Second Breakfast with Surf With Amigas

  Is the surf industry finally facing its accountability moment? Holly chats about this and more with 22-year-old UCLA bioengineering graduate and aspiring Championship Tour surfer Lilie Kulber. They dive into the realities of being a young female pro today, from the pressure to market oneself for the male gaze to industry changes and increasing competition between young women surfers. We also add...

Holly talks with surfing icon Rochelle Ballard about breaking barriers for women in the lineup and how women’s surfing has evolved. Rochelle shares her experience as a stunt double for the infamous movie Blue Crush, including an injury on set and the film’s impact on the wider surfing world. They also chat about fear, surf etiquette, aging, and Rochelle’s life after competition. In the episode you...

Ever feel like your "serious" job is slowly draining the fun out of your life? In this episode Barbara, the founder of surf-hat brand Kaiola , shares how a solo surf trip to Brazil inspired her to trade corporate London for full-time ocean living in Costa Rica. After a battle with skin cancer and struggling to find a surf hat that actually stayed on, she spent years prototyping a functional, styli...

Malibu surf etiquette has a problem, and former pro long boarder Carla Zamora says the old rules, the new crowd, and the silence around bad behavior all play a part. In this episode we chat about lineup politics, what surfing was and is becoming for women, and how we can all play our part in making the lineup a better place for everyone. We dive into: Why Malibu etiquette feels more chaotic than e...

What is it really like living in remote Indonesia and wave pool surfing in China? Longtime Surf With Amigas Surf Coach Megan Halavais catches up with Holly Beck to share the raw reality of expat life, travel, surf, and relationships. In this episode of Second Breakfast, Holly and Megan dive into:  • The beauty and challenges of living in remote Indonesia  • Wave pool surfing in Hainan, China • Nav...

Today we sit down with Laura Kinman, an entrepreneur in the women's outdoor industry. After 12 years working for Patagonia making sustainable and fair-trade women's surf wear and outdoor gear, she made the decision to create her own business, Coastal Range Collective, a women's swim and surf brand. Take a listen as Laura shares her journey in building sustainable products, career pivots, and how s...

Tune into our most recent check-in with Jackie and Holly as they discuss life updates, new retreat locations, and reminisce on some epic stories of the early days of SWA retreats in Costa Rica.

Today we sit down with Danielle Cass, a mother and writer working in AI safety and responsible usage at Microsoft. As someone currently undergoing breast cancer treatment, she shares her cancer journey and how surfing helped her regain autonomy, agency and confidence throughout her treatment. We discuss the future of AI and conscious technology and what kind of role we play in allowing it to influ...

In today's chat we sit down with Christina Stapke, an integrative and functional dietitian, and owner of Sea and Spruce Nutrition. After years on different meds for a variety of health issues, Christina sought to heal herself holistically and turned to personalized nutrition. She shares her journey and practical tips for maintaining a healthy diet, especially for women.

Today we sit down with Lenet Rivas, Amiga and Financial Advisor who recently launched a business focused on helping women manage their finances. With a background in male-dominated corporate finance, Lenet realized she wanted to pivot and empower other women by launching her dream business. She considers herself a personal trainer of the finance world. For anyone interested in career pivots, build...

After years of climbing the corporate ladder and navigating major life transitions, amiga Kati took a leap: walking away from stability to build her own consulting business from the ground up. In this episode, she shares the mindset shifts, hard lessons, and unconventional tools that shaped her journey. Her greatest key is her “joy menu," a personal system she created to break out of ruts, interru...

Accidents while surfing in crowded lineups is a great fear for most surfers. However, after Layna's surf accident in the Maldives she was able to turn a terrifying experience into a deep healing journey and make radical life changes. In this episode, we hear Layna's story but also dive into a deeper discussion about etiquette, compassion and how we can make the ocean a safer space for everyone.

How do you think about the future? Does it make you anxious? Are you an optimist or a doomsdayer? Today we sat down with Florence Gaub, a futurist and author at NATO, who shares her unique journey from growing up in Munich to becoming an avid surfer and a key figure in today's world of geopolitics. We chat about her unique approaches to living life in the present and how to balance future challeng...

Ever wondered what's really important to look at when viewing a surf forecast, or what truly influences wave formation? In this episode, we sit down with Oceanography PhD and TikTok star Paige to uncover the science behind swell period, wave height, and the mysterious wave energy numbers we see on forecasts. Paige breaks down all of this and more while encouraging us to maintain our curiosity abou...

Could training the small muscles you can't see be the secret to real strength? Pilates instructor and Foundation Training expert Gabrielle Cahoon would say it definitely is. Today, she sits down with us to break down how foundation training is an essential tool in your longevity wheelhouse. She dives into how stabilizing exercises can relieve pain, improve mobility, and prevent further injury. She...

Today we sit down with amiga, Piper, to hear about her adventure in Central America; the three-year long van trip with her partner allowed her to practice autonomy and effective communication in relationships, learn to let go and trust the process. From surfing in Mexico to making friends with locals in El Salvador, Piper's story serves as a good reminder to fully commit to new experiences and sur...

In this conversation, we sit down with SWA booking manager and trip leader, Summer, to hear about her surf journey and reflect upon her unconventional career path. From moving to Costa Rica at a young age to work on permaculture farms and supporting local surfers to later managing communications and partnerships at both ISA and the women's surf brand, Seea, Summer offers plenty of insights into fi...

Former pro surfer Nicole Grodesky sits down with us to chat about her surf journey, the nuances of women's professional surfing, and how we can leverage different mentalities to help push us to believe in ourselves more and succeed. We chat about how setbacks can be viewed as life redirects, rather than failures, that lead us down more fulfilling paths, why it is essential to speak up for ourselve...

In this conversation, amiga Paula Bushardt shares her remarkable surf journey while looking back on 70 years of life; from growing up all over the world, most notably in places like Nicaragua and Peru, to becoming a passionate surfer and eventually a space engineer, Paula's story highlights adaptability and flow at every stage of life. She also offers some valuable advice for aspiring surfers, enc...

Do you remember the age of surf mags? Before social media took over, magazines were the primary way to stay in the loop of what was happening in the surf world. In this conversation, Holly and Sunshine Makarow, a former competitive surfer who helped develop women's surf media, chat about Sunshine's professional life and women's representation in surfing over the years. After surfing professionally...

 Join us for a lively chat with WSL commentator Rosy Hodge as we dive into the evolution of women’s surfing, celebrate how far the sport has come, and look ahead to its exciting future. We’ll highlight up-and-coming shredders, share insights from the competitive scene, and explore the waves of change shaping the next generation of female surfers.  Connect with us at https://surfwithamigas.com/ or...

In this episode, SWA co-owners Jackie and Holly share exciting updates about SWA retreats — from new destinations and fresh program elements to the ongoing evolution of their business. They open up about the behind-the-scenes challenges of running retreats while juggling motherhood and entrepreneurial life, reflecting on how these experiences shape their leadership and creativity. The conversation...

 Holly and her sister, Helina, reminisce about favorite moments from epic surf trips and unforgettable retreats while exploring family dynamics and the creation of Helina's business, Wavehuggers, a community-minded, eco-focused surf school. They chat about surf therapy, the ups and downs of running a business, and their hopes for the future, all through the lens of their lifelong love of the ocean...

 Holly and Mando, the owner and surfboard shaper behind Mando Surf Co. based on the Central Coast of California, dive into the craft of shaping boards, exploring how design can better serve women and smaller-bodied surfers. They also chat about alternative surf crafts and the joy of experimenting with new sensations in the water. Their conversation unpacks the often-controversial dynamics of surf...

 Holly sits down with Aloe Driscoll—author, surfer, and adventurer extraordinaire—for a wide-ranging conversation that dives into the complexities of family relationships, money and investing, surf culture, and personal transformation. Aloe shares stories from her journey as a novice surfer evolving into a skilled wave rider, including her adventure hitchhiking and surfing through Central America...