TYPE 2: Episode 016 - Andrea Moller

Type 2 is a podcast from Looking Sideways in association with Patagonia that explores the intersection between the outdoors, action sports and activism. My guest this week is big wave surfer Andrea Moller. To give you an idea of what a legend Andrea is, let me run you through the week she had before we spoke for this episode of the podcast. As you may know, January 2021 saw Hawaii hit by a huge swell event that saw every spot swell and truly light up. As a Maui local and one of the world’s preeminent big wave surfers, Andrea was in the thick of it. Friday saw her chaperone 13 year-old ripper Sissie Simpson Kane as she tackled huge Jaws. Saturday she was part of the team overseeing water safety. Sunday she was out scoring some bombs herself. The rest of the week? Back at her day job as a paramedic on Maui. Like I say, she’s a total legend, and in this conversation I found it really fascinating hearing how the local community prepares for a situation like this. Water safety, as Andrea explained, is at the heart of it. As part of the Big Wave Risk Assessment Group, Andrea is an integral part of an organisation that is trying to organise and redefine the concept of water safety - and not just for big wave surfers. As we’ve been learning during each episode of Type 2, activism takes many forms. It can be panoramic in scope, or it can be about focussing on certain issues and affecting change for the greater good. In this way, as Andrea explains, the Big Wave Risk Assessment group is leading the way among the surf community - a passionate, engaged and experienced community sharing their knowledge and experience to tackle an increasingly pressing issue head on, and benefiting the wider community while they’re at it. And, of course, we also delved into Andrea’s own incredible career as a pioneer of big wave surfing. It’s a great episode this one - hope you enjoy it. New episodes of Type 2 are released every four weeks through my Looking Sideways channel. Hear it by subscribing to Looking Sideways via ApplePodcasts, Spotify or any of the usual other podcast providers. Thanks to Ewan Wallace for the theme tune, and to my editor Fina Charleson.