make us human, how resilience informs grit, how neuroscience is sexy (isn’t it, though?) Trained as a physiotherapist who has been both a patient and a clinician, Victoria’s knowledge of the brain and body informs her mission to follow her joy.  Her observation that many of us are born with bodies or challenges we didn’t choose makes her approach to surfing, and life, universal. She also has fantastic advice for would-be adaptive surfers on equipment and wetsuits, available on her site, victoriafeigesurfing.com (I say it wrong in the podcast!) Listen to Victoria!

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    For more info on Victoria’s story, see these two articles.


    https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/article-paralympic-surfer-victoria-feige-knows-how-to-be-strong-in-the-water/
    https://www.buttermag.io/surf/victoria-feige/


    🏄‍♀️💜 Never miss an episode! Stay up to date with Dropping In To Power Podcast and get a love poem from the ocean - Sign up for the Substack here.💜🏄‍♀️
    🏄‍♀️💜 Never miss an episode! Stay up to date with Dropping In To Power Podcast and (when I finally get back in the swing-- a love poem from the ocean) - Sign up for the Substack here.💜🏄‍♀️

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    • 1 hr 17 min
    Mindy Pennybacker - Oahu, Hawai'i

    Mindy Pennybacker - Oahu, Hawai'i

    🏄‍♀️“Surfing well with a smile is the best revenge.” Mindy Pennybacker 🏄‍♀️  Mindy Pennybacker, lifelong soul surfer, author, journalist, and surf columnist for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, just released the gorgeous tome, Surfing Sisterhood Hawaii, a history, celebration, and, really, guidebook for how women have ruled and can rule the waves! Her axiom, “Our place is in the waves,"  leaps off of every page, a celebration of ordinary and extraordinary women surfers with a shared love of surfing. Mindy’s personal story spans the whole saga of women elbowing their way onto waves from Gidget to today, and glorious moments in between the jostling. Mindy jokingly calls herself a “brain in a jar,” which is accurate only in reference to her intelligence and wit. In this episode, we cover a lot of ground! She recounts tales of the great Hawaiian surf goddesses who were revered, and coveted, for their prowess. The struggle with body image and sense of self, even with the most accomplished women surfers, like Carissa Moore (whom she interviewed twice for her book). She digs into the gender wars in the lineup, with brilliant solutions for the onslaught of the three invaders: hotshots, visitors and groms. We delve into what it was like growing up in Hawaii in the surf scene of the 60s and 70s, the Tonng’s gang of boys who encouraged and protected her, being marginalized, alternately dropped in on and mentored by famous watermen, being nearly beaten up, and being cheered. What else? Pro surfing, friendships, harrowing moments, pioneers, life. And, being accidentally barreled. Mindy talked to countless women, famous and not, for her book. Their stories are now woven into hers, and ours. Don’t miss this episode! 
    Buy the book: https://mutualpublishing.com/product/surfing-sisterhood-hawaii/

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    Other references:
    Surf Girls Hawaii on Amazon Prime
    Important movies about the history of Hawaiian surf (though NOT women’s surf)
    Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau
    Waterman (The story of Duke Kahanomoku)
     
    🏄‍♀️💜 Never miss an episode! Stay up to date with Dropping In To Power Podcast and (when I finally get back in the swing-- a love poem from the ocean) - Sign up for the Substack here.💜🏄‍♀️

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    • 1 hr 27 min
    BONUS (RANT) EPISODE: Get Out Your Pom Poms! Women Pro Surfers Need Our Cheers, Today!!

    BONUS (RANT) EPISODE: Get Out Your Pom Poms! Women Pro Surfers Need Our Cheers, Today!!

    One of the joys of women flocking to the water is how we are learning to cheer for one another. (I know, some of us, ahem, are still working on this on particular days and in particular conditions.) This is NOT something we are raised with, cheering for other women, especially successful ones. We come up against our own competitive feelings (no one should be smart, pretty AND talented), as well as the constant messaging that women athletes are "less than" by the misogynist (yes, I said it) sports industry. I got extra fired up about the inequities still in action for pro women surfers while listening to the last two episodes of The Double Up podcast, about the attempt to keep women from winning prize money, the ensuing coup spontaneously launched by pro Lucy Small (yas, girl!) and, then...the fallout. More than anything, I want to inspire us to watch and support women's pro surfing! In this episode, I walk through the whys, and also the HOW'S of watching women in the World Surf League. Let's get our girls!
    Show Notes:
    Listen to The Double Up Episodes 54 & 55 about the Kirra Longboard Classic
    Links to my 7-part series on Why (And How) to Watch Women's Surfing in the Olympics (principles apply to all pro women's surfing)
    Watch at worldsurfleague.com website and app, on Facebook, and on YouTube
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    IG @dropping_in_to_power
    🏄‍♀️💜 Never miss an episode! Stay up to date with Dropping In To Power Podcast and (when I finally get back in the swing-- a love poem from the ocean) - Sign up for the Substack here.💜🏄‍♀️

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    • 30 min
    Dr. Stephanie Han, Honolulu, Oahu

    Dr. Stephanie Han, Honolulu, Oahu

    “To be in the water like this is to be in movement to a musical note, it is to be one with color while painting, to be with a line while drawing.” From the upcoming, Break.
    Dr. Stephanie Han, Korean-American author, educator, speaker and self-proclaimed “bad surfer” came to surfing with a dream - to stop the splintering of her family. Instead, the ocean exposed the jagged, reef-like edges, of her marriage, and herself. Though her relationship with water has been complex—the haunting of a childhood near-drowning, years of phobia, and a hella long learning curve to swim—the ocean finally called her home, becoming an integral part of her story, and her life. Through the sublime and the savage, surfing is teaching her to listen to her body, a place once ignored by her powerful mind. Steph’s writing, like her speaking, is ferocious, visceral, intentional, and empowering. As a producer for Hawaii Pubic Radio’s The Conversation, and writer of her Substack, Woman, Warrior, Writer, she showcases brilliant women who are authoring their lives. And for those who have not found their voice, she teaches. You can find her eviscerating, award-winning short stories Swimming In Hong Kong, on her website. And be on the lookout for her upcoming book, Break (excerpted above) where she shares her (surf-laced) divorce story, and teaches women to write their own. You will want to cheer for Steph, yourself, and all women after this episode!
     Website: drstephaniehan.com   IG @drstephaniehan 
    Drstephaniehan.substack.com
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    IG @dropping_in_to_power
    🏄‍♀️💜 Never miss an episode! Stay up to date with Dropping In To Power Podcast and (when I finally get back in the swing-- a love poem from the ocean) - Sign up for the Substack here.💜🏄‍♀️

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    • 1 hr 9 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
16 Ratings

16 Ratings

𝚖𝚊𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚗 ,

Love it

I just stared to surf (Love it) and this podcast really inspired me

Nina P44 ,

So Happy I Found This Podcast!

It’s so awesome to find a podcast like this! I love the inspiration behind the conversations and the natural stoke of the host and her guests. I could talk about surfing all day so I really appreciate having a podcast, created by a woman, that I can listen to. Looking forward to more episodes! And I love the diversity of the guests so far. Great stuff!

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