Organic skincare vs. chemical nasties Why would you put anything else on your skin? We catch up with Made For Life Organics founder Amanda Winwood on what it means to use herbs and flowers over chemicals, and why you should make...
Category - Features
Equal pay for women in all WSL controlled events from 2019 but NOT the QS (yet)
This is a historic day for women’s surfing and women’s sport in general Same sports. Same wages. Read the WSL press release. Today the WSL announced that for all events that it controls, from 2019 both male and...
Laura Crane has skin in the game – A surf story in 5 parts
Laura Crane has skin in the game This article was originally posted by Rebecca Olive, on her blog Making Friends With The Neighbours, kindly republished to Still Stoked with permission. The title of this essay is inspired...
Passion will see you through the toughest of times – Meet Swiss surfer Delphine
Surfer Delphine may be the most inspiring women in the world. The girls on the women’s WSL tour think so! Delphine’s story is a testament to the power of having a passion, and how that passion will see you through the...
How to surf like a pro with no waves nearby – Meet German surfer Kat Kern
How to surf like a pro when you’re from a landlocked country Katerina Kern is an absolute shredder from Germany. How did she do it? How does a girl from a landlocked country (OK, I know Germany has a small coast-line)...
For Her Eyes Only – Surf tips for girls. Because all these things will happen to you!
For Her Eyes Only – Surf tips for girls All the things you wish that your surfing-mother told you If you are like me, then most of your surf mentors have been male. A boyfriend, a dad, the old salty dog (aka an older...
Open letter to Department of Health – Instagram models paid $600,000 to promote health to young girls
Open letter to Department of Health Australia MissAdventure penned this open letter in response to breaking news that The Department of Health paid Instagram models & influencers $600,000 of taxpayer’s money to promote...
Talalla Surf Camp – A week of surf progression & yoga in paradise
Talalla Surf Camp, Sri Lanka An affordable 6-night surf and yoga retreat in South Sri Lanka Best for surfers that want a chilled vibe, to learn or progress quickly, in soft, manageable waves & a lush tropical paradise. Use...
Billabong Ballito Pro tells girls the world values them less than boys
Blatant sexism in junior surfing Ballito Pro surfing competition and Billabong come under fire for massive sexist oversight Hot on the leg rope of the first women’s big wave competition in Puerto Escondido where...
The complete guide to buying skis for women
How to buy skis for women What to look for when buying skis for women With an increase in women hitting the slopes, it’s hard not to notice that ski companies are developing and manufacturing some great, female...
How to get your sports photography featured in major publications
So you want to get your sports photography published? Summer 2018 really is the summer of sport and a great time to work on your sports photography. With top-billed international events such as Wimbledon, the football...
Surf Boat Life – All girls on a Maldives surf charter with Triton Safari
Maldives surf charter on The Triton The Triton Maldives surf charter runs 14x fully customisable, 12-night trips during the Maldives surf season, mid-April to mid-October. Surf charter prices go from 1,300 EUROS – ...
Overcoming fear of wiping out – In surfing and in life
Overcoming fear Overcoming fear, it’s that exact moment where you must commit 100% to the wave. The point of no return. At that moment, if you aren’t absolutely certain that wave is yours for the taking, then you will...
Shadow Boxing in the Lineup
Shadow Boxing in the Lineup – Guest post by Karren Knowlton, originally posted on Medium I feel their eyes glide over the curves of my body. Their gaze evaluative, hungry. I am being watched. My skin prickles with...
The ALEXA Surf Bikini – Fully adjustable so won’t move when you do!
Designing the ultimate active bikini Because so many surf bikinis don’t stay put! Use code STILLSTOKED for 10% off Large bust small frame bodytypes need the exact opposite of what mainstream bikini brands currently...
Why do yoga teacher training if you don’t want to teach?
Why do yoga teacher training? Yoga has been a constant in my life since I was 16. Alongside snowboarding, it comes an equal first as my longest relationship – 18 years and counting! Without yoga in my life, I’m...
You aint paddling right! – Surf tips to paddle stronger & surf better
Paddling – Show that sweet spot some loving! – Guest post by surf coach Alice Louise Brown of King Surf surf school If you ain’t paddling right, there’s no point in trying to learn new surf tricks when you’re...
Have idea. Quit job. Start SunGod – Founder Zoë Watkiss shares her story
Have idea. Quit job. Start SunGod. That’s what their bad-ass female boss Zoë Watkiss did when she started sunglass and snow goggle company SunGod. Little did she know their idea would become one of the UK’s...
Surfing Hokkaido in Winter – The snowiest place on earth
Surfing Hokkaido in winter I remember watching this video of surf legend Sally Fitzgibbon’s documenting on a surf trip to Novia Scotia, Canada. Beat down from the cold, she wept in the car, saying to her dad over and over...
An Open Letter to the International Olympic Committee on the “Shit Show” that was women’s slopestyle
The “shitshow” that was women’s Olympic slopestyle – This letter was written by Amber Stackhouse (an exceptional snowboarder that was a HUGE inspiration to me). Thank you Amber. I have added my...
Alexa Hohenberg – Graduating from park-rat to the backcountry snowboarding (film)
From park rat to the backcountry Growing up is weird. I’ve definitely been struggling with it recently. I turn 34 next month. Apart from the artheritis in my neck that has started to RAGE since surfing in 5C water...
Coalition Snow Interview – Two women tackling the male-dominated snow industry
Coalition Snow : Defying Shrink It and Pink it I knew first-hand that women never had as many choices as men when it came to performance equipment. – Jen Gurecki, CEO of Coalition Snow If you’ve...
Best Cat Skiing in Niseko – Where to go for backcountry snowcat in Niseko?
The best cat skiing in Niseko? Niseko has a few cat skiing options in the local area. From day trips to multi-day overnight stays. We break down the best Niskeo cat skiing operations and what each one offers. I’m...
Battling Depression – Jess Grimwood on suicide and the support of surfing
A raw interview with WQS surfer Jess Grimwood I first met Jess Grimwood while surfing in El Salvador during a stop of the WQS qualifying series. She was competing for a spot on the World Tour. Even though we didn’t...
Best Surf Sunscreen – Full review & breakdown of top brands
What is the best surf sunscreen? We test the best reef-safe surf sunscreens. Please look after your skin & don’t put chemicals in the ocean. Clue up on this stuff & READ THE LABELS! Each year I spend well...
Why women need the support of men in the outdoors
Aspiring to be a strong female ski guide – This article took a long time to write. First started in 2016 and finished in 2017. I was scared to publish it. ‘Girl. You’ve got to be better, faster, stronger’ – that was...
Melissa Arnot tries to explain ‘Why’ – On climbing Everest without oxygen
The incredible Melissa Arnot A mentor to my good friend, Syd Paez Duncan, and an inspiration to women all around the world. Melissa Arnot is someone I personally look up to in absolute awe. Not so much for her mountaineering...
Dear sports marketing. Ditch the f**king models. We want athletes & real women.
Real women inspire us I work in advertising. It pays the bills far quicker than snowboarding or blogging ever could. Sometimes I feel bad about this. Like that time I worked on fast-food chicken, shouting the benefits of...
Simple living is the hardest thing to do – Or is it?
Simple living in the mountains Alone in a hand-built log cabin deep in the Canadian mountains, I’m sitting here pondering life. It took a lot of effort to physically get here, and right now life is pretty sweet...
Working a winter snow season in Japan – Everything you need to know!
Working a winter snow season in Japan Everything you need to know about planning and doing a ski season in Japan Japan is home to some of the best powder skiing in the world. If you’ve been considering working a snow...
20 Questions with Isabella Nichols – Surfing is the best job in the world
Isabella Nichols interview A ripper surfer and a one-time body double for Blake Lively, The life of Isabella Nichols could have been very different had she stayed in Denmark, where she was born. Instead her family moved to...
10 Reasons to road trip in winter – Car adventures aren’t just for summer!
Take a road trip in winter Road tripping is synonymous with sunshine, long evenings, sunsets and adventures. When I think of taking a road trip, I envision weekends surfing, living in my car and exploring blue pins dropped at...
How to maintain a travel budget after you’ve returned home
How to keep that travel budget long after you’ve returned home It only took 7 days for the desires to set in. What scented candle will I have in my room? What new hairstyle shall I get? OMG, I have to have that cute little...
The reality of a female wakeboarder – Carro Djupsjö speaks out
Carro Djupsjö wants to change the conversation This article was originally published by Carro Djupsjö on her website, Wakecarro.com. Many words rang true for me, inline with an article I wrote last year with over 10,000...
10 lessons to be learnt from Japanese culture
Opening my eyes to Japanese culture It’s been a great pleasure living in Japan the last three months. I have worked as a backcountry snowboard guide on the north island of Hokkaido (population 5.4 million). The Japanese...
What’s in my backcountry pack? Essential gear for ski or snowboard trip
What’s in my backcountry pack? We all love gear right? Some people more than others. Get a few backcountry ski or snowboard heads together and sooner or later the conversation will turn to gear. Who has what. What...
Fran Miller Interview – The unique style behind her surf photography
I don’t like rules and I don’t like boring. -Fran Miller I first met Fran Miller on the slopes of Perisher ski resort a few years back. She had a strong backside 180. Her photography skills were immediately apparent...
Top female athletes share their environmental goals for 2017
With the new year comes an opportunity to reflect and focus on opportunities ahead. This year, something feels different. We are entering into a new political era where emotions are raw and positive change is uncertain. Nowhere...
Olympic Snowboarding Big Air – So hot right now
Snowboarding has always been a world of two halves: the competitive side fuelled by increasing rules and regulations, and the soul-searching freeride side, seen as art more than sport. Never are these two sides more...
Surfing or Snowboarding? Can you love two sports equally?
Snowboarding or surfing? “Surfing or snowboarding – which do you prefer?” For what used to be an instant response, “Snowboarding of course!”, today the answer is taking a little longer to formulate. ...
The world’s best female action sports photographers – part 2
The world’s best female action sports photographers These women are leading the charge in capturing some of the best adventure photography on the planet Following on from The world’s best female action...
The world’s best female action sports photographers – Part 1
What does it take to be a good photographer? My own personal interest in photography led me to exercise my curiosity. For all the great adventures we see captured in a photo, there is a story behind each image and a journey to...
Don’t call me lucky. You make your own luck
You make your own luck One 12 hour flight. Two grueling 7 hour bus journeys. 3 countries and 2 continents later, here we are in the Andes! My face beams with excitement. I write this with a bus window view that spans the...
Skiing in Argentina – A survival guide to spring in the Andes
Skiing in Argentina Malbec wine, delicious steaks, steep couloirs, smiling locals – what’s not to love about skiing in Argentina! During the Northern hemisphere summer months, down below the equator where the...
Why you shouldn’t quit your job to travel the world
Don’t quit your job to travel the world – Guest post by Nina Ziezman from Shewhoadventures.com It’s become a cliche of the 21st century, hasn’t it? Quitting your job to travel the world. From your local...
These Syrian women are the real heros of the 2016 Olympics
With so much buzz around the Olympics in Rio (not all good), it’s easy to get swept up in the hype and hysteria and overlook the freedoms that allow free movement and permission to chase your dreams. All athletes...
Don’t make these 6 mistakes when learning to surf
6 mistakes you will make learning to surf Learning to surf is tough. I read an article by the amazing Girl Surf Network recently that spoke about surfing being a 10 year sport. Yup. 10 years. That’s how long it could take...
Why every athlete should practice yoga
Practice yoga and bend so you don’t break! If the best in the world are stretching their arses off in order to get strong, why aren’t you? Like most snowboarders, my body has taken a serious beating over the...
Sex Sells You Short – Social media & the pressure on female athletes
Sex Sells You Short When I look back on the female athletes I admired as a kid, they were strong, unapologetic badass women, who shattered gender prejudice and trail-blazed a highway for other girls to follow (thank you Lisa...
How does Bethany Hamilton surf with one arm?
Bethany Hamilton just inspired the entire world. Her performance surfing at the Fiji Pro left everyone with mouths on the floor and nothing but wide eyes and praise for professional athlete, mother, wife and inspirational...
VANLIFE: The tiny home, bus & van conversions of Thompson Pass Alaska
Living up on Thompson Pass in Alaska the last month taught me a few things: You do not need many possessions to be comfortable Two changes of clothes should cut it There is a whole world of people living simply and...
Tailgate Alaska – 10 must have survival items
Tailgate Alaska Survival It’s my first year at Tailgate Alaska, a 10-day winter festival in the parking lot at the top of Thompson Pass. Thompson Pass is the snowiest place in Alaska and the connecting roadway between...
Be a better surfer – The importance of mobility & stretching
If you want to look graceful, sharp and stylish in the surf, as well as avoid surfing injuries down the track, get friendly with a surf specific mobility routine. I worked with Michelle Drielsma from Sydney Strength...
When someone shows you who they are, believe them
When someone shows you who they are, believe them – Famous quote by Maya Angelo This is an unusual post. Not at all action sports related, but life lesson focused. It’s about wanting to let something go...
3 Mental Tricks to Overcome Fear
99% of action sport athletes don’t know when to listen to their fear or work through it. In this article you’ll learn the how to take advantage of the 3 dimensions of the Performance Triad. We will identify the 7...
The proof is in the powder – How I ended up at Baldface Lodge
I believe that good things happen to good people. This winter, I’ve had wonderful things happen with the support of strangers, friends, ski resorts and brands. Sadly, bad things also happen to great people and last week a...
She Shreds – Julie Ann Chapman on women in snowmobiling
My goal for women in snowmobiling is to get more ladies in love with the sport and to create a greater awareness for backcountry safety. Julie-Ann Chapman is a female professional snowmobiler originally from...
How to overcome fear after an injury
In a second article by pro snowboarder Jussi Tarvainen on the topic of injury and recovery, we look at how fear can impact you . If you missed the first article 5 Reasons injury can be the best thing to happen, make sure...
5 Reasons injury can be the best thing to happen
Did you just come out of an injury and now you’re second guessing yourself, overthinking and freezing up when trying to do old tricks? Are you seriously underperforming and afraid to fall, make mistakes and get re...
10 excuses that stop you from living out your dreams
You put that dream out there and you start that journey, that dream and that goal changes so much it’s ridiculous – professional BASE & Wingsuit Flier, Chris “Douggs” McDougall from the...
Surf fitness and exercises with pro surfer Paige Hareb
Paige Hareb is a professional surfer from New Zealand with an wicked sense of humour and envious, globe trotting lifestyle on all the best waves. We met through the Girl Surf Network and ran a small riot in Manly, during...
You have to fall to rise
You don’t need a reason for everything you do in your life. Do it because you want to, do it because it’s fun…..do it because it makes you happy. – Guest post by Echo Giesel Widmer I do not...
Surfing and Happiness – One wave is really all it takes
At my home break on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, there’s a bright and beautiful surf group that meet every Friday at dawn. Fluro Friday: they wear bright, skin tight, patterned lycra and surf with ginormous smiles, wigs and...
Winter sports travel insurance – The best for heli skiing or backcountry?
Best travel insurance for backcountry skiing? I have just gone through the rather painful process of looking at numerous travel insurance companies to find the best winter sports travel insurance for heli skiing...
Be A Good Human – Silvia Mittermüller on her clean, GMO-free diet
When I was younger, I used to watch these snowboard edits from this European crew called iSenSeven. There was this one chick, Silvia Mittermüller, that got a section in these films. She RIPPED! Over the years, through...
Pro snowboarder Helen Schettini dicusses the link between diet & injury
The relationship between injury and poor nutrition, a healthy diet and athlete staying power; Helen Schettini knows a thing or two about both these things. After breaking her legs three times over three consecutive...
Backcountry Safety: Gear, courses and essential avalanche skills (video)
Backcountry Safety Gear, courses and the skills you will need Backcountry skiing and snowboarding is hot topic right now. Escaping the ski resort crowds, getting amongst the beautiful mountains, slaying the line of your...
What to pack in your backcountry snowmobile backpack?
What to pack for snowmobiling Professional snowmobiler Julie-Anne Chapman knows a thing or two about packing a backcountry bag. She takes us through what items she wouldn’t leave home without and makes some recommendations...
Your protein diet needs when training
Getting ready for winter involves a lot of training and strength work. You need to be ready for long days riding and more importantly, ensure your body is injury proof. I am even more focused and motivated to get strong for...
Living off the grid – One girl’s solo snowmobile adventure to Alaska
Aged 18, I met Inga on my first season in Whistler Blackcomb in 2002. She was this cool Norwegian chick living up the road, that I’d always see in the snowpark ripping the same features as me. I can’t remember how we...
How to snowboard: 12 tips for beginners
So you want to learn how to snowboard? Yes! I’m stoked for you! Learning how to snowboard should be really fun. It is just awesome and I’m personally ALL for introducing more people to my favourite thing in the...
What snowboard, stance and angles do the top women pros ride?
Snowboard size, flex, style, brand and camber are all really personal things to a snowboarder. I know immediately when strapping into my board, if my set up is right or if I need to widen my stance or adjust my angles...
Save money for travel: 45 simple money saving tips to do now!
45 ways to save money so you can travel the world To travel and travel often, it helps if you are good at saving money. Having savings means you have options. Without options I personally feel trapped and panicked. I think of it...
Morgan Maassen on surf photography, film and the elegance of Stephanie Gilmore
Morgan Maassen is a young photographer and film-maker from Santa Barbara, California. We are huge fans of his work, especially how he communicates female surfing in the most elegant and transformative way. Through his own...
5 Awesome things to spend all your tax return money on
Yey. It’s tax return time! I’m not having the best time at the moment. Life’s dishing out lemons and I’m just chucking them on the ground, staring blankly at the mess. Just this week I got an advertising...
Learning to Splitboard: 8 things I wish I had in my pack
Learning to splitboard has been high on my to do list for quite sometime now. I have become increasingly adverse to crowds and lift lines in my old age! More and more I want to be alone in the mountains, to just get away...
The Do’s and Don’ts of Surf Bikinis
Surf Bikinis – What to look for Close your eyes. Imagine warm water, glassy offshore head-high waves, deserted reef breaks… just you, your friends and your bikini. It’s that sensory freedom you look forward to...
7 Tips to Stay Motivated to Surf in Winter
How to stay motivated to surf in winter Winter is known for more consistent, larger swells, off-shore winds and a less crowded line-up. Three killer factors that should get you jumping out of bed in the morning and straight into...
What to look for when buying a surfboard
How to buy a surfboard What to look for when buying a surfboard Deciding to buy a new surfboard is both exciting and a bit overwhelming. I’ve ridden a lot of boards – most of them completely wrong for me – but some of them...
Best Surf Bikinis – Review of top active swimwear brands + discount codes
Best surf bikinis & active swimwear Plus live discount codes exclusive to Still Stoked So many surf brands, but no decent surf bikinis! How can so many mainstream surf brands NOT make any decent active swimwear that...
Don’t be scared to paddle out… Girl surfer myths put to rest
You’re a girl surfer and you deserve to surf too! There seems to be an unspoken fear with the girl surfer, no matter what level you surf at. A worry that you may be the only lady in the line up. That the guys will...
Can learning a new action sport pull you out of an emotional funk?
“The greatest weapon we have against stress is to chose one thought over another” – William James, American Psychologist. A few nights ago, by trans-pacific text message I had the metaphorical rug pulled out from...
How to prepare for a long haul flight
Tips for a long haul flight Like every other English chick living in Australia, we tend to fly home on the regular. Next week is my mum’s 60th birthday and two of my best friends are getting married. I personally...
Sally Fitzgibbons – The fitness, workout and diet of a champion surfer
Sally is a remarkable role model for anyone chasing their dreams – Layne Beachley, 7-time ASP World Champion Sally Fitzgibbons is one of, if not THE fittest surfer on the women’s professional surf tour. She has been...
Why You Should Travel To Feel Small
People travel for all sorts of reasons. Whatever your motivation, there is often a mix of something pulling you into the unknown and pushing you away from home comforts. For me, that push comes from needing to escape...
6 Tips on Surfing in a Crowded Line Up…
Tips of surfing a crowded lineup How to handle the crowds when surfing – tips from the pros The Gold Coast, known as the Surfing Mecca of Australia, holds arguably some of the best surf spots on the East Coast. With...
How To Travel The World For Free With Frequent Flyer Points
Travel for longer and for less! Every year I take a 15 hour flight from Australia to America, and every year I get my flight for free (well, I pay a few hundred for the taxes!). I learnt from a young age (cheers bro), that...
11 More Funny Signs From Japan Ski Resorts
Signs from Japan that make no sense! After the success of our previous post 17 Funny Signs From Japanese Ski Resorts, I received so many photos from ski resorts all over Japan that I had to do another post. So here are more...
Surfer Girl Style – Top 10 surf fashion staples
Surfer Girl style We stalk the most stylish surfer girls and pin their look down to 10 items There’s something about living in a beach town and the effortless chic of surfer girl style that’s hard to put your finger on...
Losing My Identity: How injury forced me to question who I was
Sport as a sense of identity If someone asked me to describe myself in a few sentences, I’d answer immediately. I know exactly who I am. My identify is intricately linked to my biggest passion; I’m a snowboarder. I’m this...
17 Funny signs From Japanese ski resorts
Japan is known for its amazing light, fluffy powder snow. But ask anyone who has done a trip there and no doubt they will crack-up reminiscing over the eloquent spelling and communication of: directions, commands, instructions...
30 Things I’ve Learned Now That I’m 3o: A snowboarder’s perspective
30 things I’ve learned. Every time a ‘30 things I’ve learned‘ article or ‘20 things you should have learned in your 20s‘ crops up on my Facebook I have to read them. All of them. Despite the...
10 Epic Reasons to Move to New Zealand
Aotearoa- The land of the long white cloud; one of the remotest island on earth, so quirky that they even have their own official sign language. It is an island nestled deep in the South Pacific, right by in the...
Elite Skydiver Amy Chmelecki: Inspiring women in skydiving
Amy Chmelecki is the only female skydiver in the universe rocking the Red Bull Air Force helmet! As the first-and-only female member of the Red Bull Air Force team, Amy Chmelecki is leading the charge for women in...
What Surfboards Do The Professional Girl Surfers Use?
Surfboard breakdown of the World Tour surf girls. It’s Women’s World Title day in Maui Hawaii and it’s three horse race between the three Australian’s Stephanie Gilmore, Sally Fitzgibbons and Tyler...
The Flow State – How to achieve ultimate performance in action sports
The first in a series of articles on ‘up grading’ yourself through a deeper understanding of how your mind determines performance in your chosen action sport. Introduction to flow states You are in the mountains...
Why everyone should travel alone at least once in their lifetime
I have travelled alone on five occasions in my life. Some have only been short trips, others have taken me around the world for months. A couple have involved moving my entire life to a place I’ve never been before. I...
That One Day: Surf, snowboard and skate in one day
Ever dreamed you could surf, snowboard and skate in one day? We are only limited by our own imagination and where our priorities lie in life. There is a huge world out there with so much fun to be had and if you want to...
Morning Mo Sistas: Surfer girls of Bondi Beach get creative for Movember
Bondi’s Morning Mo Sistas raise awareness (and money) for prostate cancer. “For all our dads, granddads, brothers, uncles, sons, buddies, best friends and men in our lives. These Mo’s are for you! The Morning Mo...
Oakley Presents The Future of Sport with Wearable Technology
Elite athletes unite to imagine the future of sport. I was lucky enough to be invited to Oakley Australia’s The Future of Sport, a disruptive glance into the future of sports performance technology according to legendary...