Wavelength Community Radio

To round off the incredible series, podcast host, Sophie Everard, talks to Imani Wilmot, an incredible woman who has sparked a new wave of change and energy in surfing. Imani started surfing at 8 years old in Jamaica, and along with her inspiring family, started the Jamnesia Surf Club, the heart and soul of surfing in Jamaica.

Every so often in life, an athlete comes along who truly blows the doors off the realms of what's possible. With that in mind, we're stoked to introduce the 9th episode of The Drop In Sessions presented by Mermaid Gin, offering one of the first interviews with the freshly crowned champ of women’s surfing, Stephanie Gilmore.We welcome Steph fresh off claiming her record breaking 8th World Title following her mind blowing performance at the 2022 Rip Curl WSL Finals at Lower Trestles, California. The iconic victory, which she describes as her best ever, makes her the greatest of all time in women’s professional surfing, and boy, did it deliver some epic watching! Kick back and settle in for an incredible insight into the illustrious and inspirational, Steph Gilmore.

Episode 8 of The Drop in Sessions brought to you by the awesome folk at Mermaid Gin has landed, and features one of the most loved and influential women in both pro and grassroots surfing, Holly Beck. This truly insightful episode charts Holly’s journey of self-discovery and acceptance, of setting herself apart and being proud of the differences that make her unique....dive in!

We are stoked to share that episode 7 of the Drop In Sessions presented by Mermaid Gin is a brilliant conversation with iconic champion and one of the stars of Girls Can't Surf, Jodie Cooper.⁠In this episode, Sophie and Jodie talk about her wild experiences of the 80’s and 90s and why taking a stand against the homophobia of the industry in the 80’s was such a pivotal moment.⁠

As we dive into a further five episodes, our next guest is a true groundbreaking pioneer in women’s surfing. Hawaii-based Rochelle Ballard electrified the world of surfing when she emerged onto the competitive circuit, with her fearless barrel riding, progressive big wave surfing and dedication to the sport making her an icon for the ages.“If you’re meant to succeed in whatever you’re meant to succeed at in life, you’re going to break through any sort of challenge that there is…” (Rochelle Ballard)

This awesome episode will be a goldmine for those of you who love to explore surf history and hear nuggets and jewels of gilded beautiful times, as we explore the incredible career of Kassia Meador. Kassia Meador truly moves to the beat of her own drum with the stylish grooves that come from sensei-esque levels of surf mastery, beautiful creative work, general radness and excellent energy.The California based longboarder, once aptly called the “Queen of Nose Riding” by the New York Times, is a surfer who is truly iconic, a central nucleus if you will, of longboarding and the beautiful culture and business, that surrounds it. 

Our next guest on the Drop In Sessions presented by Mermaid Gin is multi-decorated champion, Lucy Campbell. She is a powerful athlete who has become a much loved and inspiring sportswoman and spokesperson in the UK.Hailing from Woolacombe, South West England, she is a 7 time National Women’s Champion and the current British Women’s Champion. With Lucy already eyeballing the next Olympics in Paris, dive into our latest episode to see her in a brand new light!

We are stoked to share that the third episode of the Drop In Sessions presented by Mermaid Gin is with Captain Liz Clark - incredible sailor, activist, environmentalist and surfer. Dive in for a juicy episode!

Episode 2 of the Drop In Sessions bought to you by the fine folk at Mermaid Gin has dropped sees us chew the fat with Rhonda Harper, the enigmatic, vivacious and unstoppable founder of Black Girls Surf an international organisation dedicated to supporting black girls and women who have dreams of competing and developing their careers as professional surfers.