Dropping In to Power: Personal stories of the transformational power of surfing from women of all levels, all ages, all over.
26 episodes - English - Latest episode: 26 days ago - ★★★★★ - 16 ratingsWelcome 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.
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Episodes
REWIND - Aurélie Madec - The Very First Dropping In Podcast!
March 31, 2024 03:00 - 1 hour - 43.7 MBREWIND TIME! Two and a half years ago, I paddled through an impact zone of technophobia, stagefright, and impostor syndrome to launch an experiment called the Dropping In To Power podcast. My question: Had other women's lives been transformed by surfing like mine had, and did they want to talk about it, and did anyone want to listen? Yes, yes, and yes, it turns out. It also turns out, that transformation is never-ending. I looked at the calendar today, and realized that more than 3 months ...
"Auntie Mo" - Maureen McNamara - Maine
December 22, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 57.6 MB"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 ...
Mermaid's Lament - Island of Hawaii
November 15, 2023 07:00 - 1 hour - 49.8 MB“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 ...
Victoria Feige, Vancouver and North Shore, Hawaii
October 03, 2023 23:00 - 1 hour - 53.2 MBPara 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 neurosc...
Mindy Pennybacker - Oahu, Hawai'i
August 04, 2023 19:24 - 1 hour - 60.2 MB🏄♀️“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 sur...
BONUS (RANT) EPISODE: Get Out Your Pom Poms! Women Pro Surfers Need Our Cheers, Today!!
July 13, 2023 02:00 - 30 minutes - 21.1 MBOne 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) s...
Dr. Stephanie Han, Honolulu, Oahu
June 29, 2023 14:00 - 1 hour - 47.4 MB“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 ch...
Melissa Volker, South Africa
May 05, 2023 08:00 - 1 hour - 53 MBMelissa Volker found a way to obsess about surfing in any conditions--by obsessing about writing about surfing! A mid-life blooming writer and water woman from South Africa, Melissa’s delicious fiction blends “surf noir” with “environmental romance suspense.” (Check out the addictive Shadow Flicker!) In our pod, we chat about the coastal topography and bathymetry of South Africa’s breaks (get out your pencils) and she indulges my obsession with South African sharks. (Did you know you can get...
Lena Siebertz, Cold Water Sirens, Northern Germany and Denmark
April 05, 2023 16:00 - 59 minutes - 41.2 MBLena Siebertz, founder of Cold Water Sirens, not only braves near-freezing conditions, but relishes them. In temps as low as 37F/2.7C, Lena is forging a community of feminist surfers in Northern Germany and Denmark to transform surf culture beyond the old competitive paradigm, using cold water as part of the reset. Lena and I bonded over surfing head injuries earlier this year, sharing our progress as our stitches healed and trauma ebbed. We found the true meaning of community! Lena and her ...
Jade Chang Sheppard, Los Angeles, Oahu and Popoyo, Nicaragua
February 28, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 47.2 MB“If I didn’t have this fear, what could be better?” Jade Chang Sheppard has made it her mission to inspire women to ask and answer that question. On the surface, she seems to have fear *licked*. She built her own fortune in her 20s, birthed 3 gorgeous kids, had a successful marriage *and* divorce. She redesigned her life during a “mid-life awakening,” to include traveling the world to learn to surf. But it took an ayahuasca journey and surf epiphany to bring Jade to a new threshold, and you ...
Lifeguard Jessie Kilgour - Outer Banks, North Carolina
February 02, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 53.6 MBAre you a tasty treat for a shark during your period? Finally an answer to the question that plagues every woman surfer, at least once a month! Lifeguard Jessie Kilgour has a pretty strong take on the subject, but you’ll have to get to the end to find out. You’ll want to, though, as Jessie brings a fresh take on everything from where she surfs, to what she surfs, and how she lives her life around the water. Anchored in the Outer Banks, manager of megalodon Real Watersports school operation, ...
Injury Interlude -Sheila Takes A Fin to the Head and Has an Epiphany
January 20, 2023 01:00 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MBWhat a start to Season 2! I had a serious surf accident last week with a major head trauma - so I thought, why not do a mini-podcast with a concussion!? This is a little "bonus episode" of me sharing the blow-by-blow of what happened, and the epiphany I had on the other side of the miracle. Coming soon: I have four *amazing* women lined up for podcasts that will be dropping over the next couple of months, as soon as I am fully back in action. Can't wait to share them with you! 🏄♀️💜 Never ...
Junko Yamasaki - New South Wales, Australia
November 21, 2022 06:00 - 49 minutes - 34.2 MBJunko Yamasaki went on holiday to Australia from her native Japan at 20 years old, and never looked back. Breaking away from her culture’s traditional expectations, she trailblazed a life fueled by curiosity, compassion and courage. Over her 52 years, she has embodied many aspects of both personal and professional womanhood - daughter, sister, wife, step-mother, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, aunty, friend, migrant, client, translator, cat’s mum, counselor, and transformational coach. At 49...
Surfer Stacey Mac - Costa Rica
September 26, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 48.8 MBStarting at 43 in Boston (!!!), Surfer Stacey Mac rocketed into a pro career as a SUP surfer, defining diehard as she chased hurricanes across state lines to hone her skills. A natural adrenaline junkie, Stacey funneled her focus into her newfound passion, creating a career as a competitor, judge and instructor and moving full time to Costa Rica. But there was a shadow side to her success. In this episode, Stacey shares for the first time how bipolar disorder contributed to that hyperfocus a...
Jenni Lund - Kona and Costa Rica
August 15, 2022 04:00 - 1 hour - 48.9 MBJenni had become expert at many sports, vocations, missions, but, at 55, living in Hawai’i, she was still ruled by an old story of “I can’t surf, I’m too old to learn, it’s never going to happen.” When Covid hit, she found herself surrendered to the call she had been hearing her whole life, breaking through the fear and doubt, and committing. And did she ever commit! Following a surf epiphany, she uprooted her life, scooped up her teenage son, turned over her home and business, and bailed Ha...
Curvy Surfer Girl Elizabeth Sneed, Honolulu, Hawaii
July 21, 2022 18:00 - 1 hour - 60.1 MBElizabeth has overcome so many obstacles on her shero’s journey to becoming the Curvy Surfer Girl - a harrowing childhood, very real near drowning, a landlocked life, and zero representation of surfers who look like her. She has not only returned from her ordeal with shining success, but she has brought back an elixir--her gift of inspiring and uplifting women! In this interview, she gets absolutely raw about her struggles, especially the negative voices that nearly killed her dream, and wh...
Captain McKenzie Clark - Kona, Hawaii
May 19, 2022 01:00 - 1 hour - 57.6 MBMcKenzie Clark is a self-made waterwoman who headed to Kona on her own at the tender age of 18--with a mission. Her life since has been a testimonial of courage, adventure, humility, and badassery. From solo adventures around the world with a backpack and a Lonely Planet book, to surviving a shark attack, to getting her captain’s license in her 40s, Mckenzie has consistently modeled a life unconstrained by fear. An accomplished surfer, she shares deeply about her victories and vulnerabilitie...
Sara Wright - Join Surfing Moms - Santa Cruz
April 24, 2022 08:00 - 46 minutes - 31.8 MBSurfer moms—current and future—this podcast is for you! My guest is a newly minted mama fitness trainer, and the founder of Santa Cruz's chapter of Join Surfing Moms, a non-profit that helps moms get their much-needed waves. Sara's story is so important for moms to hear! She grew up surfing, but even with all that experience, she lost her confidence once adulthood, and, especially, motherhood, set in. The loss of her surfer self rattled her sense of identity, though it took years for the imp...
Gabi Del Rosario - Cabangan, Zambales, Philippines
March 22, 2022 07:00 - 1 hour - 44.5 MBGabi Del Rosario entered the sea in a shroud of grief and emerged like the proverbial butterfly from her chrysalis! This Manila city girl unexpectedly found herself in Covid lockdown on the Philippine coast, where everything about her life transformed. At first, surfing was not even in her consciousness, but the sudden death of her father drew her into the ocean, and ultimately, the waves. She caught the stoke, and surfed with appropriate newbie passion, meaning a LOT! She and her partner be...
Regina Orlando, Kona and Oregon
February 25, 2022 01:00 - 1 hour - 46.5 MBAfter 13 years, Regina left the surfer's paradise she had created in the mythical blue waters of Kona to answer another kind of deep blue call—becoming a police officer! In her 40s! On the mainland! In a city! This courageous life choice required her stepping away from the relationship she had cultivated with the water as a surfer, free diver and paddler. Oh, and girrllll, speaking of relationships, we get real on those moments when having a surfing partner can feel like a match NOT made in...
Ivana Bajic Nature of Surf Women
January 31, 2022 04:53 - 53 minutes - 37 MB“If you drop in with a full heart, you are going to get in return something bigger, stronger, and better than you could ever imagine.” Ivana Bajic’s gorgeous interactive multi-media project, Nature of Surf Women, is a real-time testament to her credo, and documentary evidence of the transformational power of surf. Ivana grew up as a girl in Serbia, connected to the magic of nature and water. After building a successful career as a film producer in London and LA, she was drawn back to the e...
Jeanne Fernandez-McShane Nosara, Costa Rica
December 12, 2021 20:00 - 1 hour - 44.6 MBIt’s never EVER too late, and never EVER not possible! Meet Jeanne Fernandez-McShane, who at 67, has just started her surfing journey, and she is fierce! She is such an incredibly accomplished woman, you will want to just vibe on her grit! Jeanne’s story is a little different - rather than her whole life transforming from surfing, she brings her life’s wisdom and own transformation TO surfing. Jeanne, an engineer, relocated to Costa Rica, and is part of the growing group of women who are cre...
Kris Primacio, CEO of the International Surf Therapy Organization (ISTO)
November 22, 2021 06:00 - 1 hour - 45.4 MBMy guest this week is the phenomenal Kris Primacio, co-founder and CEO of the International Surf Therapy Organization (ISTO, https://intlsurftherapy.org/) Kris started surfing at 41 ,and in 10 short years metamorphosed her life into a sea-salty dream she never even knew she had. She starts her days frothing in the lineup, then peels off her wetsuit and brings that stoke to programs that heal and uplift marginalized and vulnerable people across the globe. Kris, like many women coming of age b...
Me, Myself & I - Sheila Gallien, Kona, Hawaii
October 29, 2021 03:00 - 50 minutes - 34.8 MBMy own sudden health crisis derailed the interviews I had set up with amazing women, but, like paddling through an endless impact zone, I knew I had to keep going! This episode is me interviewing me - awkwardness and all - and telling my own story of transformation, TMI included. It definitely mirrors my surfing - moments of inspiration and flow, a lot of paddling around, and questionable timing. Thank you for paddling out with me! 🏄♀️💜 Never miss an episode! Stay up to date with Dropping ...
Dr. Candice Myhre - Kauai, HI
October 08, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 46.1 MBToday’s guest is Dr. Candice Myhre, @drcandysurfvival, surf doctor, ER doctor, mermazing surfer, and champion for equality for women in two male-dominated arenas - medicine and surfing. Coming from a surf city where women were not welcome in the lineup, it took a friend flaking on her to send her on the adventure that would change the trajectory of her life, help her through the rigors of medical residency, and learn that everything is timing. Trained as an ER doctor, Candice followed her p...
Aurélie Madec - Cornwall, UK
September 27, 2021 05:00 - 57 minutes - 39.2 MBMy very first guest is Aurélie Madec, a born storyteller with a divine accent. Aurélie is a teacher, surfer, and mother, who sculpted her career and life around her passion for surfing. In our conversation, she shares many pieces of her life, from her pioneering grandmother, having to save pocket money for her first board, traveling the whole world to surf, being a part of Surfing Mums in Australia, transitioning from cold water to warm and back to cold again. She also reveals her favorite ...