Once in a while here at the Fool, we’ll run some interviews, because we like doing that kind of thing. To start things off, here’s a conversation I had with Lakey Peterson last summer. Hopefully, you enjoy — and we can do a few more of these things soon. Thanks to you all for being here. We appreciate you.
If I were to walk down to Rincon on a winter’s day, I might see the flying ponytail of Lakey Peterson. She is immediately recognizable, even from a distance, for the sheer speed she generates as she surfs down the line. Normal people don’t surf like that.
After qualifying at age 17, Lakey has spent the past 12 years competing on Tour. She’s part of a generation of women surfers that includes Carissa Moore, Coco Ho, and Malia Manuel. Together, they pushed the progression in women’s surfing in rippable waves like J-Bay and Snapper, and advocated for better conditions for women’s contests.
But like other women of her era, Lakey. now 29, has come under pressure from the younger crew. Women like Caity Simmers and Molly Picklum are increasingly at home in bigger, heavier waves like Teahupo’o and Pipe, where Lakey and her cohort have struggled to keep up. In fact, Lakey missed the cut this year and now stands at a crossroads in her career.
Late last summer I caught up with Lakey for a short phone interview. We talked about what it felt like to fall off Tour — shitty, in fact! — how the younger girls on Tour are pushing her, in sometimes uncomfortable ways, and what she believes she can still accomplish as a pro surfer.
Here’s an excerpt of our conversation edited for length and clarity, because I would not wish to bore or confuse you.
Frothy Fool: I saw you were in J-Bay recently. What were you up to there?
Lakey Peterson: I was there for most of July to film, and we got a beautiful swell when we were there. During an event, I feel so scheduled and regimented, and this time, I was able to surf that wave without any pressure of a contest and surf all day long. I could be like, I’m just going to highline this wave, because I can! It was a lot more freedom and it was really cool to feel that. It was also inspiring for me to realize that like, geez I need to branch out from the contest frame a little more sometimes.
“It is the hardest sport in the world
at times, because there’s so many
variables outside of your control.”
FF: You really haven’t had a ton of time to just go out and freesurf in recent years, right?
LP: This was my 12th year on Tour, and before that, I did that Nike women’s team Leave A Message film when I was super young. I got to travel a ton for that, but then I got straight on Tour after that was released. Obviously, I’ve done a few freesurf trips, but not that many since all the way back then. It’s been really neat to have this time to do more of that, and forget about contests for a second. For the past 12 years, I haven’t been able to do that.
FF: So, Leave A Message dropped in 2011 and your first year on Tour was 2012. How do you feel women’s surfing has changed since you started?
LP: Gosh, it’s changed so much over the course of my career. Obviously, I’ve been lucky enough to have a long career and really experience the change — from things like locations and venues to prize money. I’ve seen it all go from not the greatest to really, really amazing.
I think especially the last five years we’ve seen such an uptick in women’s performances. The obvious area that everyone is seeing — especially this year more than any other year — is in the bigger, heavier waves like Teahupo’o and Pipe. I think the girls are really getting pushed in those areas, and they’re stepping up and doing it.
It’s also challenged me so much — especially as I’ve gotten a little bit later in my career, it’s been a really big mental hurdle, actually.
“I’ve never been naturally a
big, daredevil kind of girl.”
FF: It feels like in the past three years at Pipe, the progression has happened super quick.
LP: To see it from year one to this year at Pipe and Teahupo’o, you know, obviously, we needed some time and we needed some reps. They’re hard waves to free surf. So, having a contest and being able to go out there in a jersey for us girls is so valuable, because we can ride more waves. I’m thankful that we’ve continually gotten chances — and that we’ve been able to show that if they give us more chances, we can do it.
Photo: Brent Bielmann | WSL
FF: What’s something that you feel that your generation — the Leave A Message generation — has contributed to women’s surfing?
LP: When we all first got on Tour, I think it felt a lot like it does now with all the new girls coming on Tour these past two years. Like, the world just went whoa! These girls are ripping! It changed peoples’ perspective of women’s surfing and what we’re capable of.
High-performance surfing at waves like Snapper and some of the other waves on Tour — I think that’s where we were able to push things. We got a little bit in the air — but like, our turns and carves were quicker and more dynamic. I feel like that side of women’s surfing is definitely where my generation pushed it the most.
“We’ve been able to show that if they give
us more chances, we can do it. ”
FF: You mentioned that there’s a bit of a mental block to learn those heavier waves and keep up with the younger girls. What are some of the strategies that you’ve used to work through that?
LP: After you’ve done this for a while, I think the motivation gets a little bit harder, in general, to stay so on it with competing. And then, in terms of heavier waves, like going out and surfing Pipe or Chopes for an event, you have no option but to go and do it. Which is, really hard! Because it is so scary. Those waves have always scared me a lot. I’ve never been naturally a big, daredevil kind of girl.
The thing I’ve found that helps me push through it is, surrounding myself with the girls who really want a piece of it. It’s really inspiring to paddle out with them. Like, I’ll paddle out with Molly a lot at Pipe. She’s really in it and having a dig. And then, just naturally and competitively, it gets me to think, okay I need to go over there and get a good one.
FF: It’s like that saying, where you need to see it to be it. You see one of the other girls do it, and you figure, well, I can do it, too.
LP: It’s inspiring and we’re also really competitive. So it’s like, she’s doing it, surely, I can do it. Just naturally, as we watch each other push it, a little bit more and a little bit more, all of us are inspiring each other to keep pushing the boundaries.
And I think all the girls who are my age who are Tour, we are mature enough, to be content with ourselves and our careers. And we’re so stoked to see the girls doing it and trying to do it ourselves.
This is such a cool moment for women’s surfing and we’ve worked really really hard individually and together to get women’s surfing to where it is. So, to see it just continually grow and blow peoples’ minds is so cool. You can’t hate it no matter how competitive you are.
Photo: Tony Heff | WSL
FF: I felt like you had a lot of close heats go against you this year. What did it feel like to miss the cut? What was that like for you?
LP: It’s pretty deflating, to be totally honest. It definitely hit my ego pretty hard. I went into this year feeling really solid actually, and like it could be one of my best years yet. I feel like my surfing especially outside of events was really, really good and solid.
And then I had a lot of close heats, for sure. You always look back — if one of those heats went my way, I make the cut. Like, literally one of them. It was one. It was frustrating, but it’s also our sport and we know what we sign up for. You just have to be better. But it is hard when there’s so many close heats and you miss it by one spot.
I started to doubt if I am still good enough and if I want to still do this and if I can still do this, for sure. All those thoughts have entered my head, since falling off the Tour. As much as it hurts and it sucks — it definitely hit me pretty hard — in some ways it’s been a really good thing for me. It’s allowed me some rest, and some time to reset.
But it was a tough year. It was just so close. It just felt shitty.
“It’s pretty deflating, to be totally honest.
It definitely hit my ego pretty hard.
It was just so close. It just felt shitty.”
FF: What do you feel like you’ve learned from this experience? Or do you just want to bury it in the backyard and forget all about it? I mean, you can do that! That’s fine, too.
LP: It’s really easy to be like, dang, I should have made that heat. It gets really easy to blame the waves or judges or anything else when you didn’t make the cut or win a heat. I think I’ve been realizing that being a victim of your situation doesn’t do anything for you. It doesn’t help you at all. It just creates more negative feelings.
So, I want to remember that, because I probably did go down that hole a little too much this year. Next year, I want to come back and surf my best — that’s all I can do. I can’t control anything else. I’m in control of my own destiny and no one else — and I just need to own it. It’s all in my hands.
Photo: Tony Heff | WSL
FF: I think every elite athlete has this battle of keeping their heads together, but I think surfing makes it especially difficult with the whole wildly unpredictable ocean thing.
LP: It is the hardest sport in the world at times, because there’s so many variables outside of your control. And that’s what it is. So, to stay positive and have a strong headspace is really, really hard to do. I’m always so impressed with people who can continually back themselves and believe in themselves even when they’re kind of having a shocker.
“I can still do some of my best surfing.
I’d love to prove people wrong.”
FF: What keeps you inspired to keep doing it?
LP: I just think I can still do some of my best surfing. I really feel like I can do better. I think there’s people who probably doubt me a fair bit, and that inspires me a lot — just to prove people wrong. And to do the surfing I feel like I can do. I feel like I can make some small adjustments that could really go a long way. I’m just inspired by what I can potentially can do — and inspired by people who don’t believe in me. I’d love to prove people wrong.