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Waterpeople Podcast

Waterpeople Podcast

Lauren L. Hill & Dave Rastovich - surf stories & ocean adventures 133 Episodes Aug 14, 2026

Waterpeople Podcast shares stories about the aquatic experiences that shape us. Hosts Lauren L. Hill and Dave Rastovich talk with some of the most adept waterfolk on the planet, exploring themes like ecology, adventure, community, activism, science, inclusivity, and surfing. It serves as a gathering place for the global ocean community to dive into watery lives lived well.

Episodes

Whaia: Mana Waka
Whaia: Mana Waka Aug 14, 2026 7784 Who has the right to speak on behalf of water? Who carries that responsibility? Drawing on her lineage of wayfinders and traditional music makers, Whaia regularly takes the stage of international political gatherings – like the United Nations Climate Summit – to invoke the voice of water. She is a Māori vocalist, surfer, multi-instrumentalist, and cultural producer whose work moves between the sac
Jon Swift: Making Friends with the Cosmos
Jon Swift: Making Friends with the Cosmos Jul 30, 2026 5307 Has something astronomical ever made you reassess your life's trajectory?Jon Swift is an astrophysicist and lifelong surfer with a PhD from UC Berkeley. He runs a research observatory at The Thatcher School in Ojai, California, teaches math and science, and his music has featured in cult surf films from the 2000s, like Shelter and The Drifter.Jon shares his story of living alone in Mexico aft
Bryanna Bradley: All That Lingers
Bryanna Bradley: All That Lingers Jul 16, 2026 4582 How good are you at convincing people you're fine?On a burnout-inspired whim, Bryanna Bradley booked a one-way ticket from inland Canada to Hawaii. She quit her job and started putting in hours in the water at Waikiki. Surfing first, but her goal? To become a surf photographer.Bryanna has become one of the surfing world's leading cold water photographers, building a community and career
Ziggy Alberts: Wildly Underprepared
Ziggy Alberts: Wildly Underprepared Jul 2, 2026 6682 What does it take for you to slow down?Ziggy Alberts started playing live at 17, admittedly underprepared, but fizzing. By 21, he was staring at a studio ceiling noticing the lights had gone dim, but no one had touched the switch. It led him to break down to a friend. After years of “hell-for-leather” world-touring, he'd finally stayed still long enough to feel what he'd been outrunning.
Howie Cooke: Artivism
Howie Cooke: Artivism Mar 12, 2026 9474 When was the last time you had an epiphany? Artist/activist Howie Cooke shares the sudden realisation that steered the course of his life's work - a handful of decades on the front lines of marine protection via NGOs, art, music and direct action. Howie has spent 50 years boogie boarding, playing guitar and painting. He has shown in hundreds of art exhibitions around the world – in addition t
Soli Bailey: Maps to Now
Soli Bailey: Maps to Now Mar 2, 2026 4550 There's no straight lines in the ocean - nor in a surfing life.We sit with professional surfer and Bundjalung waterman Soli Bailey to trace his lines from early talent and success, through the grind of competing and a life-threatening neck injury, to a grounded love of surfing that’s deeper than any accolades.Soli opens up about the quiet crisis that arrived during lockdowns: paddling out and
Patti Paniccia: Raising the Bar
Patti Paniccia: Raising the Bar Feb 9, 2026 4450 What are you unwilling to ignore? Through her experience in pro surfing, journalism and law, Patti Paniccia is a formidable advocate for equity in the water and the workplace.  Patti helped build the IPS tour from the ground up, organised the Hawaii Women’s Surfing Hui to create opportunity, and then carried that same tenacity into law and journalism—ultimately winning a landmark workplace discrim
Living the Questions: answering your queries
Living the Questions: answering your queries Dec 22, 2025 4757 Ever felt the ocean fix what land couldn’t? This episode, we turn the mics on one another and answer your questions about grief, love, parenting, and crowded lineups. Hear the stories behind the sails, the garden, and the choices that have shaped us. Also: It’s time for our annual giveaway – you can enter by leaving a review of the podcast before January 15th – wherever you listen to podcasts.A co
The Rivers Run: Theory of Change (pt. 2)
The Rivers Run: Theory of Change (pt. 2) Dec 18, 2025 2577 What's a river to you? After cyclone Alfred crossed Australia's East Coast earlier this year, tens of thousands of fish died in our local river, Dave got a persistent staph infection and our community tousled with a question: what's wrong with our river? And what can we do about it ?How does change happen when we, and the world, seem stuck in our ways? We’re curious about how change
Sterling Spencer: Fan of the Universe
Sterling Spencer: Fan of the Universe Dec 12, 2025 5468 At age 8, Sterling Spencer was signed to surf sponsorship and then had a successful amateur career before chasing the Pro Tour. He was an early internet adopter who found his stride not in competitive surfing, but in making good fun of an earnest surf industry and culture. Sterling is a pro surfer and media maker from Florida’s Gulf Coast known for blending high performance surfing with comedic sk
Peter Gash OAM: Custodian of Curiosity
Peter Gash OAM: Custodian of Curiosity Dec 5, 2025 3602 Not long ago, Lady Elliot Island was basically unrecognisable. In the late 1800s, it was mined for guano used as agricultural fertiliser. The island was  stripped bare. This is a story about what happens when one person has a vision and refuses to let hard work, qualifications or accepted definitions of 'possible' get in the way of curiosity.Regenerating the precious coral cay Lady Ellio
Ethnomads: Ke'ili Mcevilly + Chris Miyashiro
Ethnomads: Ke'ili Mcevilly + Chris Miyashiro Nov 21, 2025 3071 Grief, love, and lineage shape a rite of passage as our guests recall learnings from storms, stars, mentors, and manta rays at midnight.Ke'ilii Mcevilly is an environmental scientist with a Masters degree in sustainability. Ke'ili grew up surfing in California, and is now based on the island of Oahu. She is an artist and waterwoman involved in the flourishing of traditional Hawaiian cult

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