Lakey Peterson is in the thick of the World Surf League 2025 Championship Tour and all that comes with the whirlwind of competing at the highest level. With the first stops in Hawaii and Abu Dhabi behind her, Peterson and the rest of the CT athletes head to Portugal, Supertubos, to continue their fight for a world title. From the outside looking in, fans see their favorite surfers riding monster waves, catching air, and enjoying some of the most beautiful tropical paradises on the planet. However the ride is not always what it seems. Peterson has joined forces with 805 Beer to release a film entitled "Making Waves." In this film fans get an up-close look at Peterson both through the lens of competition and beyond.
"Making Waves" is a deep look at Peterson's life, from her roots in Santa Barbara to her time on the WSL CT. From winning to losing, love and beyond, Peterson shares her life with onlookers without hiding. The black and white hue of the film gives it a private and vibrant feel drawing the viewers in. Peterson sat down for an exclusive interview with Fansided. In the chat, she spoke about the black-and-white film, her personal storytelling, and the future.
“I really love that it was black and white. Also, I think it made it very different and unique, and I've had that comment a few times from people. It actually just came because all of 805, who I did the film with, all of their branding is black and white historically, she said. “When we were planning on doing the film, it was the first time they were kind of like, oh, maybe we should do color, because obviously, surfing can be beautiful and beautiful places and blues and greens, so we thought about it for a second, and then I was like, You know what? Let's just stick with the black-and-white branding you guys already do. There was stuff of me surfing all over the world in there, but the first surf section in there was in South Africa. It was really cold and kind of windy, and I felt like the black and white fit that atmosphere a little bit better than color did. So, yeah, it was honestly just organic.”
Lakey Peterson is a veteran of the WSL Championship Tour
Peterson has been on the World Tour for over ten years. A true veteran of the sport, she has had her share of ups and downs. The rocky road that is professional sports has been well traveled, but Peterson did not shy away from sharing both sides of the coin in her documentary. She felt it was important to show that despite the hard times, she enjoys every moment of her life.
“Nothing really felt too difficult. I never want to come across as someone who just complains about life because I feel like my life has been so good, and being a professional surfer is such an amazing thing to get to do, she said. "So I don't want to sound like I'm whining, but also I felt like it was important for people to hear the side of, not getting your goals every time, or just falling short of a dream and that is a very real feeling, and it can be really hard…I think there's so much of our lives that are online now, and people see the one event that you win and just associate you with that one great moment, which is a great moment, but that is just one tiny moment, and there's still all of this life going on. Everybody has personal battles they're fighting in their personal life, or maybe more public battles of things people know about. But I think it's definitely something I want to share.”
With competing at the highest level comes pressure. Pressure to win, pressure to compete, pressure from outside sources and within. Peterson admits that the pressure is there but it is how you handle it that matters. She has become aware of how she handles pressure and spoke about this in her film as well.
“I think you have to, at some point, look at the big picture with it. I talked about this a little bit in the film, it can feel so overwhelming and big moments when you're competing, like, if you're in a final and it's a big event, and you're right there, that is a really big moment,” she explained. “And often the nerves will get to people in that moment, but I think it's just reminding yourself what really matters and what's really important at the end of the day. I think it's amazing to embrace those times of pressure where you really have to perform or step up, and that pressure is a privilege in so many ways, but I feel like just remembering what really matters at the end of the day helps me in those moments.”
Peterson is off to a great start in 2025, with a third-place finish at Lexus Pipe Pro and a ninth-place finish at the Surf Abu Dhabi Pro. The next leg of the tour is filled with some favorite stops of Peterson. First in Portugal, where she has had several top-five finishes. Then she is headed to Australia where she has won before.
“We just came off our first two events, and we've got a bunch more coming up. I’m currently in Portugal, and this event here starts in about a week, so at the moment, that's my main focus,” she explained. And it's a place I've had some success in the past, so hopefully I can get that going. Then we had to Australia in about a month. I always love getting back to Australia. That's like a second home for me. We have three events over there, and all the events we do over there, I really enjoy thoroughly, all those waves, those styles of waves. So yeah, it’ll be great to be able to perform there, probably specifically at Bells Beach, which is the first one we do over there. So yeah, I'm excited. That's kind of what's on the horizon. But I guess one step at a time, hopefully, Portugal goes well, and then we get the ball rolling in a good, positive way.”
The film "Making Waves" gives fans a compelling look behind the scenes of Peterson's life as a professional surfer. Peterson's reflections reveal the personal challenges and mental fortitude required to sustain a successful career in the sport of professional surfing. Her determination to continue competing at a high level while enjoying the ride of ups and downs is a thing to marvel at. Peterson hopes to share more of her ride in the future with 805 Beer. The film can be seen on the 805 Beer YouTube channel.