As women’s sports continue to rise, women’s surfing isn’t just riding the wave — they’re leading it. Lakey Peterson, a veteran of the World Surf League Championship Tour, represents a pivotal generation of female trailblazers. She recalls a time when winning a contest earned her $15,000, while the male winner of the same event took home $100,000. Since then, she’s witnessed the league evolve, achieving equal prize money, combined tours, and better waves.

For Peterson, embracing these changes later in her career has been both a challenge and an opportunity. On this episode of the PowHERful Podcast, she shares how she’s adapted, where she draws the perseverance to keep pushing forward, and her vision for the future of women’s surfing.