Do you pursue what you love? Amiga, stand-up comedian and artist JJ Barrows shares her inspiring story about how it’s never too late to find and follow your passions. The ocean has served as JJ’s medicine throughout life; helping manage fear and anxiety while also illuminating her talents and encouraging change. In her early days of surfing, JJ struggled to belong and find community. Listen as she describes her surf journey and how the ocean helped cultivate her inner voice, gain confidence and create a life of intention in ways she never could have imagined.

Connect with us at https://surfwithamigas.com/ or @surfwithamigas.

Episodes produced and edited by Emma Roggenkamp.

Many expecting mothers think that their surf lives won’t have to change when they have kids. But the reality is, our bodies and lives take quite the turn after bringing another human being into the world. In this episode, Ruby, a former SWA coach, gets raw and real with the truth about surfing after kids. She chats about the initial shock of her pregnant life, going from thinking that she’d be living her healthiest lifestyle to experiencing constant nausea and sickness throughout her pregnancy. We focus on one of the most key questions of surfing mamas, what happens when you can’t surf? Listen as we chat about the identity shift mothers go through and how we can work on ourselves to grow into or improve our motherhood and find the right balance with family life and surfing.

Connect with us at https://surfwithamigas.com/ or @surfwithamigas.

Episodes produced and edited by Emma Roggenkamp.

Do you dream of gorgeous sand-bottom beach breaks? Or galloping down the beach on horseback with views of volcanoes silhouetted at sunset? If that sounds like paradise, you should consider our Northern Nicaragua retreat location for your next surf trip. In this episode, you’ll learn all about our original SWA retreats in Nica, located at La Bahia and the Cocoloco Ecolodge. Nicaragua offers epic waves for all ability levels, whether you’re catching your first wave in the whitewater or working on tube riding. Our retreats there represent the ultimate adventure vacation, it’s not just a surf trip but also a raw and real cultural immersion experience. Listen as Holly and Beany share stories, chat about conflicts in the water and answer your most frequently asked questions about our Nicaragua retreats.

Connect with us at https://surfwithamigas.com/ or @surfwithamigas.

Episodes produced and edited by Emma Roggenkamp.

1 in 8 women get breast cancer and more younger women are experiencing breast cancer now than ever before. Alida Brandenburg, a former Amiga, shares her own breast cancer story. She begins by sharing her surf story, her practice of mindfulness in motion, an act that allowed her to get comfortable with failure and let go of perfectionism. Surfing picked her up and turned her life in a different direction. But just like how she learned in surfing to let go of control in the water, she found herself completely surrounded by uncertainty when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. During a routine checkup at age 37 (with no symptoms present), she discovered two different types of breast cancer in both breasts. She survived multiple surgeries and 16 rounds of chemotherapy all in just one year. She recalls her story, both mental and physical while also offering advice to other breast cancer patients. She swore to beat her triple negative cancer with a triple positive attitude. Her experience has radically changed her view of her body and what it does for her, most especially in the water.

Connect with us at https://surfwithamigas.com/ or @surfwithamigas.

Episodes produced and edited by Emma Roggenkamp.

Connect with us at https://surfwithamigas.com/ or @surfwithamigas.

Episodes produced and edited by Emma Roggenkamp.

SWA head yoga teacher, Reesie Richards, chats about her background and introduction to body movement, which centers around dance and yoga. Since age 16, she practiced yoga and furthered her education with Paul Greeley, the “creator” of Yin yoga. She chats about the differences between Yin and restorative yoga and how she caters her yoga practice specifically for surfers at SWA retreats. Reesie’s yoga offers a space for all to experience freedom of expression. It is a hilarious and entertaining blend of relaxation and education about bodily functions. She emphasizes the difference between functional and aesthetic yoga, as well as the idea that different bodies are bound to move in varying ways. 

Connect with us at https://surfwithamigas.com/ or @surfwithamigas.

Episodes produced and edited by Emma Roggenkamp.

In this mini episode, SWA's head yoga teacher, Reesie Richards, shares some of her most epic misadventure stories. From wild interactions with frogs, foreign hospital experiences and being lost and alone abroad, her stories show us how to ride the waves of unfortunate mishaps and become more comfortable with the uncomfortable.

Connect with us at https://surfwithamigas.com/ or @surfwithamigas.

Episodes produced and edited by Emma Roggenkamp.

What is it like to identify as queer in a heteronormative and male-dominated surf culture? Kyla Langen, former pro surfer and founder of Queer Surf, an organization dedicated to expanding surf culture and supporting queer wellness, reminisces with our host Holly Beck about their time together on tour and surfing around the world in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. They chat about the structure and expectations for female professional surfers of the time and what it meant for those who did not fit the standard mold (for queer folks in particular). Kyla recalls her struggles with sponsors and having to hide parts of her identity in order to remain supported. She dives into the barriers to queer surfing and her journey in creating Queer Surf. Kyla dreams of a more inclusive, friendly lineup, where people of all bodies and beliefs can find connection and awareness through the ocean.

Connect with us at https://surfwithamigas.com/ or @surfwithamigas.

Episodes produced and edited by Emma Roggenkamp.

Sexism is pervasive in the surf industry. While the women athletes now earn equal prize money to the men and more brands are featuring a variety of body types and athletes of color in their marketing, there’s still room for improvement. In preparation for our episode to be released this week with Kyla Langen of Queer Surf, Holly shares her story of both experiencing and benefiting from the sexism of the surf industry in the 2000s, and how we can be aware of our privilege and advocate for others in whatever industry we’re in now.

Connect with us at https://surfwithamigas.com/ or @surfwithamigas.

Episodes produced and edited by Emma Roggenkamp.

Today we connect with Delia Bense-Kang, a former Surf With Amigas instructor and big wave surfer. Although she hasn’t always identified as a big wave surfer, since learning to surf as a young girl she has consistently run towards what most of us would consider to be big waves. She first began to push her limits in the cold, heavy waves of Northern California but is now living in Hawaii, where she continues to challenge herself in even heavier (but warm water) waves, chasing swells worldwide alongside the big wave community. In this episode, Delia shares a recent story of her biggest wave (and wipeout) in Todos Santos, Mexico, her tips for dealing with fear, training, and other techniques we can all use to build our own confidence and capabilities in the water.

Connect with us at https://surfwithamigas.com/ or @surfwithamigas.

Episodes produced and edited by Emma Roggenkamp.