SURFING THE DREAM | CAROLINE MARKS

The World Surf League’s Tour kicks off the season on Apr 1st for the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach and we can’t wait to see some phenomenal surfing. One of the competitors that we will have our eye on is Caroline Marks WSL Champion for 2023, Olympic Gold Medalist from Paris 2024 and is currently ranked World #2 for the 2025 season.

We wanted to know more about her love for surfing, how she came to it, and how she stays in shape when she is hitting those barrels! We also wanted to know more about her soon to be released Red Bull film, Now Days, her brand Pro Balance Brands, and her recent ambassadorship with Lexus!

ATHLEISURE MAG: It’s so great to connect with you!

CAROLINE MARKS: Hello! I’m currently over in Australia. I’m starting my season, actually the first day of the waiting period is tomorrow!

AM: It’s great to have you as this month’s cover!

CM: I’m really excited. You’ve had a couple people I know on the cover, so that’s pretty cool. I just surfed this morning, now I am talking with you, and then I will be back out surfing!

AM: We assumed!

What is your first memory of surfing and when did you fall in love with it?

CM: My first memory is pretty funny, because there’s actually a photo of it. I was in Costa Rica with my dad and I was on the front of his longboard. I was super young, maybe 3 years old. Then there’s another photo of me and I’m literally standing parallel and my borther’s like in the ackground and he’s kind of making that, “oh my gosh face.” I have a little bow in my hair and it’s pretty cute. I remember falling in love with it. It’s pretty funny because I surfed when I was little and then I actually got into horseback riding while growing up. I loved animals and stuff so I actually wanted to be a veterinarian when I was younger and then started barrel racing competitively, and did that until I was 10 and then didn’t really surf much then.

My oldest brother Luke was a competitive surfer so I kind of just thought surfing was his thing and I just kind of let him do his thing and I rode horses, and then I pretty much just wanted to impress my brothers really bad, and that’s why I started surfing. Then I remember when I was 11 years old, I was at the U12s Girls. There’s this event called USA Championships at Lower Trestles and it’s the biggest amateur event as a kid. All the best kids from Hawaii, all the east coast kids, and all the west coast kids come out and compete at Lowers and I ended up entering the event just because my brother was in it and I ended up winning. I was like, “whoa, I must be all right at this!” I just remember getting this big trophy and surfing all day and just having so much fun. I couldn’t believe this is a thing you can do you know? So, I remember from that moment forward, that I want to do this. This is so fun. So that’s where I really was like, I want to be a professional surfer. Wherever it takes me, I’m having so much fun.

AM: Not to say that there is, but is there a similarity or some kind of crossover between barrel racing and surfing for you?

CM: I mean, yeah, if you think about it, I was actually talking about this the other day in an interview, which is funny. I never thought of it like this, but you are on something that’s very out of your control. The ocean’s very, very out of your control. You’re on an animal and you don’t really know what it’s going to do. You can try to control it, but you really can’t. You know, they have a mind of their own.

I guess trying to go fast, like in surfing, going fast is a good thing. It’s like riding horses, that’s kind of like an art. And so certainly, you’re swerving around the barrels and in surfing, you’re riding the waves. I guess there is a little bit of crossover, more than I realized. So it’s pretty funny.

I’ve got some funny photos when I was like little. It was pretty classic.

AM: Obviously surfing on its own is a great sport, you know, for the total body to stay in shape. But what are work3outs that you do to optimize yourself in the sport?

CM: I love Pilates! Core and surfing is really important. I do a lot of lower leg work in surfing. Definitely having strong legs is really important because obviously you’re on the board a lot. I also love swimming because it’s just really good for your paddling and really good for your lungs and breathing and stuff. So those 3 things I do as well as cycle in between. Biking and swimming are kind of the things that I go back and forth between, but I mostly do Pilates and then just typical stuff in the gym with my trainers.

AM: What is your favorite maneuver when you’re surfing?

CM: This isn’t really a maneuver, but getting barreled is probably the ultimate feeling as a surfer!

AM: Oh wow!

CM: Oh yeah! You’re obviously in the tunnel of the waves.

AM: It looks so beautiful, but it looks so scary at the same time!

CM: Oh yeah, it is a bit of both for sure, but definitely getting barreled is something that’s just such an amazing feeling and then just doing a big frontside carve obviously just like laying into a big turn that always feels really good going really fast and just like laying into it. So those two things I like!

AM: You are a 2X Olympian who won a Gold medal in Paris. What has that meant to you to surf on such a global stage – you have had many stages, but what does it mean to do it for the Olympics?

CM: The Olympics, it doesn’t really get any bigger than that you know? It’s obviously a very global thing. It’s one of the only things that brings the whole world together. Not everyone knows about surfing, but everyone knows about the Olympics.

AM: Right.

CM: I was really proud to represent my country on that big of a stage and obviously to win. I mean, it’s just so incredible. It’s definitely the proudest moment in my career. I mean, it’s obviously about the world title. It’s hard to say one win for a WSL Championship versus the Olympics as both were the biggest dreams of mine as a little girl and the fact that I did both of them at 22 is pretty crazy! I am super grateful. It was amazing and it’s pretty hard to describe the feeling of being able to represent your country, but I’m really proud.

AM: Are you thinking about LA28?

CM: Of course! I want to be in as many Olympics as possible, but obviously, you know, LA28, it’s at a wave that’s like Lower Trestles. It’s 5 minutes from my house and obviously to be the hosting nation is just extra motivation because, it’s at home, which is pretty incredible. So I’m definitely thinking about it for sure.

AM: We can see you there! Anytime we’ve seen you surf, we can see you’re in your element and are just happy to be one with the water, it’s all zen and then we see you owning that barrel!

CM: Surfing has brought me everything really - a lot of the best moments of my life. I’ve met some of my best friends through surfing. The ocean is such a healing place for me, which is pretty cool to be able to say that about my job.

AM: Yeah.

CM: My career is - I just go in the ocean. Your day is instantly better, which is pretty amazing.

AM: You just mentioned at the top that the World Surf League Championship Tour kicks off its 50th season starting tomorrow for the first on-call day in Australia for the Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach at Bells Beach in Victoria, Australia from Apr 1 – Apr 11th. What are you looking forward to as it kicks off?

CM: Yeah. I mean, first off, we’ve had our longest off-season of our career.

AM: Yeah.

CM: Just with them changing it around the schedule. It used to be - well way back, before it was my first couple years on tour it was April - December and then they switched it to January – September. It’s been that way for 5 years and now it’s back to April so in order for them to do that, we ended up having a 7 month long off season which for us, that’s a very long time. So usually our off season is pretty short compared to other sports. I think everyone’s just very excited because you haven’t really seen us in jerseys in a while! We also have some of the goats coming back like Carissa Moore and Stephanie Gilmore, which is amazing and they also extended the Women’s Tour, so there’s a lot of like milestones that have been broken this year already! I think everyone’s just really excited to see what happens. I have no doubt it’s just going to be a firework of a year. So I’m pretty excited.

AM: What’s your favorite one on the WSL Tour?

CM: Well, that’s a hard one. I know.

AM: We ask the tough questions!

CM: It’s a hard one. I mean, Cloudbreak’s pretty incredible. It’s such an incredible wave. Jeffreys Bay, which actually is not on tour this year, but it’s in South Africa, that’s another iconic one. Tahiti, obviously, just from winning the Gold there. I just have a lot of great memories there. And then Lower Trestles, of course. Lowers and Tahiti are probably my favorites, just with Lowers being in my backyard. It’s just such a fun wave. But it’s hard because everywhere has such beautiful things about it. But I’d say Lowers is probably my favorite wave on tour.

AM: Clearly you travel around the world to different places quite frequently. Are there 3 items that you tend to take with you to make any city or stop kind of feel like home?

CM: I mean, definitely. I’m not really one to bring a pillow. We just have so much stuff. We have our board bag, all of our clothes, and stuff like that. But I think just like a shirt from home, something I sleep in at home, just bringing it on the road. It’s the little things like that which kind of make me feel more at home or your favorite coffee cup or whatever things just make you feel more homey. But I feel like I’ve gotten so used to traveling that I’m able to adapt to it pretty quickly. I do travel with an eye mask. That’s something I do travel with to sleep on the planes with. That’s important. But nothing too crazy. Actually, this year my sister-in-law packed me a good luck charm in my bag so I just leave it in my luggage and it goes everywhere I go which is pretty cool!

AM: You definitely know it’s always there because it’s just in the luggage waiting to go.

CM: Exactly! i just leave it in there and it’s a little good luck charm which is kind of cool. I’m not too much of a creature of habit in that sense. I kind of just go with the flow.

AM: We had the pleasure of watching the screener for Now Days right before chatting with you. This is such a great film and so enjoyable to watch. It’s shot beautifully and it’s really great to see the 6 of you being able to navigate the waves and to tell your story. You recently had an event for this here in NY even though the film debuts in May. Why did you love being part of this film and what can you tell us about this?

CM: Thank you so much. I’m stoked you got to watch it. First off, there hasn’t been an all female surf film since 2011 and that was Leave a Message. That film left such an impact on me and I know it has for many other girls. It was so cool to see that. As much as it sounds simple to do, an all-female star film, it’s so difficult to get everyone together. We all have crazy schedules from different countries. We’re also each other’s biggest rivals.

AM: Right.

CM: That’s another thing that’s pretty funny, but I’m just really proud of it. I think, you know, obviously hopefully it inspires the next generation. And I feel like... that’s kind of our job in this generation is to inspire the next one and to push this forward and grow this forward and that’s what the generations did before us! That’s why we have equal pay. The girls in this film and this generation, I feel like we just had very good timing. All the girls before us that fought for this and for us and so now this film hopefully inspires the next generation to go harder and to push more. I’m really confident in that and I’m just really proud of it you know? It’s like two and a half years in the making coming to Red Bull and anything they put their hands on is pretty special. I knew the surfing was going to be amazing, but I also love how it tells a story of “hey, we all obviously want to win.

Surfing is a very cutthroat individual sport, but we also like pushing each other in a healthy environment and we are all good friends.” You know, I see these girls more than my family most of the year.

AM: Yeah.

CM: I’m with them so much. So, it really shows that. And we’re all able to relate to each other in a way that we probably won’t with our other friends, because we live this exact same life. So, yeah, I’m super proud of it and I just hope that the young girls, young guys, whoever watches it is just really inspired and wants to go surfing. It’s pretty cool to see the fruits of the labor because it definitely was a lot of work, but it was worth it!

AM: 100%! One of the things we like most about Red Bull films is when they have a number of individuals within the same sport, like Mark McMorris who was our cover this past December, he had just debuted PAVED.

CM: Yeah.

AM: It’s incredible to see people in a sport, but to see the individuality as well as the things that bind them together, it’s just so cool. We don’t surf; however, living in NY we love the surfing culture in Rockaway and Long Beach. It’s so cool to see how surfers show drive, grace, and flow which is what is evident in this film. People are going to enjoy it once it premieres.

CM: Thanks so much! I hope so. There’s definitely been even for this event, there’s been a lot of people asking about it, which has been really cool to see the hype around it. You know, it was something that was out of my comfort zone. Like I’ve always been so just hyper focused on competing and winning. That’s really what it takes in order to win. So this was cool because it was something that was new to me and different. I’ve never done a film like this before. So I was really proud of that.

AM: Well, you also just became a surf ambassador for Lexus, which is awesome. Why are you excited about this partnership? And why did you feel it was synergistic to your brand?

CM: Yeah, I mean, first off, Lexus makes such cool cars. And one of my friends, Griffin Colapinto, he got signed a year prior to me.

AM: Another cover of ours.

CM: Yeah! So I think just seeing the car and seeing how it fits my lifestyle, it’s a great combination between, sporty and luxury - I really like that. I like how they celebrate that. Also just getting to know everyone behind Lexus, everyone’s really cool. It’s a very family-oriented vibe, and I come from a big family, so I really love that. And so... I feel like it was a great partnership. I got one here in Australia with me and everyone’s like, nice car, nice wheels. I’m getting all the compliments on it.

AM: Wow.

CM: It’s pretty cool. I got to roll to the first event in style, it looks so cool.

AM: We have a Lexus SUV which is great because sometimes for the magazine between photography gear, styling items, transporting the team to shoots or even doing an event with goodie bags, you need to be able to carry everything – it needs to be fashionable, but you want to be able to get to where you have to go with everything in one piece.

CM: Absolutely. I feel like it fits all my boards. It fits wetsuits, everything I need. And also like it’s comfortable and it’s safe and it’s sturdy. And I also just love it aesthetically. I love and have the GX 550. I love the way it looks. So that’s also a bonus. I’m proud to drive the car. So yeah, it’s awesome.

AM: Well, what does the partnership look like in terms of what can we expect to see you doing with them and with the car? What will that look like from a consumer side?

CM: So Griffin and I, we’re going to do some collab videos here. We’re both in Australia, which will be pretty fun. So there’s a lot of beautiful beaches here, a lot of great scenery. So stay tuned for a cool video with that. And obviously, you know, I’m going to be traveling a lot this year. But wherever they provide me a car, we’re going to be providing content. Lexus sponsors the U.S. Open, so I look forward to seeing what they have in store for this year’s event. I think I’m doing a signing with them. We have great things coming up. And yeah, I’m really excited about it.

AM: Clearly you’re a business person as an athlete and someone who has a number of sponsors, and you have added to your portfolio by creating your own brand, Pro Balance Bands. Tell us about this and why did you want to launch it?

CM: Thanks for asking. It’s cool. My dad, he’s very business-minded. He comes from that background. He taught me a lot about that side of the world, which is really cool. I really trust his opinion. I think after the Gold medal, we kind of thought, how do we capitalize on this? The bands felt so natural to me and and my main thing was, I travel a lot and I don’t want to put a product out that I can’t travel with because most of my life is on the road, So the bands feels so perfect. I’ve also been training with them since I started working out way more consistently in 2019, my second year on tour and that was the year I made the first Olympics. I just use bands everywhere and I bring them everywhere I go. They come in like a little pouch. It’s great and you can do a lot with bands so it felt so natural and it’s been really fun.

It’s my first time starting a company and obviously I have a lot of help doing it, but, it’s been really cool and all the bands are really good material. I use them every single day. So it’s great. You’ll see me if you watch the webcast warming up with them. So I’m really proud of it and it’s been going good so far. I think we’re going to come out with some new products as well.

AM: Nice.

CM: We started with the bands, but we’re going to keep adding more things in. We also have weekly videos of myself, my brother, our other ambassadors doing videos as well. My trainer too, he does videos, which is cool. So if you want to know how I train, you just go on the website Pro Balance Bands or on our YouTube. It’s exciting and I’m enjoying it. It’s been fun.

AM: Well, when you’re not on tour or shooting campaigns or doing all these different things, how do you take time for yourself just to have a moment to yourself?

CM: Honestly, I’m a pretty simple girl. I love just being with my friends whether it’s as simple as, you know, going to get a coffee or going out for dinner or watching the sunset. Things like that bring me a lot of joy. I think just kind of being in one place and being with good people - I call it my “feel good people.” When you’re around people you really know, there’s no effort.

AM: Exactly.

CM: You end up leaving hanging out with them with more in your battery - it becomes more full. It’s how I recharge. And I also do love my own alone time as well. I just love whether that’s just sitting on my couch at home or just going for a drive, that’s also really therapeutic to me as well or going on a beach walk or whatever. Things like that sound really silly, but that’s kind of how, what helps me unwind and I love that.

AM: Being that you’re in that next generation of surfers, you’re trailblazing, you’ve gotten all these different awards and accolades. What do you want your legacy to be seen as in this sport or even in life?

CM: I mean, I just really want girls and people in general to be inspired. I love surfing. It’s really fun to me and I hope I kind of give off that persona. I just want to leave a legacy of being hardworking, but also enjoying your life too. You know, it can’t always just be like work, work, work like this. We live such an amazing life and we should enjoy it. And there’s more to it than surfing too. We’re in these different countries. We’re in different cultures. It’s really cool. Obviously surfing is what brought me here. But there’s so much more than that. And I think hopefully I can leave a legacy of just a really positive outlook on life, surfing, and fun. I hope that makes sense.

AM: It does. We always think about that when you’re doing stuff, especially now that obviously we live in an age where people can see stuff socially, you’re touching corners of the world that someone who grew up that isn’t living your life or experiences personally, they can envision that for themselves. Maybe if it’s not that same thing, but something similar and it just creates a spark and wonder. So that’s really cool.

IG @caroline_markss

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | FRONT COVER. PG 16 ,PD 24, PG 26 Ed Sloane/World Surf League | PG 19 Tony Heff/World Surf League | PG 20, PG 29 Brent Bielmann/World Surf League | PG 22 ROXY | PG 30 Ryan Miller/Red Bull Content Pool | PG 33 USA Surfing | PG 34 Domenic Mosqueira/Red Bull Content Pool | PG 36 Nathan Adams/ Red Bull Content Pool | PG 38 Marcelo Marafni | BACK COVER CHAMPION |

Read the MAR ISSUE #123 of Athleisure Mag and see SURFING THE DREAM | Caroline Marks in mag.

HER HALF PIPE JOURNEY | BEA KIM

This month, we have all enjoyed watching the Olympics and seeing so many stories whether our favorites or new to athletes that hit the podium, played our favorite sport, or just seeing them navigate their Olympic journey! We love snowboarding and Team USA had a number of great stories that we enjoyed watching. Bea Kim has been on our radar for a bit, watching her journey on the global stage along with seeing her hanging out with Chloe Kim and Maddie Mastro. We caught up with Bea as soon as the Olympics concluded to talk about her Olympic debut, the sport, being at her first Olympics and more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: What is your first memory of being on a snowboard and when did you fall in love with it?

BEA KIM: I honestly don’t think I can remember my first memory on a snowboard. I just remember things about when I started. My family would ride on Chair 7 at Mammoth and I had a green jacket and this 8-ball helmet. The jumps were tiny but I was having the time of my life. I think I’m honestly trying to chase that feeling every time I strap in.

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to snowboard competitively and at what point did you go pro?

BK: I realized I wanted to try snowboarding competitively when I randomly entered and podiumed at the JLA Banked Slalom in Mammoth. I saw a kid ride by with a Mammoth Snowboard Team Jacket and I told my dad I wanted to join. He initially laughed because we live by the beach, not close to the mountains, but he allowed me to join and has been my biggest supporter since. I decided I wanted to go pro when I watched Chloe win her first Olympic gold in Korea. That was a pretty pivotal moment for me.

AM: Tell me about halfpipe and why do you love doing it?

BK: I love the halfpipe because it’s always challenging me, both mentally and physically. There are always new tricks to learn and technique to refine. I honestly nerd out on the super little things and sometimes my coaches have to say, “Stop thinking so much -- just go snowboard!” Great advice. I

think playing that line between being analytical and going with what feels right is super exciting.

AM: We always like knowing about what athletes do to optimize themselves in their sport. Are there 3 workouts that you do that you can share with us?

BK: My top three are:

• Bulgarian split squats

• Squat jumps

• Shoulder press

AM: What is an average week like when you are preparing to compete?

BK: Hectic. I’m historically not great during competition practices, so I typically feel a little weird on my board. Majority of the week is spent recovering physically and resetting my brain to approach the next practice or competition day with a strong mindset.

AM: This year, you made it to the Olympics and you placed 8th in your debut! What has the journey to get to the Olympics been like and what are your biggest takeaways in competing this year?

BK: The journey has been wild! I mean it’s been almost a decade now, so to finally get to the Olympics and have the opportunity to compete was super surreal. If I’m being honest, I got caught up in the “Olympic stress” leading up to the Games and had a few rough days. But landing a run in finals really reignited that childish love for snowboarding and has made me super excited for the future. Moving forward, I am going to try and not take everything so seriously. Still put maximum effort and hard work into everything that I do, but loosen up. It makes the journey more enjoyable.

AM: What were the Opening Ceremonies like?

BK: A lot of standing haha. It felt like prom or a graduation because everyone was all dressed up taking pictures just hanging out. I like to think it was our joint celebration of the hard work we all put in of training and qualifying for the Olympics.

AM: We’ve enjoyed seeing images of you and Chloe Kim together. How did you guys connect and what has it meant to you to be able to share your Olympic experience with her competing as well?

BK: We connected through the U.S. Team once I made the pro team. It was very full circle to be able to share my Olympic experience with her. Before she even knew who I was, she was inspiring me to go out and snowboard. Now, she not only continues to inspire me but treats me like a little sister. We talk about snowboarding and life. Lots of selfies and exchanging lip products haha.

AM: When you were not competing or preparing to compete, what was your favorite Olympic experience?

BK: Ooh. The late night pizza runs after training.

AM: What’s next in terms of your snowboarding career?

BK: Having fun. That might be in the halfpipe, or the backcountry, or just riding with my little brother. I want to keep pushing myself while learning to maintain a better relationship with snowboarding.

AM: This Fall you will be attending Columbia University, which is exciting! What are you looking forward to?

BK: Everything! It’s going to be such a new experience and world, than snowboarding, so I am looking forward to all of it. Getting to meet new people and grow a different part of my brain!

AM: You partnered with Protect Our Winters. Can you tell me more about that and why this is synergistic with you?

BK: I grew up in the outdoors. Snowboarding, camping, and hiking were such a huge part of my childhood and who I am as a person. The outdoors has given me my career and so many amazing adventures and opportunities. As I started to travel more it became impossible to ignore climate change. I got in contact with POW because I want future generations to be able to explore and adventure like I did.

AM: When you are not snowboarding, how do you take time for yourself?

BK: It’s pretty simple, haha. Reading, eating, spending time with my friends and family.

IG @hellobeakim

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 78 - 82 Courtesy of Bea Kim | PG 84 Trevor Brown Jr./X Games | PG 87 - 89 Isami Kiyooka/Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games |

Read the FEB ISSUE #122 of Athleisure Mag and see HER HALF PIPE JOURNEY | Bea Kim in mag.

9PLAYLIST MULTI | BRIANNA COPE

Read the APR ISSUE #112 of Athleisure Mag and see 9PLAYLIST MULTI | Brianna Cope in mag.

63MIX ROUTIN3S | BRIANNA COPE

Read the MAR ISSUE #111 of Athleisure Mag and see 63MIX ROUTIN3S | Brianna Cope in mag.

IN THE AIR | HAILEY LANGLAND

The 24th X Games Aspen 2025 takes place Jan 23rd - 25th for its 24th year. These games will take place in Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen Snowmass where the world's best action sports athletes competing in ski and snowboard events. These days present men’s and women’s ski and snowboard competitions in the disciplines of Superpipe, Slopestyle, Big Air, Knuckle Huck and the debut of medaled event Street Style.

We're excited to see a number of our favorite X Games and Olympic medalists which have included Chloe Kim, Mia Brookes, Ayumu Hirano, Scotty James and local hometown heroes Red Gerard and Alex Ferreira.

There will also be performances by EDM artists deadmau5 (who appeared at the games in 2016), Big Gigantic, Aspen Tessla, Daily Bread and ILLENIUM.

We sat down with 2X Olympic Team USA Snowboarding and 3X X Games medalist, Hailey Langland who will be a snowboarding analyst at the X Games. We spoke with her to talk about her career, passion for the sport, and the upcoming games.

ATHLEISURE MAG: You grew up in Southern California and clearly, you're an amazing snowboarder, but you were also a beach loving girl that has a love for surfing, skateboarding, soccer, mountain biking and more! What do you love about playing sports and having that ability to play a number of them?

HAILEY LANGLAND: I have to owe a lot of credit to my parents. My dad was always trying to get my little brother and I outside to find a passion and an outlet from the rest of the world. We were well versed when it came to sports. I find that it’s helped round me into the athlete I am today. Snowboarding is my first love, but I always try to make time for other passions like surfing and biking in the summer.

AM: What is it about snowboarding that you love?

HL: I definitely fell in love with snow boarding because of my dad. I could see how excited he was to share his passion with me, and I enjoyed chasing him down the mountain. One of my favorite days was learning how to ride goofy, and my dad and I rode switch for the entire day. He always made it fun, and reminded me to keep it fun.

AM: When did you realize that you wanted to be a professional snowboarder?

HL: I’ve always known I was meant to snowboard my whole life. But I don’t think I even thought about being a professional until I went to my first “pro” competition in Mammoth when I was 14. It was a contest that had competitors from the Sochi Olympics and girls I watched in X-Games in it. I ended up winning the event, and I remember standing on the podium besides Anna Gasser and Enni Rukajarvi. I thought, oh my goodness, maybe I can be like the girls I watch on tv. After that event I got wildcard spots to Dew Tour, X Games, and Burton US Open; all contests I watched religiously growing up. That really jumpstarted my career and made it a reality.

AM: As a surfer and snowboarder, what are the synergies between these sports?

HL: Surfing is super hard, which makes me appreciate snowboarding so much. There’s a lot more thoughtfulness to surfing that I think a lot of people realize. Surfing not only requires good athletic abilities, but also the ability of wave knowledge and reading the ocean. But I love watching videos of surfers like Coco Ho, Stephanie Gilmore or Caity Simmers, who have tons of style, and thats something I try to bring to my snowboarding. I find the best cross over from surfing and snowboarding is when you’re riding powder, and it feels just like surfing on a wave, weaving back and forth just trying to make it look good.

AM: You have had 7 Games appearances and are a 3X X Games medalist and have earned a Bronze, Silver, and Gold medal in Slopestyle and a Gold in Big Air. Can you tell us what Slopestyle and Big Air is?

HL: Slopestyle is an event I specialize in. It’s where you ride the given features of the course; such as: jumps, rails, and transition features like a halfpipe wall. Big Air is a smaller version of slopestyle based on one jump. Usually, the jump is bigger than in a slopestyle, and the criteria is to spin or flip as much as you can, and land the trick, as well as make it look good. My favorite event is slopestyle because it is what I grew up doing.

AM: In 2017, you were the first woman to land a Cab double cork 1080 in competition at X Games Aspen! What did it mean to you to achieve this and tell us about what a Cab Double Cork is?

HL: It’s pretty crazy to look back on that time. I was just a kid, and had no idea what I was doing in that contest. I did the Cab 1080 on accident in practice and just thought, alright guess I’ll try that in the contest. Luckily for me it worked out, and I was able to land it second try. I wish I still had that ability to adapt and try things like I could when I was 16. To help visualize, a Cab 1080 is when you ride switch into a jump, for me that is goofy stance, and you would spin to the right three full rotations.

AM: You're known for your ability to push the boundaries of progression on jumps, distinctive style with solid grabs as well as difficult ones! You have received a number of awards including FIS World Cup with 5 career podiums (3 in Slopestyle and 2 in Big Air), you competed in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Big Air and in Slopestyle and again at the 2022 Winter Olympics, and more. What does it mean to you when you look at your career and all the things that you have experienced?

HL: It makes me really proud, looking back and seeing what I have accomplished, through all the ups and downs. I will always be grateful for snowboarding. It has been the reason I have gotten to travel so much of the world, and have met so many amazing people within the industry.

AM: This year, you are making your debut at the X Games on the broadcast team as a Women's Snowboard Analyst! Why are you excited to be part of this team and what are you looking forward to?

HL: In November I had ACL reconstruction on my right knee, so I will be out for this season unfortunately. I’m excited to stay involved, even if it doesn’t mean I can ride. It will be cool to see X Games from a different perspective, and to see what it looks like to be another part of such an important contest.

AM: How are you preparing to be on the broadcast team?

HL: I’m going with the ‘on the fly’ approach. Luckily, I’ve known Craig and Brando for years at this point now, so hopefully it will just feel like watching a competition with friends.

AM: Do you have any upcoming competitions that you are preparing for?

HL: Since I had ACL surgery at the end of November, I most likely won’t be snowboarding for the next year. So as of now my preparation is mostly physical therapy for my knee, and getting the rest of my body back in shape.

AM: At Athleisure Mag, we love knowing about how people stay in shape and as you are very active, what is an average week of workouts like for you?

HL: It depends. In the summer, it is very much go, go, go. I am lucky to live somewhere I can surf, or bike, play tennis, and golf all pretty much in my neighborhood. In the winter, snowboarding is primarily all I do. It can be an every day thing if the weather is good, but sometimes there are competitions we go to that get completely canceled because of the weather. On days off, I love getting in a core workout, and trying to get steps in. Any movement you can get in the winter is a big win.

AM: When you're taking time for yourself, what do you enjoy doing when you're not in between projects?

HL: I actually started crocheting a few years ago. I love making beanies for friends and family, and lately I’ve been getting into making bags which has been really fun. I’m pretty crafty and I usually always find a way to keep myself busy.

AM: We also know that you're dating fellow snowboarder, Red Gerard Team USA Olympic Slopestyle Gold Medalist, 2X X Games Medalist, 2X Dew Tour 1st place - to name a few. It must be fun to be able to share your love of snowboarding and surfing together. Do you have any upcoming trips that you are excited about?

HL: Red is my best friend. He’s so fun to be around, and he always pushes me to be better person and snowboarder. Since being injured, it’s been really hard to watch him pack up for a snowboard trip, and for the first time in our relationship, I don’t get to come along. It’s been another motivator for me to do whatever I can to get better, because I miss being around him, and taking laps together at our favorite resort. I think at the end of the winter we’ll try to go on a trip somewhere warm with waves.

IG @haileylangland

@xgames

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | PG 46 - 48 X Games Aspen Trevor Brown Jr. | Red Bull Content Pool PG 51 Lorenz Richard, PG 52 Dom Daher + PG 57 Christian Pondella | 9LIST STORI3S PG 54 X Games Aspen/Mark Kohlman/ESPN + PG 54 X Games/Joshua Duplechian |

Read the DEC ISSUE #108 of Athleisure Mag and see IN THE AIR | Hailey Langland in mag.

DOUBLING DOWN ON THE TRACK | TAI WOFFINDEN

We love when worlds collide and this month's cover does just that. Tai Woffinden is a 5x Speedway World Champion and an open format DJ/Producer. We wanted to know more about Speedway racing and how he got into the sport, how he stays in shape for it, his passion for music, and why he became a DJ.

Since signing onto Armada Music, he released Body, a collaboration with Grammy nominated Gabry Ponte and vocalist Yasmin Jane. This was followed up by Feeling Super Naughty with CERES which just dropped recently. With all of this movement, we took some time find out more and to see what we should keep an eye out for.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We're excited to be able to talk with you as your background as an athlete as well as a DJ and a producer is such a great mix! When did you fall in love with being a Speedway Rider?

TAI WOFFINDEN: I first got into Speedway way way back in 2002. I went to my Dad’s mate’s house to ride on their private track and there was a speedway bike tucked away in the corner. I said to my dad at 12 years old, “I wanna try that” so we sold my MX gear and went all in from that day on.

AM: You are a 3X World Champion in this sport. What do you love about racing?

TW: It’s hard to explain but there is a feeling when you’re railing the fence on a nice little dirt line as fast as the bike will go and you’re on the complete limit of what you’re able to do on these bikes and you either make it around the corner or bury it into the wall. There is no better feeling in the world (not that I have found yet anyway) and I chase that feeling every time I race.

AM: Can you tell us about Speedway racing from what the bike is like and what races are like?

TW: They’re a one-of-a-kind motorcycle, built to only go left, 500cc, methanol-burning bulls with no breaks!

The races are super short and fast averaging about 1min per heat (4 laps). In a Grand Prix, we do 5 heats and the top eight go to the semi-finals and the 1st and 2nd place from each semi qualify for the final. It’s a wild sport! In Poland it’s huge in Warsaw we race in front of 55,000 inside the national stadium.

AM: To optimize yourself as a racer, what kinds of workouts do you do to stay in shape and meet the goals you need to be a champion rider?

TW: I won’t bore you with this too much but 5 days a week strength work, 6 days a week running or cycling, and a good nutritional plan to get through the workload and recovery.

AM: Your season is over this year. Are there any races that you are preparing for in 2025?

TW: Yes, it’s all done now so full focus on 2025 prep. Next year I will race most weekends in Poland, most Mondays and Thursdays in the UK, and some in races in Sweden on Tuesdays. Plus, four qualification rounds for the Grand Prix and possibly the European championship.

AM: What was the first song that you heard that made you fall in love with music?

TW: I can’t remember exactly, but it would have been something my mum had on in the car when I was a kid. My first hook on EDM specifically would have to be the Old EDM. Specifically it would have to be the Old Skitz Mix CDs back in the day.

AM: What led to you becoming a DJ and a producer?

TW: I went to watch Fisher headline his own show in Perth, Western Australia, and as Fisher was a surfer before he became a DJ, I was just watching him thinking well if he can do that, so can I. So, the week after I started my DJ course with Lab Six.

AM: How would you describe the Tai Woffinden sound?

TW: It’s been varied as I navigate and find my sound, I started out with some Tech House, but I’m a Techno guy so I want to focus on that Mainstage vibe after my first release on Armada Music with Gabry Ponte. But, my current track with CERES and my next single are still slightly different in sound so I’ll continue to play around with it all and see where it takes me.

AM: What would you say are the similarities between racing in front of large crowds and being able to DJ in front of them?

TW: For now, the biggest crowd I’ve played to as a DJ has been 12,000 people at Forestland Festival. It’s hard to say if it’s the same level of intensity as when I race, but from my history, the bigger the crowd, and the more pressure, is exactly where I thrive.

AM: How do you get inspiration for your music?

TW: Same as most people I would guess. Hearing a track I like that sparks an idea, or an individual sound. In the world that we live in today with everything at our fingertips it shouldn’t take too long to be inspired by something.

AM: Tell us about Body and what it was like to collaborate with Gabry Ponte and vocalist Yasmin Jane?

TW: So my A&R at Armada sent over the vocals, I then made a little demo and we sent it to Gabry’s team to shoot our shot. Four days later he said he loved it and wanted to work on it and a week later got it back, we were all stoked with his influence on the production! From my side, one, it was huge to have my first release secured with Armada, and for that track to then be a collaborative with Gabry Ponte was just amazing!

AM: Feeling Super Naughty is your latest with CERES - what is the meaning behind this song?

TW: Again, I heard the vocals and just immediately thought there was something about it. The track was a bit more Techno originally, but I was listening to some track at that time from Indira Paganotto and starting to play with that sound myself so that’s how it came to the final song you hear now. I’m super happy with it. I guess the track is just about having a great time!

AM: You were at ADE this month - what was that like?

TW: ADE was wild…it was my first one and I really made the most of it. I met some great people, made lots of new connections, and did a lot of partying. I already can’t wait until next year and hopefully I can get a few DJ sets locked in as well.

AM: You will be at You&Me Fest, a multi-day NYE fest in Australia. How excited are you to be performing there?

TW: Yes, I am! I’m super grateful that Bailey and Isaac called me up! I’m in Australia all summer and I’m ready to build my presence in this part of the world so why not kick things off there with the local boys. They’re killing it over here in West Australia, I mean you only have to look at this year’s huge line-up to see!

AM: Who are 3 people that are on your bucket list that you would like to work with?

TW: Timmy Trumpet would be one. We have chatted about a track and getting him on one of my race bikes which would be wild!

Also Maddix for sure. I love his sound. Finally, Will Sparks, I'm just a fan of Will. I met him in Newcastle UK this year and we chatted for ages backstage. He is a great guy and a beast at what he does. I also love his DJ performances. Anyway, enough fanboying haha!

AM: Do you have any upcoming festivals or tours that we should know about?

TW: Not right now. I’m in the studio and You&Me is my next big one. However, I have an important meeting coming up which I hope brings big opportunities and parties into 2025.

AM: You do a lot of traveling. What are 3 things that you like to have with you when you're on the road?

TW: I'm a simple man! As long as I have my passport, phone and USB, I can do everything I want…

AM: Whether you're racing or hitting the stage, are there routines you do?

TW: Maybe this comes as a surprise, but I have no routines, pre or post events. I literally just live in the moment and enjoy whatever is surrounding me, be it the stage or the racetrack, I soak it all up and enjoy the process.

AM: Are there any upcoming projects that you would like to share?

TW: I have one track that’s just come back from clearance, and I think could be my biggest yet but can’t say much right now. I plan to host my own event again in the UK next year. I threw a one-off this summer and we sold 12,000 tickets in just 11 days and it was fully sold-out which was insane.

My full focus now is on getting ready for the 2025 season ahead.

IG @twoffinden

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Front/Back Cover + PG 16 - 21 Tai Woffiden| PG 22 Tai Woffiden Press |

Read the OCT ISSUE #106 of Athleisure Mag and see DOUBLING DOWN ON THE TRACK | Tai Woffinden in mag.

63MIX ROUTIN3S | GRIFFIN COLAPINTO

Read the AUG ISSUE #104 of Athleisure Mag and see 63MIX ROUTIN3S Griffin Colapinto in mag.