Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Your backstage pass to the world of surfing, hosted by MC and commentator Terry “Tappa” Teece. From pro surfers and legends of the sport to shapers, innovators and anyone with an epic story and a love for the ocean—The Green Room dives deep. Expect tales of epic wins, brutal wipeouts, and behind-the-scenes moments from life in and out of the water. Whether you’re chasing waves or just some inspiration, this podcast will leave you stoked to paddle out.
00;00;07;19 - 00;00;29;09
Tappa
Welcome to the Green Room. Your backstage pass to the world of surfing. I'm your host, surf emcee and commentator, Terry Tapper diving into epic winds, crashing fouls and wild stories with surfing's biggest names, as well as the legends working behind the scenes to keep that state alive. A big shout out to our sponsor for this episode. The official break out with their new Jersey lager.
00;00;29;11 - 00;00;51;19
Tappa
So wax up, paddle out and join us in the green room with a surf chat. Never guys flat, you know. Thanks. Welcome to the Green room. I met today's guests when I was, when I began commentating the world tour back in the late 90s, early 2000. It was a great time. Plenty of money in the industry. Women's surfing was starting to forge its own path, and I got to commentate the very first Roxy Pro at Cabaret.
00;00;51;20 - 00;01;11;01
Tappa
That was pretty cool. Now Kate welcomes Nikki Skerritt is the head of Surfing Australia's high performance program, doing some awesome work. But she has a resumé of achievements. That show shows why she's there. Most of all. Back in the day, I clicked with this girl because, she said comes from mom's hometown of Grafton. Spent time there, and Grafton girls are awesome.
00;01;11;01 - 00;01;27;20
Tappa
I'm a little bit biased there, you know, but I'm a geologist. You want to say to hit show with a fixture on the world tour and played a big part of the movie. Everyone remembers Billy Crush. She's now helping up and coming Surfers Australia forge a to the world tour, but it's also helping them become good people in the process.
00;01;27;24 - 00;01;32;00
Tappa
The mom of two boys, a wife and a damn good person. Welcome to the great Rent Gate welcomes.
00;01;32;02 - 00;01;35;01
Kate
Thank you very much. Tougher. It's great to see you and great to be.
00;01;35;07 - 00;01;43;07
Tappa
I know, I love it. This is, This is one of my favorite things to do. Now, I did say you're a Grafton girl, but you didn't start at Grafton, did you?
00;01;43;10 - 00;01;46;13
Kate
Well, I did, actually did at Grafton Base Hospital. See these.
00;01;46;16 - 00;01;47;08
Tappa
Guys?
00;01;47;10 - 00;02;04;17
Kate
Bring it up. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I'm a Grafton. Go through and through. But we did move, for a while. My parents separated when I was around 4 or 5, and, mum came to Brisbane and then we ended up at Lennox Head. And that was where I first kind of got the little bit of a surfing bug.
00;02;04;17 - 00;02;13;20
Kate
But then unfortunately, my mum passed away when I was around about ten and we moved back to Grafton to my dad's place, on a property. So then I was there till I was 18.
00;02;13;23 - 00;02;17;20
Tappa
And so, yeah. So that first you got your first board off your mum.
00;02;17;22 - 00;02;34;24
Kate
I did, I did, and she wasn't a surfer. We, my stepdad, was actually, he just, you know, he loved the ocean, and I think one Christmas, he and my mum decided that because we had a, you know, a bit of a Brady Bunch family, those kids, that we'd bought, that they'd bias all the surf crafts.
00;02;34;24 - 00;02;43;21
Kate
So, like, a second hand board. And, you know, I think that was surf skis. There was all sorts of like, just contraptions for us all. But I got a surfboard. It was a Zappa,
00;02;43;23 - 00;02;44;12
Tappa
Zappa.
00;02;44;16 - 00;03;04;02
Kate
Zappa. And, we got a lesson at the school down at Lennox, which is in front of the pub, which I just look back and I. How fantastic. I had a female coach, And I just remember feeling like this is, like, incredible. Like what? I just want to do this more and more. And my step brother, and actually, Glen Curtis was living just off us.
00;03;04;02 - 00;03;19;24
Kate
It is, and so we, we, you know, I used to try and get out there and catch a couple of, like, the little shorties just in front of, Yeah. Or inside of the out the back part of, Lennox and I got my first Green Wave, and then not long after that moved to Grafton and sort of.
00;03;19;24 - 00;03;22;10
Kate
Yeah, didn't get to surf again till I was a bit older.
00;03;22;13 - 00;03;37;20
Tappa
So what were you about? So then you started had did or my mum came from Mean Boy and she used to go to Yamba on the weekends and I've gone. Must have taken you about eight hours to get there from boy to back in the day. But did you get to go to the beach very often when you're where you're Grafton?
00;03;37;25 - 00;04;10;02
Kate
When I was around about 13 or 14, I can't remember exactly the Christmas holidays. It was around that age and, my dad and my stepmom, I decided we had to, younger daughter said yes to Karen. Emily, my sisters and we decided to go to Yamba for like just a Christmas holiday. And I was like, oh, I surf, which I just had this innately kind of like confidence, I suppose, that I could, I was aboard a baby and, just took the old depot down to down to Yamba and I was probably catching whitewash, but thought I was killing it.
00;04;10;02 - 00;04;28;05
Kate
And then just every Christmas holiday for a couple of years, or if we went down for, I don't know if I like a very, very, rare to go down, but I'd go down a couple of times a year. And then when I was about 15, I started, just kind of bugging the people at school, like about having school, surfing.
00;04;28;13 - 00;04;44;27
Kate
And I think by about 16 we got school surfing. We had a couple of, surfers. One of them was my uncle's friend, and he lived it, and Gary and we talked them into having a school surfing bus that would go down to Austin from school. It was really cool. Myself and my mate, who was a body boarder, and he started surfing as well.
00;04;44;27 - 00;04;59;19
Kate
We had about 4 or 5 of us and we, we obviously talked the teachers into allowing us to have school surfing, which was pretty cool. And then I joined the Surf Lifesaving Club so that once a month I could get down and do my patrol and then surf afterwards, which was on shore.
00;04;59;19 - 00;05;01;12
Tappa
And you can stay there to catch it.
00;05;01;12 - 00;05;22;17
Kate
Well, I my dad probably didn't really want me to stay down there at night. Thanks. I, I just go down in the morning on the bus and then, and then come back in the afternoon. So I just get, like, once a month, I'd say. Then as I got a little bit older, my grandmother actually moved to Amber and I, she was out of town, but I'd like walk from out of for I'd get a ride with someone down and try and get down most weekends.
00;05;22;18 - 00;05;25;22
Kate
I also wake him up on around year 1112.
00;05;25;25 - 00;05;32;17
Tappa
Oh that's funny. That's where my dad's family came from. Yeah, but he saved my uncle's pictures in the surf club there. Tiger takes.
00;05;32;20 - 00;05;32;28
Kate
That, you.
00;05;33;05 - 00;05;53;17
Tappa
Know, it's like, well, we're more connected than I thought, young lady. Now you pathway to, to where you got to on the world to it. Like nowadays, it's pretty well set. You know, you start as a grommet, you know, then it's Queensland junior, all that sort of thing. And you've got coaching pathways and all that, which of course, you're partly responsible for as well.
00;05;53;17 - 00;05;59;25
Tappa
But I'm. How did your pathway go as a, as a grom to get to, to where you were on the CTE?
00;05;59;27 - 00;06;19;29
Kate
Yeah, I think, I suppose I just was so passionate about surfing and I had this, yearning to just get to the beach as often as I could, and I'd hear about, I don't know, you remember back in the day, surfing New South Wales had Mick Mok was there and it's like, don't, don't call me Mark. And and I'd, I joined surfing New South Wales so that I'd get newsletters as to when the comps were on.
00;06;19;29 - 00;06;25;25
Kate
So I did my regional titles and I got to go to state. I don't think I made Aussies, I think I, you know, I.
00;06;25;25 - 00;06;27;27
Tappa
Really never didn't make it as a groom.
00;06;27;27 - 00;06;29;25
Kate
Now because I was surfing like once a month.
00;06;29;26 - 00;06;30;14
Tappa
All right.
00;06;30;14 - 00;06;46;09
Kate
So I was like basically like just standing out and cruising along. But so this would have been probably when I was 16. All right. I remember I went and stayed with now at a Faulkner, someone had said, hey, I think you know, this other girl down where the with regional titles is on. She like, might might be from Fiji stay.
00;06;46;09 - 00;07;12;28
Kate
So that was unreal. I got to stay with her and I yeah, I look, I was still pretty basic surfer, but I just loved it so much. And then sort of by the time I was probably, 16, 17, there was a camp at Lennox Head that I'd heard about. And lame was at that. It was the first rabbit camp, I think it was, and I actually got to, you know, Jodie Holmes, was at the camp coaching.
00;07;13;05 - 00;07;30;02
Kate
There was Bill powers. There was like all these, like, old school guys that were coaching. And I think just even having the exposure to there was a camp that, there were girls that could attend the camp. I think I had to lie about my age to get in. Was probably under 16 or something, but, I just I'd see those opportunities.
00;07;30;02 - 00;07;36;18
Kate
And, you know, I just begged my dad and he'd be like, well, as long as you can, like, slash the paddock so you can plow this or do that right away.
00;07;36;21 - 00;07;37;17
Tappa
I used to slash.
00;07;37;17 - 00;07;46;26
Kate
Supplies to do it all, and so he'd go, okay, you can maybe go to that one. And I begged him forever. So I had the pathway. I was pretty lucky. I kind of, I think he.
00;07;46;26 - 00;07;48;26
Tappa
Kind of made your own pathway by the saying.
00;07;48;29 - 00;08;13;03
Kate
Well, I think having just the the state titles and meeting other women like Cathy, Newman was around in those days. She was ripping and, I got yeah, there was a coach down at Coffs that I got to sort of say, can I come down and, you know, stay and and have a couple of coaching sessions? And then by the time I got a little bit older, I, I yeah, I ended up doing PVH classic, which was the Boardriders at Yamba.
00;08;13;03 - 00;08;20;14
Kate
And so I was going down once a month for that as well. So then it was probably the frequency around 1718 started to be a lot more.
00;08;20;14 - 00;08;23;24
Tappa
And my session lifestyle I compared to everyone. Yeah.
00;08;23;24 - 00;08;54;02
Kate
But I guess I just, I just put a lot of, like you want on it. I really wanted it. And I got down big boards and I'd like, go on, annoy rod and ask him about, you know, just so many things. And it was a good community like Dan Ross and, yeah, you know, Jeremy Walters and just all, all the, all the crew of those, that era I, they were surfing rings around me, but I was trying to just skate, keep up and watch them and I yeah, I probably improve pretty quickly around that 1718 but I was still not going to the beach very often.
00;08;54;02 - 00;09;01;00
Kate
So I, I ended up going to uni at Will and Gong, and that was where I started surfing every day and really worked on my surfing.
00;09;01;03 - 00;09;21;08
Tappa
Oh wow. I down at uni. So yeah, that is so, so what now? So when did you actually start to call off, like make your effort to qualify for the World tour and that sort of like was it XS then, or was it because I talked to source and she reckons it was harder to, to get off the tour than to get on, as in like when you were trying to break into the tour.
00;09;21;08 - 00;09;21;27
Tappa
It was so.
00;09;21;27 - 00;09;29;12
Kate
Hard. Yeah. So I, started around the same time as Serena. I did the ICC, so it was like.
00;09;29;14 - 00;09;30;14
Tappa
Australian Championships.
00;09;30;19 - 00;09;32;03
Kate
That was sort of rebooted up.
00;09;32;03 - 00;09;32;29
Tappa
In Mont Loran.
00;09;32;29 - 00;09;58;28
Kate
Yeah, yeah, which was fantastic. Because you got to it was like the pro journeys. Now you get to do comps in WA and bells and stuff. And so that was sort of it. Once I, finished uni, that was what I did. I did a year of that. I also went and did the university. I had a group of surfers that was super arcane, and we actually went over to South Africa and competed in what we called the university international titles, but it was really just South Africa and Australia.
00;09;58;28 - 00;10;00;03
Kate
But it was it was really.
00;10;00;03 - 00;10;01;17
Tappa
Hard to orbit.
00;10;01;20 - 00;10;26;16
Kate
And then. Yeah. And then, we ended up going to after that, I was like, I know I need to improve my surfing. I'm a big wave surfing and just get a bit more exposure to better waves. So I did an ICC event and spent a few months over in, with the Pattersons, with Jake and Paul and the crew that were, great to kind of just I was probably annoying them to show me North Point and, a few of those places, but built my skills a bit more.
00;10;26;16 - 00;10;43;21
Kate
And then, so I spent a fair bit of time in WA, and then I ended up going to Belize to compete, which was the combined WCT kind of shows. To, so I did did a few events in Australia that year as well. And then I was like, that's it, I'm ready. I'm going to go on the world tour.
00;10;43;21 - 00;11;01;02
Kate
And Sarina and I actually went over to Neha's, and she, she and Helen Ewing actually probably saved my life because I got such bad food poisoning. But, yeah, I just I started doing those events, and then next minute. Yeah, went on the world to a Sarina qualified that year when it went to top 12 for the women.
00;11;01;04 - 00;11;05;29
Kate
Yeah. And that became the CT. And I got 13. So I like I was always.
00;11;05;29 - 00;11;06;10
Tappa
A.
00;11;06;12 - 00;11;22;02
Kate
Step behind bloody. Sorry. Nice. You know, I was great. And that was an exciting time for women's surfing. But when you think back, it's like 12 women, getting to compete at the same time. It was great that it did, create, like, another team.
00;11;22;04 - 00;11;39;17
Tappa
Yeah. It is. Yeah. And it's like, that's all found in your generation. So. So that's when it sort of really started to lift women's surfing. It seemed to be. And, and you girls were surfing at a way better standards than in the past. Not that any of the other girls back in the day weren't ripping. But yes, it was a lot more women's surfing.
00;11;39;17 - 00;11;47;05
Tappa
So of course it was more women's surfing better. So I really that that era really started to a lot of breaking through sort of thing.
00;11;47;08 - 00;12;17;07
Kate
I think, yeah, it's all timing, isn't it? Because like I used to look up to, Jody Cooper, you know, she was on the coconut, nice and great surfer. And Helen Ewing was traveling with Bill at the time, and this was before they had, the kids. And I just like seeing these amazing women that were actually, like, surfing, but probably while, I mean, Jody was getting the acknowledgment because she was on an ad and, she was surfing so well, and I just went and this is what I want to do, like, I want to travel the world and be able to inspire other women to do what, what I want to
00;12;17;07 - 00;12;43;19
Kate
do, but also to trust in yourself and really believe in yourself. So saying really, incredible women and women succeeding was something that inspired me. So there were definitely like, you know, Paul and Pam, like, lame was already on tour there, but I think, they had gone through that bit of a golden era of having, you know, sun kissed and, all the car companies and, and we felt like we actually hit it at a bit of a low point where there wasn't as much money around.
00;12;43;22 - 00;12;46;16
Kate
And then I think it just really started to then it rack up in.
00;12;46;16 - 00;12;48;24
Tappa
That no money. So, yeah, you went crazy.
00;12;49;00 - 00;13;15;14
Kate
So that was a good time to be part of it. But yeah, everyone was sort of struggling, you know, guys and girls, but definitely more the girls to to try and travel and compete. But it was a great time. Those next few years when Roxy, got on board and started doing some standalone events and, that was really important sort of for that shift in us being able to have a platform to showcase our surfing in great waves, not just in the shit that we put in.
00;13;15;14 - 00;13;27;08
Tappa
In the years before, like, but like. How did you feel when you got on tour? Did you feel like, okay, like did was it like, yes, I've done it all. I'm not finished yet.
00;13;27;10 - 00;13;51;08
Kate
Definitely wasn't finished yet. Like it was, it was so competitive and really hard to stay there. Like, I feel like it was, you know, once you, you got on to a it's kind of the same as now, but without the media cup. But yeah, it felt like, Yeah, it just just the, the level was really high, but you'd go from if you made one round, you get $100 to the next round to get $1,000.
00;13;51;08 - 00;13;56;25
Kate
And so everyone was fighting for that thousand bucks so you could pay for your next ticket to get to the next event. So it's pretty cutthroat.
00;13;56;27 - 00;13;58;05
Tappa
That's even in the top 12.
00;13;58;12 - 00;14;19;05
Kate
Yeah. There was well, so the top 12, I think, got a little bit more, but there was not a the minimum was still pretty low. But it was. Yeah, it was great to, to make it, but I actually won my first event as a wild card in at Tahiti. And so that was like, great to be able to jump in because that was the year I got 12, but I was the next in line.
00;14;19;05 - 00;14;28;11
Kate
So anyone that pulled out, I'd get their spot. And so I got to sort of feel like what it was like to be on the world tour without actually have making it that year. And then the next year I was on tour.
00;14;28;14 - 00;14;33;27
Tappa
Had you ever surfed show before you got that wildcard in and got to and won the event?
00;14;34;04 - 00;14;38;26
Kate
So the year before we actually did have extended Keala won. It was the black Pearl event.
00;14;38;28 - 00;14;39;27
Tappa
Yeah.
00;14;40;00 - 00;14;57;19
Kate
And that so I did get to surf it, but it was actually ended up having the women over at big pass. I think it was for the finals. And so yeah, it was we didn't. Yeah. We got to see the year that it was fantastic at Chobe. So it was kind of like like I think it was like 10 to 12ft.
00;14;57;21 - 00;15;02;23
Kate
And it was pretty crazy, but I hadn't surfed it, a lot, but that's how I had surfed it.
00;15;03;00 - 00;15;14;29
Tappa
So how is it approaching that? Why? Because I look at it and yeah, you can like, you know, like I just park. I once said to me, said I got one of the heaviest take off and Heavy sinker came out and got a full.
00;15;15;02 - 00;15;16;00
Kate
Yeah.
00;15;16;02 - 00;15;21;04
Tappa
You know, I was like, yeah, it was crazy. And I've had a real yeah, yeah, I got a full.
00;15;21;06 - 00;15;38;26
Kate
It's a crazy wave and it's a very special place. And I think it's got a bit of a formula about it that, I, I feel like it's beautiful at three, you know, three, four foot. And then as it just starts to get that little bit bigger, it turns into a completely different beast. And then you look, I haven't surfed it when it was over ten foot.
00;15;38;26 - 00;15;51;19
Kate
I'm like, yeah. And I don't think I'm quite I mean it's, but I I yeah, I did want to try and do that. But then I ended up sort of had an injury and then I moved on from competing. But Kayla, you know, led the way in that stuff.
00;15;51;21 - 00;16;00;21
Tappa
Man, that was so impressive. And she yeah she's like such a charger and like yeah, she she really had redefined women's surfing didn't she. With the big wave stuff.
00;16;00;23 - 00;16;22;13
Kate
Yeah. And I think that's the thing is you you know, you you what you can see, you can believe in and that's that Chase that is saying is we we knew that if we were able to surf in better and more challenging waves, everyone's level would rise. And that's what happened, you know, and it was kind of sad when a few of those sloppy waves got put off, to.
00;16;22;14 - 00;16;35;02
Kate
Yeah, I think. Yeah. Now, now you see my girls going, hey, we need to surf. You know, being able to surf pipe's incredible. Yeah. Going back to sunset and a few of those waves. So. And back to Tahiti and Cloudbreak obviously, too, which is fantastic.
00;16;35;08 - 00;16;52;26
Tappa
Well, girls like Laura never would be. Now be those next girls that are inspiring people. Because once Laura Laura got off tour, next thing she's always was it charge a lot. But she's such a tiny little thing, which gets me like. But she'd have to be inspiring a lot of girls going like, wow, oh, she's doing that. Like, I can do that too.
00;16;52;29 - 00;17;10;03
Kate
Incredible. Yes, she's he's definitely got a heart that's the size of her body. And, and I think just so humble really, because. Yeah. What she's doing, she, she sort of added, I, she is very humble, but it's a very calculated, and, and strategic approach as well that and she, she works hard.
00;17;10;03 - 00;17;14;07
Tappa
Would you have to be in those ways a consequence, don't you. You can't just like go I'm gone.
00;17;14;07 - 00;17;24;06
Kate
Yeah. There's definitely a little bit of craziness there. Yeah. Oh yeah. But like that's. Yeah it's great. She's got that passion and she knows what, what she wants to do. But there's a lot of calculated risk now.
00;17;24;09 - 00;17;37;25
Tappa
Yeah. We got to bring up Blue Crush. Wow. You know, I oh mean, I love that movie inside is everybody. It's just sort of a really cool kind of movie. And it's a girls movie. It's like, you know, How did you get involved with that?
00;17;37;27 - 00;18;05;24
Kate
Yeah, it's it's pretty incredible. I was in, you know, spending a fair bit of time in Hawaii. I obviously like surfing, but you get kind of waves and and hanging around trying to get my, get my one wave out of pipe, and, and it was just a place that, you know, when I was a young girl at Lennox Head in one of the first surf camps, and I'd seen a picture in, I think it was tracks, and it was, just this incredible eye wave that it had that looking through at the sun setting.
00;18;05;24 - 00;18;15;08
Kate
And there was that open like left and like a back door and then a pipe wave. And I was, I just always had this like, passion and drawn towards that place. And I think just that whole the Hawaiian culture.
00;18;15;10 - 00;18;16;23
Tappa
Is very grateful to to and.
00;18;16;23 - 00;18;30;23
Kate
I'm a gift for that. So to be able to then spend more time there, that was like me fulfilling my dream. And and it was. Yeah, just something, I guess we were asked if you do you want to be a stunt double? Do you want to come in, and not be done a couple of like.
00;18;30;23 - 00;18;32;27
Tappa
And then you played yourself towed in? Yes. Yeah.
00;18;32;27 - 00;18;51;22
Kate
And I think it just those things just end up happening at the time. So I didn't know that at the start when I was involved in it. And then when I was asked to. Yeah. Play myself. That was obviously a great honor. And initially it was like, you know, we want you just to be the Wipeout Queen, which I was like, oh, I really, I really want to change a script.
00;18;51;22 - 00;19;06;11
Kate
Can I, can I just win the comp but kill I got that, got that, status, which is great. And she deserves that. It was but it was a great opportunity and some amazing people to to be around. And I got to serve time with, one other person out, so that's wow. Credible.
00;19;06;15 - 00;19;24;12
Tappa
That's probably. Well, I only happens now if you're in the on tour. Yeah, I'm to get to do that again. I fix a big thanks and shout out to our mates at the official beer for sponsoring this episode. And of course, the new JK lager. Low carb. I'm trying to get him to make me a zero, but I haven't done it yet.
00;19;24;12 - 00;19;44;21
Tappa
But they will. They will. It's an easy drinking, like our beer brewed on the Gold Coast by a master brewer. So next time I'll make you like I'll grab a sexy grab a cartoon when, If I haven't got it on tap. But you like a pop? Yeah. Why haven't you got it? I'll take official beer archive. So next time, remember, if you're after card one, make it official.
00;19;44;24 - 00;20;07;07
Tappa
Now, with that, I know with your high performance. Oh, actually, now, before we get in life, after the tour, I've talked to a lot of people. What? How is it mentally when you leave the tour? Because basically you've been traveling, you know, affection, people looking after you, sort of like VIP kind of thing. And how is it when you actually step off the tour?
00;20;07;09 - 00;20;33;15
Kate
I don't know if many of the girls back then had the full VR experience, but we did have, you know, we we definitely had some great, support from, from sponsors and things. And, and you're getting phone calls, you kind of wanted and people are, asking you to turn off the things you're doing, signings and, and that type of attention, and even just being on the world tour itself, it it can be a bit of an addictive kind of feeling because you're like, oh, wow, I've got my purpose.
00;20;33;17 - 00;20;51;14
Kate
It feels great to be on track to success. You following your dream. All those kind of feelings are really, I think you're you're an entertainer. When you're on to it. It's kind of like something that's in you. So to have that finish it is a really, different feeling. It's kind of like, hang on, my job, it's just gone.
00;20;51;15 - 00;21;10;00
Kate
This is weird. No one's calling me. I don't have the same paycheck. It is. Yeah, it's a it is definitely a strange feeling. And I think for me, it did end quicker than I hoped I was. I felt like I was in my prime. I had a pretty bad injury on the set. And then I tried to rehab, and it wasn't my successful rehab.
00;21;10;00 - 00;21;28;03
Kate
And I tried to get back on tour, and it was. But qualifying. Qualifying just it, it it took a hold of me and I think just my, I didn't have the support I needed to get rehab money, that I would have been great to, to do. And yeah, it I've kind of like, well, this is it.
00;21;28;04 - 00;21;54;11
Kate
You know, I've got that gut feeling. It's like I'm just pushing up against a heel and it's not working. And so I started doing some, because I loved TV work. So I had been dabbling in a little sister. Exactly, exactly. She's much better than me, though. But I was doing some, I'll see that. But I feel TV because I was starting in Australia, and so I, I started doing some work with them just as a TV host and then doing a little bit of production, and I really enjoyed that.
00;21;54;13 - 00;22;12;23
Kate
And then I ended up I'd always done a bit of coaching. I had a coaching business while I was on tour, and I was hit up by, Rip Curl to support the girls. A few of the girls that were traveling on tour at the time, young Stephanie Gilmore was one of them, Jesse, Molly Dyer and a few others.
00;22;12;26 - 00;22;23;25
Kate
Yeah. Jacqueline Silver and yeah, it was a great team of of rip co girls. And, it was the first time that the brands had said, hey, look, we actually want a really employee to look after.
00;22;23;27 - 00;22;25;22
Tappa
That was missing. That was missing for.
00;22;25;22 - 00;22;44;29
Kate
All you guys. And so. Yeah, so Red Bull Wood was starting to do it, and it just it was something that was really needed. And so I felt really honored that that was an opportunity to do. And so my transition was pretty like, I guess seamless in a way. It was it was definitely a change. I had my degree to fall back on and I felt pretty comfortable.
00;22;45;02 - 00;22;46;17
Tappa
What is your degree, by the way?
00;22;46;20 - 00;22;59;03
Kate
I did, movement and exercise science, so. Yeah, so it was and I did that because I was obviously passionate about learning about, how to become an athlete, but also support others in rehabilitation. And, worked in cardiac.
00;22;59;06 - 00;23;03;22
Tappa
So that even worked actually a degree actually worked with what you did with Rip Curl as well kind of thing.
00;23;03;22 - 00;23;04;03
Kate
Yeah.
00;23;04;04 - 00;23;05;03
Tappa
So that's all.
00;23;05;03 - 00;23;25;27
Kate
Part of it. I did some more study than, and worked with a lady, Jane Cotton, who at the time, around that time started working with Mick Fanning after he had torn his hamstring. And so I did a little bit more work in that space and felt like it was kind of complemented a bit of mentoring, coaching, and then, a little bit of physical, preparation sort of side of things.
00;23;25;27 - 00;23;32;10
Kate
So it was great. And it was yeah, it kind of, I suppose it helped support the transition in a way.
00;23;32;12 - 00;23;36;01
Tappa
That's cool. And surfing Australia, how did you end up at Surfing Australia?
00;23;36;06 - 00;24;03;29
Kate
Yeah, it's a good story. I, I, I missed out on sort of that as an athlete, like working with, the teams. And because I was sort of a bit older as I started competing, I didn't, represent Australia as a junior or anything, but, I knew that TV Australia like pretty good program for, some of the, the, say ISIS and a few of the athletes that were on the world tour, and I was actually working, in occupational therapy assistant at the time.
00;24;03;29 - 00;24;21;28
Kate
So, when I had my two boys, I ended up doing some daycare, but I also went back and did some, Yeah, but I was working at a hospital, actually, and, Andy King came and, said hi, and he was like, we known each other from back in the day competing. And he's like, come on, Scouts, when are you going to come back to coaching?
00;24;21;28 - 00;24;37;03
Kate
And I was like, oh, I'm not ready. I think I'm, I need, you know, I'm going to do something different. And he kept asking and, they were just setting up a new talent ID program at Australia. So he, he twist them. And I said, look, I'll go. I'd love to run the women's team ID that'd be great.
00;24;37;03 - 00;24;45;19
Kate
And he, Clancy Dawson were running the boys today. Camps. And I got into the first camp and I went, oh, my gosh, this is where I belong. I want to do this.
00;24;45;19 - 00;24;46;12
Tappa
Yeah, you just.
00;24;46;14 - 00;25;02;21
Kate
Like I said, this is it. Back to coaching, back to, sharing my passion and also just the knowledge that I had and and, yeah, that was probably nine years ago or so. And young Indy Robinson was part of that group. So I was Quincy there was, a lot of. Yeah, Kobe and Macy and we'll we'll.
00;25;02;21 - 00;25;19;10
Tappa
Start saying, some of those girls and helping out with the, with the youngsters to the younger ones, you know, because what they're over 18 now I think, I, I don't know, it's a, it just disappears time but but yeah, it's great to see them coming in and help as well. Now with your, your high performance program.
00;25;19;10 - 00;25;40;21
Tappa
Now you're in charge of that. I think it's amazing what you're doing. I had the, I was helping out with the, just with the, the noise to get them in schools out there with the juniors, the other day. And the talent is amazing. And that program is so good. They just it's like, seems like you're educating them on how the whole thing, not just like, not just how each strategy and all that.
00;25;40;21 - 00;25;42;15
Tappa
It seems to be everything.
00;25;42;17 - 00;26;04;23
Kate
Yeah. And that's the purpose of the program is to support Australian surfers to become world's best people and, website surfers and people. So, I think that's the the party is not just about becoming the world's best surfer, but also people. And, you know, it takes great people and resilience and, all the skills outside of the water as well as in the water to become the world's best.
00;26;04;26 - 00;26;27;28
Kate
And so it we have a fantastic team and just really proud of everyone's approach on, taking that as a really important aspect to success, and making sure that we can put things in place that support, athletes throughout the whole journey because, as you mentioned, transition can be quite challenging. The ups and downs of being an athlete, the demands that you put on yourself, it's not always easy.
00;26;28;01 - 00;26;48;18
Kate
And so having that support system that, you know, you can lean on if you have an injury or, just even building a business for a career after after completing all of those aspects as well as, obviously all of the technical, and tactical stuff that you need to have as a competitive surfer. So, yeah, really proud of, where the program is, it's obviously we want to keep growing.
00;26;48;20 - 00;26;52;06
Kate
But it is it's great to be to be part of that.
00;26;52;09 - 00;27;12;20
Tappa
And the women's surfing part of it because I like I know quite well I know most of the kids because I've committed at some since they were ten, you know, like I said. But but the, the women's program, why not. We've got like three of three, I think three people that are in your program, in our Boardriders club, you know, like, you know, Ziggy and all, Ella and Charlie, you know, that they're three girls from that club.
00;27;12;20 - 00;27;37;03
Tappa
And, what you've been doing as well. I saw you and your team, you know, like, you've got world champions, former world champions, you've got sharks, warriors. You've got such a great mix of people. But, taking Chelsea, taking those three girls to surf, like all these big guys because, like, all that you did, you get you didn't actually get to compete at pipe or and did you do that at all in your career?
00;27;37;05 - 00;27;53;25
Tappa
But like, I suppose from your point of view, how could you imagine just rocking up to pipe and going, I got your heats tomorrow? I and you've never surfed that? Why, that'd be like something really incredible, like impossible to do. Nearly. And so you're getting the, the, girls ready for that sort of thing.
00;27;54;02 - 00;28;11;06
Kate
Yeah. And I think, you know, like you said, we've got so much talent in Australia, and it is incredible. And just on the Gold Coast, the amount of talent is, is fantastic. And those three girls you mentioned, you have a lot of potential. And to be getting the support from someone like Chelsea, who has not just been a world champion, but she's a great human.
00;28;11;06 - 00;28;29;24
Kate
She's got so much experience to pass on and she absolutely rips like she, you know, back in the last trip that they went to New Zealand, just to be able to have her out in the water and encouraging you to go, oh, I think it is that same thing you can to see, to believe like you like, hey, that she's she's charging and she's like, she's retired.
00;28;29;24 - 00;28;46;20
Kate
Hang on, I'm going to get better than her. So it inspires the girls to keep improving and saying areas that they could improve to. But I think we all know as surfers there's so much that goes into the journey, of becoming world's best. Like it's not just to make the world to it. You've got to be great in all kinds of waves.
00;28;46;20 - 00;28;51;12
Kate
You've got to be able to turn it on in precious moments. You've got to be able to cope with travel. Like the.
00;28;51;12 - 00;28;52;09
Tappa
Resilience. Yeah.
00;28;52;11 - 00;29;12;17
Kate
It there's there's so many things that go to do that. And I think into doing it, navigating sponsorships, you know, supporting like you've got families family that you've, you've got, wanting to support. You've got to so many, stakeholders in your group as a surfer that people are trying to support you, but also that you've got to navigate.
00;29;12;17 - 00;29;28;11
Kate
And I think that, yeah, step by step, being able to sort of break that down when kids are younger and, you know, tick off a few of the things of like, hey, like, you do need to work on your left slabs, like, you do need to work on your right points. Like these are the places and things that you can go on do.
00;29;28;11 - 00;29;33;17
Kate
And having the advice from the coaches that we have in the program, it is pretty incredible. Very proud.
00;29;33;17 - 00;29;51;28
Tappa
Of that. Well, I've seen a lot of these kids go through, and I think this generation of kids, they're amazing. They're actually they really want it. They're dedicated though, because unlike like probably in the 2000, there was so much money around. Like, you know, it was like 6 to 8 year olds, around 60,000 us a year just to go surfing.
00;29;52;00 - 00;30;01;15
Tappa
But now there's not much money there. But these kids, they work so hard and they're that dedicated, they're switched on and they seem to be across everything nowadays.
00;30;01;22 - 00;30;21;08
Kate
And I think you know it. It's definitely the knowledge of what they, need to work on is really important. And having that focus, it's a lot, you know, parents, it's a lot for them to navigate to for family holidays. It's like all of that going to the wives profiles that will support their kids, or even just getting exposure in a city, event.
00;30;21;08 - 00;30;47;05
Kate
And that's what we want to do with the program. You know, I guess our, our biggest funding partner. And basically they're asking me to help the team create with the strategy to support, Olympians and and world champions. So, over the next two cycles. So we have, obviously LA and then we have, you know, Australia, Brisbane Olympics, but who's going to be at those games and how do we help, get them ready for that?
00;30;47;05 - 00;31;05;20
Kate
And when you think of it in that way, it's actually a pretty small, group of surfers. But we know how important it is to also support the next generation of, you know, ten and 12 year olds that are coming through because, you know, they may not be where Laney or Loki Collins are at. They may they may take a little bit longer to yourself.
00;31;05;22 - 00;31;06;27
Tappa
In the big 12.
00;31;06;27 - 00;31;26;06
Kate
Yeah. So we've also got to have that pathway to support that next generation of athletes for the Olympics this past Brisbane. And so working with states on and all the state bodies on how we can, help them provide that support as well. So, it's yeah, it's very exciting, but it's definitely a lot for surfers to work through.
00;31;26;06 - 00;31;51;05
Kate
But like, let's fight because face it, it's pretty damn fun to be, working on your surfing and. Yeah, game and, and, and just exploring the world, really. If you get to save the money and do that. I think it's, it's also that era that we're we're in. You know, the girls didn't receive that kind of funding, but there was still, or sponsorship money, but there was we were also hungry to kind of, like, make it happen.
00;31;51;12 - 00;32;08;01
Kate
So you travel together in packs. You saved money like that. We worked, you know, to save money, to travel and that's what's happening now. People have to work jobs before they, you can can travel. Well, it's it's just a part of how we can support them to to then be ready to compete once they get up.
00;32;08;04 - 00;32;29;05
Tappa
In lifeguarding or whatever to, you know, to to go and get back on the tour like, you know that's it. Just got to do it. Yeah. It's not like, not you got to do it. Yeah. You want it, you got to do it. And these kids and the people that you're, you're saying really do want it, you know, and it's been amazing to talk to like, guys like, work out and yourself and say the inside workings of it.
00;32;29;07 - 00;32;36;07
Tappa
But, I think my life had us, go being the mom of a couple of boys and fitting all of this in.
00;32;36;10 - 00;32;40;25
Kate
Yeah, it's a lot. I forgot to bring my shoes today, actually, so I had to borrow some shoes.
00;32;40;27 - 00;32;41;22
Tappa
00;32;41;24 - 00;32;57;11
Kate
I think that those things happen, and that's just being reality. It's like, hey, you're busy, you've got a busy life. And, I'm really lucky. I've got a really supportive husband. He's been in the surf industry for years. He gets it. He knows this is a passion. For me and the boys are both, like, mum, this is.
00;32;57;11 - 00;33;20;11
Kate
You know what you love? Like, it's okay. We'll be fine. And, but they've, you know, they've also got to benefit from the fact they can skate the ramps or jump on the tramps outside of ours, and, I surf, so my youngest loves surfing. Just he's he's sort of, like, not surfing super big waves, but, and then my oldest doesn't mind, like, getting out and surfing, but he's a really good skater, so that's my story.
00;33;20;13 - 00;33;35;21
Tappa
It's a passion. Well, I've got one that's such an a force. You know, they go, you know, like, it's it's it's what they want to do. That's. And my, my dad was always like that whatever I wanted to do or my brother, he supported us full on. So when we played footy. Yep. Sport at that. And I said nah, I had enough for footy.
00;33;35;24 - 00;33;36;04
Kate
Yeah.
00;33;36;09 - 00;33;50;11
Tappa
A coach joined us on the beach when all this was poppin. That was the end of footy. Yeah, it was no more of that going on them. But what do you see the future of surfing going like we've got the Olympics. That must have been a great boost for surfing. But where do you see surfing going in the future?
00;33;50;11 - 00;33;58;15
Tappa
Do you see it's still on the same sort of system we've got now with the with the RSL, or do you see it going to another level somehow? Yeah.
00;33;58;17 - 00;34;29;06
Kate
Look, I, I don't have a crystal ball, but I feel like the soul is an amazing platform. You know, there's it's evolving into, like the changes that we're seeing for some of the locations, now, but also just to, shift up the media cart. I think that's a that's a great direction. I think that wave pools is, and, you know, like the step high events is something that is so entertaining and it's so incredible to see the level of, where surfers are going.
00;34;29;06 - 00;34;49;19
Kate
And I think that's another, platform that perhaps will showcase, a different time, different, different way to just watch surfing. We know the time that it can be on. We know that we can watch it, you know, on a Tuesday at 3:00. So that's unusual for, for surfers and for the mainstream to actually have that exposure.
00;34;49;21 - 00;35;08;22
Kate
So I think that will probably grow, but I think just the locations and the places we're going, maybe there's going to be there could be that, shift around a bit more remote locations and just finding incredible waves that, as, as passionate surfers, but also as mainstream, really enjoy and get to hear the stories of athletes.
00;35;08;22 - 00;35;12;23
Kate
I yeah, I don't know, I think that there's there's lots of areas to seeing.
00;35;12;23 - 00;35;32;02
Tappa
I thought the IB is a great concept, but you know what, I reckon the IB should be in the Olympics. Yes, I think that is because my mum bless so she's she loves surfing. She was Stephanie Gilmore was other coach from yelling at the TV telling Steph what to do. She goes she listened to me. She won today, you know.
00;35;32;02 - 00;35;51;04
Tappa
But but she still loved watching surfing. She didn't look at the wave pools that much because it was a bit repetitive. But she said the IB was her favorite because I think it applied. It appeals to the the normal people that don't get surfing, but they get time, they get all of that sort of thing. And the drama, I think.
00;35;51;04 - 00;36;13;15
Kate
Yeah. And I think that's, IB is an incredible event and I feel like that will grow. And you can see other countries starting to get more involved. And, I think that, that will definitely become another platform for, Oh, it's already a platform. Yeah. But then and it's an advantage for Australia is that we've been we've grown up through that tag team sort of system with boardriders clubs as well.
00;36;13;15 - 00;36;35;22
Kate
And I think the other part is through ISIS and the tag teams, they call that like the Aloha Cup. So, if that's reintroduced in a few of the ISI events, that's hopefully something for the Olympics that we can look to have. Because if you had a team event for the games, it would just be so exciting. And it would, I think a lot of spectators that don't surf would really understand that.
00;36;36;00 - 00;36;37;16
Kate
And it's so exciting.
00;36;37;16 - 00;36;55;13
Tappa
Like that now, like this 30s is a guy and they paddle on that. They need a five. Oh, is he going to get the wife or she's going to get the I reckon that it really work for the Olympics. I recommend it because like surfing as is, is an individual thing, but I maybe is team. Yeah. And I know it just went off.
00;36;55;13 - 00;37;03;04
Tappa
Go on and tag teams. It's harder to surf than any hate. You're under more pressure than ever because you don't want to let the team down. It's not just yourself.
00;37;03;05 - 00;37;21;12
Kate
But you've also got the teams backing and support. So as much as it is a pressure, you've also got that, connection with the team that everyone's backing you to do it. The other thing that I think it's important too, is, for para surfing, I've, you know, they just had to seize the day down at Kingston, and we had our power of female surfers that were in, that event.
00;37;21;12 - 00;37;38;15
Kate
And just that inclusion, with them and also longboarding, you know, the potential of them being in the Olympics. I think he's going to be, pretty mind blowing because there's a lot of people that, you know, want to get involved in surfing that have different, abilities. And so it provides another platform for.
00;37;38;15 - 00;37;49;10
Tappa
Yeah. See, I wanted to talk to you about that nexus that day. That's that's a great concept. And it's the largest like, women's event for surfing in the world, is that right?
00;37;49;14 - 00;37;52;08
Kate
It's the largest female participation event.
00;37;52;11 - 00;37;53;14
Tappa
So not just.
00;37;53;20 - 00;37;55;17
Kate
Yeah. Yeah. So it's pretty exciting.
00;37;55;17 - 00;37;58;13
Tappa
It's incredible. That's like a first a world first.
00;37;58;13 - 00;38;23;21
Kate
That's unreal. It was such a great weekend and, definitely, opened my eyes to even friends of mine that came to come down for the weekend for a bit of a girls weekend that don't surf. So they Grafton girls as well. And as you know, not many people surf that are from Grafton. So especially back then, and they just loved it, you know, just being inspired by some fantastic speakers, the workshops, the well being, yeah.
00;38;23;24 - 00;38;31;02
Kate
Like, different workshops that were on and the tag team, they got to have a giggle at me being in the tag team. So that provided a little.
00;38;31;02 - 00;38;33;24
Tappa
And did you have to learn to surf stuff there as well for that?
00;38;33;27 - 00;38;56;23
Kate
Yes. Correct. Yes. So I'm Owen, right. Came down as an Olympian and had a bit of a have a go day with a few grommets. There's obviously a connection to with the surf schools that are in key. So, yeah, there was, it was from people that learning to surf all the way through to, you know, you know, be a world champions with Pam and Lane and, and pulling and,
00;38;56;25 - 00;39;16;20
Kate
Oh, gosh. Who else was it? Just it it was just all Wendy. Both. It was there as well. It was cool. It was fantastic. It was a really, I think, the connection of all walks of life, you know, with, Janine Ellis, like artists like, you know, I think, just, just incredible women and I think each year it continues to grow.
00;39;16;22 - 00;39;27;12
Kate
And it's really just it's a really, inclusive place. Everyone feels comfortable just coming there. It's not just for pro surfers. It's for anyone that wants to be, understanding this. I think, you.
00;39;27;17 - 00;39;39;12
Tappa
Know, I've noticed around, like, round Billy that there's so many women in their 30s and 40s and 50s taking up surfing as well. It's good to say that they really love the freedom and all of it. It's it's so good.
00;39;39;12 - 00;40;01;01
Kate
And I think, you know, you've been through the era where, predominantly it's a male dominated sport. And I feel like the, the, dialog on that is shifting. And it's exciting to, to have the, opportunity for so many women that missed out on that to come back into surfing and go, oh, I feel safe now. I feel like it, you know, have a go.
00;40;01;04 - 00;40;23;00
Kate
I won't get yelled at in the surf. I won't get away, you know, be harassed and told, you know, made me feel worse about myself. And yeah, we have we have been really lucky. We've received, some funding through the participation, team at Surfing Australia for a program called rise, which is a women's program that the last the start of this week, actually, they had a camp for 40 women.
00;40;23;03 - 00;40;43;20
Kate
And it's helping with coaching and judging and to bring that into boardriders clubs across Australia. And I think that just the opportunities for women to go, oh my gosh, we can connect together, learn and inspire the next generation, but also the women that, are in this, you know, 40s, 50, 60s, 70s that want to have a go at surfing that didn't perhaps get that opportunity.
00;40;43;20 - 00;41;13;01
Kate
So there's that. We've also got a pretty exciting announcement with, another, women's program that we announced. You know, it's it's just a very recent one. It's for a program called Talent Unleashed, which will be, women and girls program for, regional, state and a national level. And it's it's incredible opportunity for that more high performance, pathway and to support the girls, to have more opportunities to have coaching, and also to support the coaching pathway.
00;41;13;01 - 00;41;28;05
Kate
So more females, being able to get into coaching and the high performance pathway for them as well. So there's a lot happening in that space. And I think, you know, it's very timely because people are feeling like they want to have, have an opportunity now they know where to go.
00;41;28;08 - 00;41;50;11
Tappa
Well, that's awesome, because, you know, I long before you know that the pioneer, of course, Australia's, first ever world surfing champion, Phyllis Donald, she broke the barrier. She was actually they tried to stop a surfing. Yeah, boys did, and like, she fought and she fought and I tried to drop it, you know, once when I was 12, and she swore at me, and I think dad was, you know, it's just Phyllis might way.
00;41;50;11 - 00;42;10;17
Tappa
But she she was a real pioneer for women. And it was great to see, you know, like the the plaudits that she got. But it's great to see where surfing's going from that from the 60s to, you know, now why don't we 70 years on and look at it now and I'm, I'm a big believer that they should be or that they reduce the men back to 22 or they take the women up to 32.
00;42;10;24 - 00;42;24;19
Tappa
That's what I reckon because of the talent that we've got, like, you know, like you say, you're a branch of Charlie's and it is Ziggy's and all these other girls that are coming through. There's enough women to fill the tour that I might got, you know.
00;42;24;22 - 00;42;37;24
Kate
Yeah. And hopefully in a few years it won't be a conversation. It's just going to be that there is equal, you know, and it's obviously not at the expense of the boys. We want to make sure that they've got the support and they're developing and and, and have opportunities as well, you say.
00;42;37;26 - 00;42;39;09
Tappa
Because there's a lot of people in the world.
00;42;39;10 - 00;42;39;26
Kate
That I think.
00;42;39;26 - 00;42;40;29
Tappa
32. Yeah.
00;42;40;29 - 00;43;06;06
Kate
But I think it's, it's the fact that, that just having equality, whether it be around prize money, numbers, opportunities and that's we're not there yet. But there's a lot of the women that have paved the way from Isabel life them to Phyllis to, you know, the women overseas from Hawaii like Roseanne. And just there's so many incredible women across the globe that have added to this momentum that we have now and that we're seeing.
00;43;06;06 - 00;43;21;12
Kate
And I think that it's a credit to, you know, whether you're in a boat or out of Kabul, whether you like, you just love watching surfing. Everyone's played a part in to, bringing up this, this new generation of girls to just feel like it's normal to be equal with them in.
00;43;21;14 - 00;43;27;22
Tappa
I think that's really cool. Hi. It's been so awesome to have you on it. Thank you for coming on the great room. A pleasure, pleasure.
00;43;27;22 - 00;43;28;20
Kate
Thank you.
00;43;28;22 - 00;43;45;22
Tappa
Thanks for tuning into the green Room. Hey, thanks. Would you like to get your name in the Green Room podcast? Well, we are looking for sponsors, so if you want to get a sponsorship, check it out at Pod Fire. Lots of people can hear about your product on one of the best podcasts around the green room. So, check it out.
00;43;45;22 - 00;44;04;11
Tappa
Pod fire. Thanks for tuning into the green Room. A big thank you to our guests for sharing their stories and insights and Pod Fire for bringing this podcast to life. Don't forget to subscribe, like, leave a review and share the green room with your friends. We'll catch you next time for more conversations with the Legends of Surf and beyond.
00;44;04;14 - 00;44;06;15
Tappa
Until then, catch you in the waves.