Editor’s note: In the years since this interview, Jen’s story has unfolded in ways neither of us could have fully predicted. She went on to win two World Championships, cementing herself as one of the most accomplished longboarders of her generation. But like many careers in surfing, the arc wasn’t linear. Sponsorships faded, competition took […]
Looking Back: The Day I Met Ornela Pellizzari at Trestles
I was surfing Upper Trestles, feeling like I was surfing pretty well. I had a good session and I was feeling good about it. Then I got out of the water and looked back at the lineup. There was a girl out there, around my age, absolutely shredding. Turn after turn, throwing full rooster tail […]
Inside the Mind of a Big Wave Charger with Jenny Useldinger
Editor’s note: This story was originally reported and written in 2014. Some details may have changed. There’s a moment, just before a wave breaks, where everything goes quiet. A massive blue wall rises out of nowhere, bending toward the sky. Wind skims across its face, hissing. Then the lip pitches forward. The ocean cracks. A […]
Getting Back to Video
There wasn’t a single moment where I decided to get back into video. It was more gradual than that. I picked up the camera again, started filming, and realized it still felt familiar. When I first started, most of the platforms were print. Magazines were where the stories lived, so I gravitated toward photography. It […]
How Mamala Surf Is Rethinking Wetsuits for Women Surfers
The future of women’s surf gear is about designing from the ground up with women in mind. There is a particular kind of annoying distraction that only surfers can relate to. The drag of excess neoprene bunching at the forearms while you’re paddling. The cold flush down the back during a duck dive. The weight […]
A Long Wave West: Trust, Timing, and a Life Shaped by Surfing
In this conversation with Holly Beck on Surf With Amigas, I trace the long arc of my surf life, not just where it began, but how it carried me forward. I grew up in Florida with a single mom and a lot of energy, always moving, always outside, and surfing became a natural fit, a […]
Putting New Gear to Work, and Showing Up for Community
Lately, I’ve been in a season of upgrading my camera body and lens kit with a clear intention: to focus more deeply on video storytelling. Not just sharper footage or better low-light performance, but stories that feel lived-in, human, and worth returning to. The LGBTQ+ Lumberjack Christmas Tree Pick-Up felt like the perfect place to […]
Answering the Call: My Journey to the ISA World Masters Championships
I wasn’t expecting my life to shift on an ordinary Saturday evening — but that’s exactly what happened. I was sitting at home, settling into a quiet weekend, when a text came through asking if I could represent Team USA at the ISA World Masters Championships. It stopped me in my tracks. There are plenty […]
Life Lessons Through Surfing
Surfing has taught me so much about life. 1. Perseverance – 90% of surfing is paddling. Some days the waves are relentless and if you want to make it to the outside to catch waves, you have to keep paddling, you’ve got to kick, you’ve got to duck dive deep, and keep going. 2. Patience […]
Women’s Swatch Pro – Lower Trestles
I got to say that I’m totally amped for the upcoming Trestles contest. I’ve been surfing and competing at Lower Trestles since I was 14 years old. I would compete back in Florida in the NSSA and earn a spot in the National Championships. I had such an awesome time coming out to surf in […]