The Double-Up

From Margo to Molly, Sofia to Steph, Chelsea and Carissa to Caity and Caroline, Sandy to Sally, Pam to Paige, Lynne to Layne, the Championship Tour has provided us an incredible array of women across three different organizations over nearly 50 years.

As deep as the list of amazing women to grace the Tour is, their numbers have been capped at 18, at best, for the entirety of its existence, compared with 48 and above for the men during the majority of that time.

This episode, while appreciating the first notable increase in women’s numbers to date, and the best calendar the women’s CT has ever seen, we take a look at past numbers and schedules on Tour to place the recent announcements in their historical context.

We also recap the 2024 ISA World Para Surfing Championship and catch up on other notable happenings in the world of women’s surf.

Go Deeper
Read: The Fight for Gender Equality in One of the Most Dangerous Sports on Earth, Major Surf Brands In Turmoil As ABG Pulls North American Licenses

Chapters
00:00 - Intro
11:53 - The History of Women on the CT
34:46 - 2025 WSL Schedules
54:15 - ISA World Para Surfing Championship

Info
Music: Dry Grass, courtesy of Body Type
Contact: [email protected]
Instagram: @the.double.up
Web: www.womensurf.net

It's a bumper episode this week, delving into all the news we've missed in recent times.

We start by catching up on the end of the Challenger Series, talking through each of the qualifiers for the 2025 CT, before delving into a Lazer Breathing Dragons tangent, which leads straight into the ISA World Masters, for which we talk to two of the three Australian women on their team, the 1993 and 1995 ASP Rookies of the Year, Kim Wooldridge and Serena Brooke, before giving a quick preview of the upcoming ISA World Para Surfing Championships.

Go Deeper
Watch: Inamorata, Lazer Breathing Dragons

Chapters
00:00 - Intro
04:41 - Challenger Series Year-End Wrap
36:55 - Lazer Breathing Dragons
53:04 - ISA World Masters Recap, incl. Interview w/ Kim Wooldridge and Serana Brooke
1:27:39 - ISA World Para Surfing Championships Preview

Info
Music: Dry Grass, courtesy of Body Type
Contact: [email protected]
Instagram: @the.double.up
Web: www.womensurf.net

In a surprise to no-one, we have dedicated this entire episode to the incredible feat that our co-host has accomplished in winning her second World Title.

Having recently interviewed Rach after her US Open win, Shan approached this one differently, taking a holistic look at Rach's career. The two talk through her first World Title and the many changes the Longboard Tour has gone through in the period of time since she claimed that in 2015. They also go deep into process, strategy and the different emotions the new Finals format is drawing out of competitive surfers.

If you're a regular listener, you've heard these two talk. A lot. But never before like this.

Chapters
00:00 - Intro
09:04 - Rachael Tilly Interview

Info
Music: Dry Grass, courtesy of Body Type
Contact: [email protected]
Instagram: @the.double.up
Web: www.womensurf.net

The Longboard Tour has reached its pinnacle for 2024, with the inaugural Abu Dhabi Longboard Classic being wrapped and the Top 8 decided for El Salvador. Our very own Rachael Tilly sits in prime position to challenge for her second World Title later this week when the Longboard Finals kick off.

This episode Shan and Rach catch up on Abu Dhabi and preview El Salvador, while also checking in on the Challenger Series and getting a glimpse of the future with Milla Brown dropping her epic edit, Odyssey.

Go Deeper
Watch: Milla Brown's Odyssey

Chapters
00:00 - Intro
06:27 - Abu Dhabi Longboard Classic Recap
23:32 - Surf City El Salvador Longboard Championships Preview
30:32 - Challenger Series Update
37:48 - Milla Brown's Odyssey

Info
Music: Dry Grass, courtesy of Body Type
Contact: [email protected]
Instagram: @the.double.up
Web: www.womensurf.net

Another season is now officially in the books and, at 18-years-old, Caity Simmers is your new World Champion.

As predicted by Rach and Shan last episode, an initial loss to defending World Champion Caroline Marks fired Caity up. Fueled by support from her crew of sand children, she delivered some of the best surfing of the year and put a solid stamp on an incredible season.

This episode we talk through everything that happened as the World Champions were crowned on the cobblestones of Trestles one last time.

Chapters
00:00 - Intro
09:21 - WSL Finals Recap

Info
Music: Dry Grass, courtesy of Body Type
Contact: [email protected]
Instagram: @the.double.up
Web: www.womensurf.net

We're nothing if not wildly inconsistent. No episodes for two months and then two in a week? Welcome to the show.

With an extremely quick turnaround from Fiji into the Finals, and with the only real swell of the Finals waiting period expected on day one, we've hustled to make sure Fiji gets its due and that our Finals picks are in just in time for them to probably be wrong.

We are also joined by Erin Brooks, the 17-year-old wildcard who claimed victory in her very first CT appearance, to talk through that big first win and also get her thoughts on who might win the 2024 World Title.

Chapters
00:00 - Intro
08:23 - Corona Fiji Pro Recap
25:37 - Erin Brooks Interview
38:38 - WSL Finals Preview

Info
Music: Dry Grass, courtesy of Body Type
Contact: [email protected]
Instagram: @the.double.up
Web: www.womensurf.net

This episode our co-hosts are front and center after a major return to the top of the podium for Rach and a big second Olympic Games opportunity for Shan. With the two events happening almost simultaneously, we figured the best plan was for them to interview each other about their experiences, covering all the rest of the action in each event along the way. We also finish with some discussion around Shan's recent post and announcement.

*We recorded this episode while the Fiji Pro was still happening. Full Fiji + Finals breakdown to come shortly.

Chapters
00:00 - Intro
06:11 - US Open / Rachael Tilly Interview
38:51 - Olympic Games / Shannon Hughes Interview

Info
Music: Dry Grass, courtesy of Body Type
Contact: [email protected]
Instagram: @the.double.up
Web: www.womensurf.net

Two big things for 2024 are presently getting underway and we've returned from the cliff we fell off to give you a glimpse of the excitement that awaits competitive women's surfing in the coming days.

It's as straightforward an episode as the title suggests. We take a peek at the draw for the Bells Beach Longboard Classic which Rach is competing in right now, as well as looking at the overall 2024 Longboard Tour season, before delving into the excitement of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which Shan is on her way to.

Go Deeper
Watch: Camilla, Brisa Hennessy

Chapters
00:00 - Intro
08:42 - 2024 WSL Longboard Tour
28:03 - Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Info
Music: Dry Grass, courtesy of Body Type
Contact: [email protected]
Instagram: @the.double.up
Web: www.womensurf.net

The Western Australia Margaret River Pro is always a captivating event, with all kinds of variables thrown at surfers in the wild west, especially now with the dreaded Mid-Season Cut. This year's epic Finals Day almost washed away the many short and strange days that led up to it, with a forecast that provided stunning lay days, but only small pockets of 'contestable' surf.

All of that provided our favorite moment of the year so far however, with an incredible maiden CT win for Gabriela Bryan, highlighted by her magical dolphin scene, and we're stoked to have her on the show this episode to talk about it all.

We also catch up on all things 2024 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Longboard Championship, especially because the silver medalist just might be familiar to you...

Go Deeper
Follow: Ginger Caimi

Chapters
00:00 - Intro
02:23 - Western Australia Margaret River Pro
27:19 - Gabriela Bryan Interview
45:33 - ISA World Longboard Championships

Info
Music: Dry Grass, courtesy of Body Type
Contact: [email protected]
Instagram: @the.double.up
Web: www.womensurf.net

Who knew that as we started the conversation in our last episode, Stab were already deep in production of the latest episode in their How Surfers Get Paid series, covering exactly the same topic - the sexualization of women's surfing.

This time around we further the conversation covering the subjects raised in Stab's series, plus breakdown the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach (presented by Bonsoy!) and preview the Western Australia Margaret River Pro, as well as the dreaded mid-season cut.

Go Deeper
Watch: How Surfers Get Paid, Season 2, Episode 3
Read: How to Endo
Could Gabriel Medina Actually Get Cut From The Championship Tour?
Follow: World Surf Intrigue

Chapters
00:00 - Intro: Endometriosis Awareness Month
22:50 - The Sexualization of Women's Surfing
39:41 - Bells Recap / Margaret River Preview

Info
Music: Dry Grass, courtesy of Body Type
Contact: [email protected]
Instagram: @the.double.up
Web: www.womensurf.net