Mimi Miller embodies the fierce joy and courageous authenticity that surfing desperately needs. In a world often dominated by slim, conventional images, Mimi is breaking stereotypes and showcasing how curvy, strong, and confident women redefine surfing.

In this episode of Confessions of a Surf Lady, The First Women’s Surfing Podcast™, Mimi shares her 11-year surfing journey—from dancing on the beach for warmups to confronting microaggressions in the lineup. Her candid conversation about cultural barriers, surf etiquette, and body positivity provides deep insights into how surfers of color can reclaim their joy and assert their place in the waves.

Through Mimi's vibrant storytelling, you'll connect with her fierce spirit and discover how empowerment, authenticity, and community solidarity can transform your surfing experience.

Main Themes:

• Surfing with Confidence as a Curvy Woman Mimi emphasizes how representation and visibility help break barriers, empowering women of diverse body types to embrace their surfing abilities.
• "People don't realize it takes curvy women—we're the real goats in surfing."
• Confronting Microaggressions and Surf Etiquette Mimi discusses the frequent microaggressions faced in predominantly white surf spaces and how she strategically addresses these challenges head-on.
• "Sometimes you have to call it out immediately to regain your space and respect."
• Building Community & Cultural Representation in Surfing Mimi reflects on her efforts to foster community among surfers of color, highlighting the importance of feeling safe, seen, and supported in the water.

Guest Resources

• Follow Mimi on Instagram : @shesurfmimi

Show resources

• Join our global women’s surf community — The Surf Société — and start your free 7-day trial today. 🔗 Click here to join now
• Or learn more first → The Surf Société overview
• Follow us your host Laura Day: @confessionsofasurflady
• Follow The Surf Société: @surfsociete for surf lady tips from #thesurflab inside the membership:

How to Support the Podcast:

1. 💙 Support our sponsors – They help keep this show going!
2. 🛍️ Shop at shop.surfsociete.com – Support women-centered surfwear and community.
3. ⭐ Leave a Review – It helps more women find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
4. 📲 Share this episode – Send it to a surf sister who needs to hear this.
5. 🌊 Join Surf Société – Come learn and surf better inside a powerful, like-minded women's community.

Send me a Message! Be sure to leave your contact info.

Support the show

Confessions of a Surf Lady, women's surfing podcast, is supported by The Surf Société, our unique digital women's surfing platform where we come together to Learn More. Surf Better. Live Happy. Learn more at Surfsociete.com

What if the thing you were seeking all along was right in your own backyard?

Elaine Abonal was an exchange student in Florida when she first saw surfing—and something inside her lit up. But it wasn’t until she returned to the Philippines and realized there were waves in her own country that everything changed.

In this episode of Confessions of a Surf Lady: The First Women’s Surfing Podcast™, Elaine shares how her surf journey started by breaking cultural expectations and carving out a new path in the Philippine surf scene. As a Filipina surfer, community builder, and entrepreneur, she’s created something truly powerful: a space where people feel welcome, safe, and inspired to surf.

We talk about her experience originally being one of the few women in the water in Siargao, what it's like to build surf culture from the ground up, and why inclusion—especially in the global surf conversation—has to come from people who live and breathe the culture every day.

Main Themes:

🌍 Surfing as a Cultural Awakening

💪 Creating Safe Spaces in the Lineup

🏄🏽 Representation in Surf Culture

🌀 Surfing as a Mirror for Growth

Resources:

• Follow Elaine on Instagram: @elaineabonal
  Learn about Surfista Travels: surfistatravels.com
• Join our global women’s surf community — The Surf Société — and start your free 7-day trial today. 🔗 Click here to join now
• Or learn more first → The Surf Société overview
• Shop Dip and get 15% OFF with the code "confessionsofasurflady" at checkout at Dipalready.com
• The Surfing Copywriter: Learn more about his work at www.thesurfingcopywriter.com.

How to Support the Podcast:

1. 💙 Support our sponsors – They help keep this show going!
2. 🛍️ Shop at shop.surfsociete.com – Support women-centered surfwear and community.
3. ⭐ Leave a Review – It helps more women find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
4. 📲 Share this episode – Send it to a surf sister who needs to hear this.
5. 🌊 Join Surf Société – Come learn and surf better inside a powerful, like-minded women's community.

Send me a Message! Be sure to leave your contact info.

Support the show

Confessions of a Surf Lady, women's surfing podcast, is supported by The Surf Société, our unique digital women's surfing platform where we come together to Learn More. Surf Better. Live Happy. Learn more at Surfsociete.com

What does it take to perform at the highest level—and still enjoy surfing for yourself? Lakey Peterson has competed on the world stage for over a decade, but the journey hasn’t always been smooth—especially when expectations are high and results don’t go your way.

In this episode of Confessions of a Surf Lady: The First Women’s Surfing Podcast™, Lakey opens up about what it’s really like to chase progression, navigate fear, and still stay connected to joy in the water. We talk about the pressure of competition, the mental tools that keep her grounded, and why her relationship to surfing is evolving.

Whether you're pushing your own progression or simply trying to find more fun in your sessions, this conversation will remind you that surfing gets to be yours—no matter where you are in your journey.

Main Themes

• Staying Grounded Through Competitive Pressure
  “Sometimes I just need to surf without a goal. That’s what keeps it fun.” – Lakey Peterson
• Not Growing Up in Surf Culture—And Still Making It
  “I didn’t have a surfy upbringing. I had to ask a lot of questions and figure it out.” – Lakey Peterson
• Representation & Progression in Women’s Surfing
  “When I started, it was about who looked good in a bikini. Now it’s about how hard you charge.” – Lakey Peterson

Resources:

• Join our global women’s surf community — The Surf Société — and start your free 7-day trial today. 🔗 Click here to join now
• Or learn more first → The Surf Société overview
• Shop Dip and get 15% OFF with the code "confessionsofasurflady" at checkout at Dipalready.com
• The Surfing Copywriter: Learn more about his work at www.thesurfingcopywriter.com.

How to Support the Podcast:

1. 💙 Support our sponsors – They help keep this show going!
2. 🛍️ Shop at shop.surfsociete.com – Support women-centered surfwear and community.
3. ⭐ Leave a Review – It helps more women find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
4. 📲 Share this episode – Send it to a surf sister who needs to hear this.
5. 🌊 Join Surf Société – Come learn and surf better inside a powerful, like-minded women's community.

Send me a Message! Be sure to leave your contact info.

Support the show

Confessions of a Surf Lady, women's surfing podcast, is supported by The Surf Société, our unique digital women's surfing platform where we come together to Learn More. Surf Better. Live Happy. Learn more at Surfsociete.com