Rochelle Ballard

For the past 20 years I have been doing physical work such as taking people surfing, doing body work, teaching yoga, and maintaining my property. This has kept me in shape, but I need to focus more on weight training and cross training to stay fit.
 
Transcript: "So that's an interesting question for me. Looking at 20 years of looking back at my career, where I'm at today, what I do for a living now is take people surfing and I do body work and teach yoga and I have a beautiful property that I maintain the landscape and everything that is in it and so that's a lot of physical work. It's a lot of kinetic energy and movement. And so my strength training continues to be in the water and also in what I do for a living and so my actual cross training and time that I spend doing anything with weight training and stuff like that isn't very much. It's pretty minimal actually I gotta get myself to you know, focus and discipline to get timeout and and to spend time with my body. Most of the times I just want to take it easy and rest."

I taught myself how to surf by observing others, practicing and asking questions. Later, my dad and cousin got me a board and pushed me in. Now, I teach others how to surf through online coaching.
 
Transcript: "So, the question is that, I teach myself how to serve or did somebody else teach me? It's a combination. Really? The first time I ever went out surfing, I was probably about six and one of the boys that I was hanging out with, you know, there was like a whole group of us and they all went to go surface River mouth wave and they had a me aboard, we paddle up the river and they just, they said, you know, lay on the board Pavel out. Turn around, catch a wave and stand up on it and ride it through. And then they, Paddled past me and went out further in the break and I was kind of stuck in the inside Shore, Break area in the whitewash, trying to figure it out. But shortly after that, I realized that I really wanted to serve and watching my cousin and my dad Surf. And so my dad and my cousin kind of got me into it, you know, got me soft top in the beginning and then hardboard later on a fiberglass board and pushed me in a little bit. But back in that day, it was kind of like you had to really just Figure it out and watch through observation and ask questions and just go out with with, you know, Ohana with the, with the elders, with my uncle and my cousin, my, my dad and stuff and just close friends. And just surfing like small, really, really small waves, close to the shore and sandbars and safe waves. And that's really the best way that you can learn how to serve. Unless you're going to be guided by a instructor, which I would highly recommend, and that's what I do today. Now is help, the teach people how to surf and to coach them through and I have an online coaching application at Rochelle Ballard.com. So check it out and would love to answer any questions. There's so many questions asked and to answer within surfing and you know that whole life experience and it's we it is a lifetime experience of learning how to serve in every time. I feel like I'm in the ocean, there's something more to learn"

I competed in an event at the US Open with a major head injury and won it. I went on to compete in other events despite dealing with migraines from the injury.
 
Transcript: "Hi. So that's a classic question for me. I have quite a few situations that I competed in when I was injured and I in fact, the only contest I ever missed in the 17 years, I was on the tour was because of a hurricane, but aside from that, I went through all my injuries and still competed the first one that stood out to me, was at the US Open and at the time it was a qualifying event and I actually, the waves were really big. It was a South Swell. It was running a deep current towards the pier, and I caught in a way. It was in the semifinals and I wasn't sure if I'd actually gotten through the Heat or not. I know I was like, at that moment getting through the heat to the finals and I caught a wave and then right when I turned around to paddle back out after that, wave is a huge wave coming through. And actually I didn't know what to do because I was too close to the Pierre and yet too far away to move through it and so I turn around and I ended up hitting the pier head on and you know, was Matt of sent to the hospital emergency and somehow didn't break my neck. Didn't didn't fracture my skull or anything. And the next morning they held the contest off the finals off and I decided to compete. And I want the event with a major head injuries. That was quite a Eat and one to remember and then went and won the next contest on the championship Tour event. And then after that I went through a couple years of some pretty crazy headache, migraines and stuff and had to deal with that injury but otherwise it was it's what athletes do when we go through something that's really extreme sometimes. It makes us rise to the occasion more and that adrenaline in mindset kicks in."

I think that what has made a big difference in surfing that has made it a better sport is better quality waves, production, attention to athlete's needs and more prize money. Women have been particularly supported more in today's day.
 
Transcript: "That's a great question. I think that what's really made a big difference in surfing that has made it a better sport. In today's day is that there's a better quality wave better quality production, more attention to the athletes needs you know there's a more prize money and just more opportunity as a whole and particularly with women women are being supported in such a huge way. Way in today's day and not dealing with as much adversity as my generation did. So it's really great to see"

When looking for a surfboard, I look for one that is going to float me enough and have enough foam under my chest. I prefer a squash tail and three fins for smaller waves. I also check the deck and bottom curve of the board to ensure there is enough release and rocker in the tail for quick turns. For bigger waves, I look for a board with more foam and maneuverability, but also enough drive and stability to hold its line on big drops.
 
Transcript: "What do I look for in a board? That's a big question because it depends on the type of wave your writing and your ability for myself. If I'm writing say a high-performance shortboard and I'm writing small waves then I'm looking for something that's going to float me enough. But I'm going to be able to engage the rail to sink the rail enough and so I like kind of a more of a medium rail with just a little bit less on the rail. More foam under my chest actually. And then to be able to have just enough of that width underneath my chest as well. The paddling easily and I prefer a squash tail when it comes to two small waves and three Fin. And then I like to also feel the board under my hands to make sure that the board is not too wide and I'll look at the deck and then I'll foot the board around and look at the bottom curve and make sure Sure, that there's enough release and rocker in the tail, to be able to spring into turns, and to have quick release, and then a little bit like flatter and less curved from the center and up into the nose. So there's a lot that goes into surfboards and that's just one type of board. Really can go into like, what it's like surfing with a big board and a gun and needing a lot. Our phone a lot more length, than in the board. And then, you know, to writing, more of a step up and writing barrels and writing waves that are just like, you know, maybe like in the four to six foot range. You still want the high-performance like a short board would but you need more foam and you need to be able to keep it maneuverable. But also to be able to like drive down, like a big drop and hold and set its line and it's rails. So a deep question and a lot more to come with that one. Hope that's helpful. Aloha."

The best thing about surfing is the pure stoke and joy of being in the ocean, letting go of control and living free.
 
Transcript: "What is the best thing about surfing God? There's so many amazing things about surfing that I absolutely love. I would say in the simplest way, it's just the pure Stoke of being in the ocean. Letting go of control and being humbled by the ocean. But like this pure stoked that comes from hanging out with friends and laughing and having a good time who knew each other on catching fun waves. And you know, there's this classic song by To you, but I left my soul down by the sea, letting go of control and living free. And that's really what it's all about is being in the moment and just experiencing the joy of being in the ocean and surfing and riding waves and having a good time."