A-frame

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Aaberg, Kemp

Abberton, Koby

Abbruzzi, Sid

Abellira, Reno

Abubo, Megan

academia and surfing

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advertising and surfing

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aerial

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Aichner, Scott

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Alexandre, João (Dapin)

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angle

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Aurness, Rolf

Auster, Ken

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Baker, Grant “Twiggy”

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Bennett, Barry

Benson, Becky

Benson, Blanche

Benson, Linda

Bermuda

Resolute pro surfer from Santa Barbara, California; world-ranked #6 in 2014; called a talent who would “redefine modern women’s surfing,” by SURFER Magazine in 2013. Laura "Lakey" Peterson was born (1994) and raised in Santa Barbara. Her mother was listed in the 1980 Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest spring swimmer, and in 1972 her paternal grandfather, Herb Peterson, invented the Egg McMuffin.

Although Peterson first surfed at age 5 at Manly Beach, while traveling through Australia with her family, she didn’t begin surfing regularly until age 12; up to that point, tennis had been her favorite sport. Just three years later, in 2009, Peterson won her first NSSA Open Women’s title in part by completing what is thought to be the first ever aerial maneuver landed by a woman in a surf contest.

Peterson repeated as NSSA champ in 2010; the following year, as a 16-year-old wildcard entrant in the 2011 U.S. Open of Surfing, on her way to a surprise finals berth, Peterson took down eventual world champion Carissa Moore. She qualified for the 2012 World Championship Tour, and in a US Open finals rematch with Moore, Peterson handily defeated the reigning champ for her first ever pro tour victory. Peterson finished her rookie year ranked #7, held the same position in 2014, and the following year went to #6. Nearly all observers, however, believed she was destined to go higher.

The smooth surfing regularfoot (5' 7", 130 lbs) shines in lined-up pointbreak waves, like those found at Rincon. "Growing up there, I learned how to do a proper bottom turn and to draw out the top turn. My rail game has benefited from surfing a lot of walled-up right-hand points." But Peterson is even better in shifty beachbreaks, where her willingness to launch airs and fins-free tail releases outclasses most of her competitors. “I was a complete tomboy growing up, so I've never had the mentality that girls were separate in skills to the guys. There’s no physical reason why guys can do airs and girls can’t."

Friendly and effusive, Peterson is a devoted Born Again Christian, who occasionally tweets Biblical scripture, and has been profiled in Christian magazines.

Peterson was featured in Nike’s breakout all-female surf video 

Peterson, Lakey

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Encyclopedia of Surfing

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