RIDING THIS WAVE | CARISSA MOORE

There is something empowering about seeing those who dominate their area of expertise regardless of the vertical as well as putting good back into the world! This month's cover is 5X World Surf League Women's Champion, Olympic Team USA Surfing Gold Medalist and winner of countless accolades, Carissa Moore. This powerhouse takes to the waves with a focus and competitive spirit that we can appreciate. When we had the chance to talk with her as she was waiting for her call time for the Hurley Pro Sunset Beach earlier this month. We were also struck by how she brought the Aloha spirit with her as she talked about her love for the sport, going pro, walking us through her surfing schedule, her documentary and how she strives to inspire the next generation of women through Moore Aloha.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We’re so excited as we have been a fan of yours for awhile. So to be able to chat with you as well as for you to be this month’s cover, is so exciting and our readers are going to want to know more about you and the sport as well as what you have going on!

CARISSA MOORE: Perfect! Let’s do it!

AM: So when did you fall in love with surfing?

CM: I started surfing when I was about 5 years old and it was my dad who pushed me into my first wave at Waikiki. I think you know that it was a love that deepened over time, but I really fell in love with it at the very beginning. Being in the ocean, spending time with my dad. In the very beginning, it was just something that I loved to do with him and then over time, it became something that was more my own and I just love being in the ocean and it feels like a bit of escape from reality at times. It brings me back to the present moment which I feel like that sometimes, there are so many distractions and our world is going at such a fast speed sometimes that it’s hard to stay present. I think that that is one of the greatest gifts of being in the ocean. Just being here and now. It just brings a lot of joy.

AM: Was it hard for you because you do love it and it’s your passion – to know that it’s also your profession? Do you see it differently and how do you navigate that?

CM: I just feel extremely fortunate and grateful that I get to do something that I love as a profession! You know, the sport has evolved to a place that we can make a living out of it as professional athletes. At times, it’s definitely more intense than others, but what’s the coolest part is that in a jersey or not, I still want to go to the beach everyday and see the ocean which is awesome!

AM: That’s really cool! What’s an average day like when you’re training?

CM: An average day pre season, is waking up early. The crazy part about surfing which you were a little bit shocked to learn is that you’re kind of at the whim of Mother Nature right? So every day, you’re trying to find the best time to surf and whether that’s based on the tides, the wind or the swell that’s coming in and hasn’t arrived yet. Surfing is very fluid as the schedule depends on where the waves are. So I find the best waves that I can train on. I train with an on-land trainer 3-4 times a week and we’ll meet at a park or sometimes a gym at her house for like an hour or so. My day definitely includes a time to eat, refuel and to rest. Rest is very important for me so I like to set up at least an hour a day to read or go for a walk or watch some TV with my husband. Then maybe I surf again in the afternoon or check in with my sport psych so that’s kind of what a day looks like. Sometimes it includes sponsorship stuff or interviews like this!

Actually, between surfing and the ocean, it has taught me so many lessons and that's just one of them. There is so much that’s out of our control so you have to let go and surrender and say, ok, this is what we’re doing today – so yeah!

AM: It’s very cool. So what do you do, in terms of workouts that allow you to optimize yourself in the sport? Obviously, you’re in the water and surfing, but what other kinds of things do you also do to assist with that?

CM: I mean it’s pretty cool that as a surfer, you have to be fit in all different kinds of areas. Depending on what kind of event or wave we’re surfing at, some waves are big and powerful. Like the next event we’re competing at, we’re going to be on Sunset Beach on the North Shore of Oahu and it’s a very big playing field. So I like to say that endurance definitely factors in as well as power and strength, I don’t use a lot of weight, but we have been using a little more weight. Most of the workouts that we do are a lot of bodyweight stuff. I love HIIT workouts, stuff that’s fast paced for me is really mentally engaging, but we also work on agility, strength, cardio and core. I do go to Pilates once a week and incorporate yoga every morning for at least 30 minutes. There are a lot of different things that I do and I kind of do it all.

AM: At the Tokyo Olympics, that was such an amazing Olympics as both surfing and skateboarding were both brought in for the first time for the Summer Games. You won the first Gold medal which is amazing as it was the first time for that sport! What did it mean to you to have that Olympic experience?

CM: It was such a special experience. I didn’t really have that many expectations because surfing had never been there before. So, I was just excited to be part of it all and to be in a team atmosphere and get to go to the Village. Everything was a bigger and grander scale than I imagined. But just getting to be in that arena is the epitome of sports. I think that for the surfing community, it was a really huge moment to be elevated on that level and to get to perform on that platform. As a native Hawaiian, it means a lot to us and surfing is kind of our sport. It was really great to see and be able to get that representation of our people and our sport. That was really cool too.

AM: Are you thinking ahead to Paris?

CM: I kind of think that we all are because this season on the Championship Tour is a qualifying season. So for countries like America, Australia, Brazil, and some other countries, we qualify with our rankings at the end of the year through the 10 events through the season. So we are definitely all thinking about it. It’s really exciting, it will be quite a battle because there are so many Americans on tour and so many Australians on tour – it’s just a focus of doing our best on this season and hopefully it works out.

AM: You’re a 5X World Surfing League Women’s Tour Champion, you’ve won so many different accolades, how important is it to you to have balance and to implement self-care into your mental and physical practices?

CM: Oh, it’s huge! I think that for me, from a pretty young age, I realized how important it was to have a balance. For me, I finished school, I was getting to have a social life and being grounded at home was super important. It definitely gave me an appreciation for the time that I got in the water and it helped me learn how to use my time wisely and to train efficiently. Also, my dad has always stressed to take the time to rest because then you can come back stronger. Taking that time physically and mentally, I am definitely learning over time that in order to love others and to share more love with the world, you have to love yourself and take time to fill your cup so you can fill others' cups. I definitely think that it’s super important to slow down, take the time to appreciate the little things that you have done to improve yourself or to better yourself and it helps to give you momentum and the confidence to go forward.

AM: Absolutely! We were just talking about the surfing season. What is the surfing season in terms of when it starts and stops and what are your favorite tournaments that you like participating in?

CM: So our season just started at the end of Jan and goes all the way into Sep. We compete in 10 events and then we have 1 final event. We go all over! So we start in Hawaii, then we go to Portugal, then Australia, California, El Salvador, Brazil, South Africa and Tahiti.

AM: Wow!

CM: We get to go to some pretty cool places.

AM: Um yeah! We want to go!

CM: There are a lot of great ones that I look forward to. I really love Western Australia. There’s something about that place, the raw beauty and there isn’t much fuss. It’s about surfing and getting in the ocean. I really like Tahiti, it reminds me a lot of home and the people there are just full of Aloha and good vibes! South Africa, it’s definitely a bit of a trek but once you get there, the waves are incredible and it's just like awesome!

AM: This month, you’re competing in the Hurley Sunset Beach World Championship, what are you looking forward to in this tournament?

CM: I’m super excited that my sponsor Hurley has stepped up to sponsor a World Tournament event and to see their support of all of us on that level. It’s really cool! I guess that being able to compete on home turf in front of my family and friends on beaches that I have grown up surfing on my whole life is super cool. I think that just trying to push myself competitively and to put forth some good performances hopefully, I’m just looking forward to getting in the water, putting the jersey on and competing at home.

AM: That’s awesome! You were just talking about all of the places that you travel to, because you do so much travel, how do you make your hotel rooms feel like home, and then when you’re on the road, are there things that you like to do when you hit certain cities or do you just focus on hitting that tournament?

CM: Since I have been traveling, you know it’s the 13th year that I have been on the Championship Tour, after doing it for a little bit of time now, out with the hotel rooms in with the Airbnb’s that have kitchens and living rooms – places that can feel like home and feel more homey. Just having kitchens which is so nice because you can eat what you want to eat and know what you are putting into your meals. I think that is super important and just having the room to spread out and train. Because we do have a lot of downtime and we have a 2 week waiting period most of the time. But then it only takes a day and a half – two days to run the women’s event. So there is a lot of downtime. Like you mentioned, the beauty of getting to do this is that we get to go to some amazing places and getting to go sightseeing to really get to immerse yourself in the culture, the people and the towns – it’s such a gift! I definitely like to take those lay days and take advantage to see those places.

AM: You’re sponsored by Hurley, you have a collection coming out in March. What can you tell us about this as you shot this in your home and hometown which seems amazing!

CM: Ahh thank you so much! This is my 3rd collection with them and I couldn’t be more excited as I think that it keeps getting better and better. This one is super sweet because we actually got to partner with a local artist, her name is JT, and her art name is Aloha de Mele. So all of the prints that are incorporated in the collection are from her. So it just felt really synergistic to get to use my platform to also uplift another woman who is from Hawaii and is very talented.

Look her up, her artwork is amazing.

I got to work really closely with the team at Hurley to create designs, patterns and colors that are really important to me as well as silhouettes that are very feminine, very beautiful and flattering, but also super functional. I think that it’s really come together in this line and it’s a quality line. Like you mentioned, we got to photograph the collection at home and we actually did it in my backyard!

AM: Oh nice! We’ve had the pleasure of doing collaborations and there is nothing better than when it’s something that comes from you and your home, your backyard – that is so cool!

CM: Thank you so much! I can’t wait for you to see it. Hopefully there are a couple of pieces that you like from it that you can wear!

AM: Oh yes! I’m sure. Also as fashion stylist, it’s always fun to see items that you can style into shoots that we work on!

CM: Sweet!

AM: Yeah! Obviously at Athleisure Mag, we love things that are functional but when it’s great for transitional wear – life just moves so quickly, you want to be able to be prepared for anything. So I love anything that’s like that!

You had the Red Bull documentary, RISS. A Film About More Love with Carissa Kainani Moore, that talks about you and your life. Why did you want to do this and how does it feel to have your lifestory available so others can get to know more about you?

CM: Thanks for checking it out and bringing it up! I have always wanted to do a fun piece and it was important to me work with a director like Peter Hamblin who had kind of a different eye and an approach to things. It was super fun to work with him, we got really close in the process so it didn’t feel like it was really invasive at all. It was like just hanging out with one of my friends.

I think that those kinds of things, when I’m watching sports docs or sports movies on incredible athletes or athletes that have an inspiring story, it’s cool to see that they’re human, that they’re relatable and they’re tangible. I think that there is something so inspiring about someone being vulnerable and open. I’ve found that through other people sharing their stories. If it can help 1 person that is going through something, that’s the goal. If someone can relate to the story or take one little thing from it, that would be awesome.

AM: I just watched a sports documentary with NBA Legend Bill Russell last night. I’m always watching things like that. It’s great to get to know more about the sport but you get to see it and the person in the time that they grew up in. You then get to see how things have changed or progressive movements, it really lets you realign yourself and think about things in a different way.

CM: Totally!

AM: So when you’re not surfing, how do you take time for yourself?

CM: Number 1 is hanging out with my husband! He’s my pride and joy.

AM: You guys are so cute!

CM: He’s actually right here. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing. It doesn’t need to be much. Just hanging out with him and the dogs makes me super happy. My family lives really close to me so my sister, my mom, my dad, my grandparents so being able to check in with them and I still have some friends that are still in town. I think that surrounding myself with good people makes me really stoked and besides doing that, other things that make me stoked and fill up my cup, I started a charitable foundation, Moore Aloha in 2018. So, I spend a lot of time in investing in how to make it grow, grow programs and events that can make a positive impact on the next generation of females which is something that is near and dear to my heart.

AM: Are there projects with Moore Aloha that we should keep an eye out for?

CM: You are so sweet – thank you! I’m in the middle of competing and stuff so the bandwidth is pretty low at the moment. What has been fun is that we’re doing more online things. So we’re doing essay prompts where people are awarded scholarships every month; we just launched our first paid internship program this year; and we just did our 1st 6 week internship program with a former professional surfer Megan Abubo. So being able to connect the dots and create those meaningful mentorship programs for young girls is something that while I’m competing, I’m hoping to do at the same time! When the season is done, I have some really cool fun in person events planned on Oahu and in California. Hopefully, depending on if I make the cut, there’s a cut mid-season, so if you make the cut, you get to do the second half of the season. I would really love to be able to do an event before South Africa.

AM: Wow!

CM: Yeah! So if you want to be able to check anything out, please check out our website Moore Aloha.com.

AM: You’re a fan of scrapbooking. When did you start doing this and how do you approach putting one together creatively?

CM: I started scrapbooking in 2011/2012, but it was pretty close to when I started competing on the tour. You know, you lose more than when you win in this game. I think that for me, It was really important to be able to look back at all of the wonderful things and experiences that I had that still made the trip worthwhile. Because it’s easy to look back at an experience that you didn't win and say, "oh crap, I lost." But in reality, there is so much to be be grateful for and so much to celebrate. So it’s a little bit of time that I get to reflect and to see that we did this, you did that and even though I didn’t get the win, all of these other amazing things happened.

My process is, I don’t know – I get it all out and make a mess with stickers and colors. I get my scissors out and then I just lay out all of the photos and then I slowly just have them fit together like puzzle pieces.

AM: What do you want your legacy to be in the sport and even in life in general?

CM: Oh gosh! My legacy! I think that through my surfing, I want people to feel something. I think that the greatest athletes, at least for me in watching the greatest athletes – you can feel the joy. You can feel that they are having so much fun and love it. In return, it sparks that passion in yourself. I hope that I can leave that feeling with people. Not necessarily the wins, but how did I make them feel. I hope that if I can encourage people to just be kind, loving, patient, understanding and more empathetic with each other – that would be a huge win, you know? It’s like carrying that Aloha spirit. Aloha, I’m sure you’ve heard of it. It’s so hard to put into words.

AM: I was just going to ask you if you could put it into words?

CM: Yeah it’s something that I grew up with and It’s engrained in me from my childhood. Just being in Hawaii, it’s how you treat people with this unconditionalness and not wanting anything in return. There’s no judgment, it’s being open and I think that if we can do that more with each other and the world around us, I think that there would be more harmony.

IG @rissmoore10

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | FRONT + BACK COVER, PG 19 + 25 - 28 Hurley | PG 16 + 31 Billabong Pro Pipeline Jan 2023 - World Surf League/Tony Heff | PG 20 + 22 Hurley Sunset Pro Beach Feb 2023 - World Surf League/Brent Bielmann | PG 32 Red Bull |

Read the FEB ISSUE #86 of Athleisure Mag and see RIDING THE WAVE | Carissa Moore in mag.

SERVING UP SELF-CARE | SLOANE STEPHENS

As we close out 2022, we're already thinking about what we're going to do in the New Year personally and professionally! In the midst of all this activity, we need to take time and to enjoy the moments along the way!

This month's cover is Grand Slam US Open 2017 Champion, Sloane Stephens. She has made impressive moments at the French Open, Australian Open, Wimbledon and a number of matches and won an ESPY for Top Female Tennis Player in 2018 and because of her philanthropic work with the Sloane Stephens Foundation, she was nominated and a finalist for the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award in 2019.

We have had the pleasure to connect with her in previous issues, but this month, we're talking about her upcoming tennis season, self-care and what she does while traveling! She definitely knows a thing or two about juggling a busy schedule while also taking the necessary time that she needs.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We had the pleasure of interviewing a few years back and then right before the US Open, you took time out of your schedule to share your 63MIX ROUTIN3S with us about what you do Morning, Afternoon and Night. With the season starting Jan 1st, what are the weeks like for you between now and the start of the season whether it’s training, relaxing, enjoying the holiday season, etc?

SLOANE STEPHENS: I’ve had one of the best off-seasons I’ve ever had this year! I started out by freezing my eggs at Kindbody. I’ve wanted to freeze my eggs for a while and the timing was finally right to commit to the process. From there, we went to Iceland to celebrate Jozy’s birthday and spent a few days as a family at the Retreat Hotel at the Blue Lagoon getting spa treatments and soaking in the hot springs. Iceland is only a 5 hour nonstop flight from Boston, so it was an easy trip! The day after Thanksgiving, we left for Africa. We went on the most incredible safari in South Africa at Londolozi and saw a gorilla trek at Virunga National Park. This was my first trip to Africa and I cannot wait to go back. I’m now back in Boston doing a training block with my trainer before heading for a tennis training block in Cabo through Christmas. From Cabo, I’ll fly directly to Auckland, NZ to begin the season!

AM: What tournaments are you looking forward to this year?

SS: Red clay is my favorite surface, so I always look forward to the European clay court season in the spring, which culminates at Roland Garros. As an American, any time I can play on US soil is extra special, so I’m looking forward to playing at Indian Wells, Miami, the US Open, and a new tournament in Austin.

AM: What is your routine before and after your matches?

SS: Before I play, I usually eat some pasta and a piece of lean protein like a chicken breast or piece of fish. I typically go into the locker room and put my headphones in and spend some time thinking and mentally going over the match plan I outlined with my coach the night before. About 30 minutes before my match, I’ll break a light sweat on a stationary bike and go through some fitness drills to make sure I’m starting the match with quick feet and dynamic movement.

After the match, I’ll do a quick cool down and shower before handling any mandatory media commitments. Once I’m done with that, I’ll either get a massage on-site or go back to my hotel and get some treatment from my physio. Depending on the time of day, I’ll then head out to dinner and prepare for the next day.

AM: How important is recovery to you after working out or after a match? What are the kinds of things that you do after these activities?

SS: Recovery is a critical piece of both the fitness and recovery process. Cooling down and taking the time to stretch and flush out muscles is really important for recovery and preparing for the next day and next match.

AM: Many of our readers are balancing hectic schedules – you got married at the top of the year to Jozy Altidore, an international soccer star – how do you make sure you give time to yourself, being with your husband and family?

SS: I make a lot of effort to have a very structured schedule and communicate my boundaries and commitments to my team. When it’s family time, it is family time and the phone is away. When it’s time to train, I’m training. When it’s time to work on my Foundation or on my outside businesses and investments, I’m fully there. I’ve also learned the things that bring me the most joy and fulfillment and prioritize those activities. When I’m home and able to spend time with my family, I take advantage of every single second of that time we’re together.

AM: In your sport, you spend a lot of time traveling 40+ weeks of the year! You kick off the season in Australia with the Australian Open. Also via your IG feed, you travel for fun – you’re South African trip looks amazing! How do you make your spaces feel like home when you’re traveling?

SS: I try to keep some consistent products and activities in my routine so that I can rely on those consistencies no matter where I am. A super easy way to do this is with bringing a candle from home - I find that having the same scent is really grounding and helps me feel in control of my environment.

AM: When it comes to choosing what hotel you like to stay at and to help our readers that may be planning their next trip, what are the things that you look for?

SS: For most tournaments, there is an official tournament hotel, so I just stay wherever I need to. In some cases, like in Paris and New York where there are endless options, we get to pick our own hotels. I love to stay at The Langham in New York and Hotel Vernet in Paris. I love when a hotel has a good breakfast, it’s just one less decision to make in the day. I also love great showers and friendly concierges.

AM: In terms of your suitcase, what are some of the important things that are must for you to pack so that you have your necessities as well as options for the unexpected?

SS: The most important thing in my suitcase is my passport. If I have my passport, I can pretty much figure everything else out as I go! Of course, I also need my tennis racquets to do my job! I travel with a lot of skin care products because I love the sense of calm and order that a consistent routine brings.

AM: What are some of your travel hacks that have proven to work for you that we should know?

SS: I cannot overstate the importance of hydrating during travel. The entire travel experience is really drying - the plane air is dry, hotels can be dry, the change in climates can be tough - it’s a lot. Hydrating inside and out helps your body adjust to new situations and new timezones and it is so simple to do. I think a lot of people are hit with a double-whammy when it comes to dehydration because they’re drinking a lot of caffeine to try and stay awake during travel or they might be having some alcoholic beverages while they’re away, and both of those things are also really dehydrating on the body, so it’s all the more important to hydrate.

AM: Do you have anything that you do before, during or after hopping on a flight whether it’s a beauty process, self-care, etc?

SS: I’ve started wearing WHOOP’s new Blue Light Glasses to avoid disrupting my circadian rhythms with too much screen time - it makes a huge difference when I’m trying to sleep the next night. I also try to get up and walk around on the plane to keep the blood flowing and prevent blood clots or feeling super stiff when I land.

AM: When you arrive in your designated city, whether it’s for work or fun, what are the things that you look for in terms of restaurants, activities and shopping that you want to explore?

SS: When I was first starting out on tour, I rarely ventured out. I stuck close to the hotel and always went back to the same restaurants. There are already so many variables at play when traveling for work and needing to compete, so I never wanted to risk an upset stomach or having any sort of issues. Now that I’ve been traveling to the same cities for 15+ years, I have a great mix of my tried and true staple spots but have also really enjoyed researching and trying new spots. I think being locked down during Covid made me appreciate the incredible opportunity I have to travel the world and made me look forward to getting back out and exploring.

AM: Do you have separate beauty routines for daytime versus night time?

SS: Yes! I wake up and drink a huge glass of water. I brush my teeth and then wash my face with a gentle cleanser like the iS Clinical Cleansing Complex. I sleep with various moisturizing layers, so I don’t want to take that all off and dry myself out again. I usually head right to practice or training, so I put Neutrogena sunscreen on my face and sometimes I’ll use the Dr. Barbara Sturm Anti-Pollution Drops under my sunscreen. I sweat pretty much every day and am always wearing sunscreen, so I like to do a body scrub in the shower at night to scrub that all away and feel like I’m going to bed super clean. For the record, I love piping hot showers, the hottest the dial will turn - boil me!! After I get out of the shower, I layer on the moisturizers - I start with a lotion and then will layer a body oil on top if I’m feeling extra ashy in certain spots. I go through the same routine every day and it helps my body and mind recognize that it is time to start unwinding and preparing for bed. None of the products I use at night have any energizing scents like eucalyptus or lemon verbena - it’s all fragrance free. If I want a relaxing scent, I’ll turn on a diffuser or light a candle. I always travel with diffusers or candles.

AM: How important is mental health and self-care to your training and state of being whether you’re working in your sport or just being out and about?

SS: There is an undeniable link between mental health and physical well-being. Both parts have to be working in harmony. Tennis as a sport inherently requires a lot of mental energy - it’s just you out there and everyone is looking at you, so I find that taking care of my mental health is just as important as how I take care of my body. It is encouraging to see this sort of discourse make its way into more mainstream conversations and I hope that more people are encouraged to find the practices, tools, and therapies that help them.

AM: Why does the wellness space mean so much to you and what can you tell us about your new brand that you are launching next year as we know you may not be able to say too much!

SS: The wellness space is so important to me as both an athlete and as a woman. I've always loved to try new products and am constantly in pursuit of the best ways to take care of my skin and body. I will be venturing into the wellness space myself next year, so stay tuned!

AM: We know how important The Sloane Stephens Foundation is to you. Are there new projects or initiatives that you are focused on that you would like to share?

SS: Thank you for asking! The Sloane Stephens Foundation is actually celebrating our 10 year anniversary in March 2023 - I cannot believe it’s been 10 years! I wanted to use tennis as the vehicle to keep kids in school, keep them healthy, and keep them physically safe. Tennis has given me so much in my life but I know that it can feel very unapproachable, especially to people from under-resourced communities who might not be able to afford the equipment or coaching, or to underrepresented communities where they might not see a lot of players that look like them. I sought out to change that. We work with over 15,000 kids each year across the Compton Unified School District and provide tennis, academic, mental health, and financial literacy programs. One of the things I’m most proud of us that almost all of our coaches are actually graduates of our programs who have decided to come on as staff members while they pursue their college degrees. It’s very much a big family and it feels very sustainable to have programs designed and implemented by the community and for the community.

IG @sloanestephens

@sloanestephensfoundation

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | FRONT COVER + BACK COVER, PG 28 9DRIP Courtesy of Sloane Stephens | PG 16 - 19, 22 + PG 82 9PLAYLIST BNP Paribas Open | PG 21 John Cordes/Icon Sportswire | PG 25 Masha Maltsava | PG 26 Federico Pestellini/Panoramic/Icon Sportswire |

Read the DEC ISSUE #84 of Athleisure Mag and see SERVING UP SELF-CARE | Sloane Stephens in mag.

OWNING HIS SPACE | HARDWELL

When we think about some of our favorite DJ's over the past decade, Hardwell is one we enjoy seeing when he was at our favorite venues!

In this age of being committed to taking the time we need, self-care and mental health, Hardwell took 3 years off to take a break, fugure himself out as an artist and came back to the scene with a new album REBELS NEVER DIE, a tour of the same name and of course he launched it at Ultra Music Festival earlier this year!

We wanted to get to know more about his process, about the importance of his hometown in Breda, Netherlands, how he is approaching touring and more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with music?

HARDWELL: I discovered music super early, I actually started playing piano when I was 4 years old, but my love for DJing began when I was 12.

AM: What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to be a DJ?

H: I knew early on that it was a passion of mine. I started out playing hip hop when I was 12, before discovering electronic music when I was 13/14, which then became this huge part of my life and thankfully still is today.

AM: You’re from Breda which is a small city, but it has birthed a number of artists from yourself, Tiësto and even Elvis Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker! What is the music scene like in Breda?

H: It’s crazy right! A small city with this deep musical history. We actually have a very small scene, so it’s not what people often think it will be. But because its small everyone knows each other and this is perhaps why it helps Breda artists to grow.

AM: How would you define your sound?

H: This new Hardwell REBELS NEVER DIE sound is me. It’s the raw, uncut version of who I am as an artist. It draws on all my influences from the moment I got into electronic dance music right through to what I am all about today. It is everything from big room to trance to electro to techno. I needed to free myself up from big labelled as one type of sound, so I could infuse everything into one sound, which is what fans are experiencing now.

AM: In terms of creating new music, what’s your process?

H: I feel most at home in my own studio. It’s a space that is custom built to fit my specific needs. I bring a lot of inspiration from life, travelling and the atmosphere of our scene into my creative process. But equally I don’t fixate on following the same process each time. It was why I took some time out because I need to recharge and free up my creativity to come back with something completely new and fresh.

AM: You’ve done some amazing collaborations, what do you look for when it comes to partnering with someone else to create music?

H: What makes the magic happen is that connection. When you work with a singer or another producer and there’s a creative connection where you’re vibing off the same ideas, that is usually a very positive sign. I like to connect with other artists who are open to trying new directions, freeing up the structure of a song and then seeing what will come out the other end.

AM: I’ve been a fan for years and have enjoyed your music, you’ve been a 2X #1 DJ, you’ve headlined many major festivals and you have travelled extensively and then in 2018, you decided to take an indefinite hiatus. Even though that was back in 2018, at that time it was a shock as mental health wasn’t really talked about and in the way that it is now. In the time that you took that step back, what did you learn about yourself?

H: Absolutely, I learned that it is ok to take time off. As an artist you always fear that if you don’t make that next show or release another song, your career will start to diminish, and it could be over before you know it. But the reality is that’s not the case. Everyone needs time off. From sports to medicine to education to even family life, everybody needs a break, but as artists we often to put pressure on ourselves to keep going, say “yes” to everything put in front of us. Taking a break, working on yourself for a while and coming back refreshed with new creative ideas is only ever going to be a positive decision.

AM: A portion of your hiatus also took place during COVID where everyone had lockdowns and we were all put in a place and a time where we re-evaluated how we went about work, the importance of connections and who we wanted to emerge as. Although you were already on that journey, what was that time period like for you?

H: Well, not much was different for me because, I was kind of already in my own lockdown, by not touring, being at home and then working in my studio. But I could see it was impacting so many of my friends and family, plus colleagues in the scene. That was hard to watch, but I’m thankful now that life has resumed for us all.

AM: At what point did you realize that you wanted to work on and release REBELS NEVER DIE?

H: The album didn't come until much later into my ‘sabbatical’ because I first needed to find myself again as an artist and then once I fell down that rabbit hole, and journeyed around what I was looking for, then the idea of REBELS NEVER DIE started to become a reality.

AM: How was creating music for this record different then when you have created previous albums/songs?

H: Before I started turning ideas into tracks, I decided to start from scratch. So I didn’t go back to a lot of the synth etc I was using previously. I needed a new canvas to work from, a new feel to the production. I also had released any pressure on myself which was a huge weight from my shoulders during the process because I was free to express myself this new sound.

AM: Tell me about REBELS NEVER DIE and what are you excited about this album?

H: The album excites me because it’s a new chapter in my journey. It’s an expression of where I am as an artist today. It has roots into my history with electronic music, but it projects a wide palette of my style to the fans. This Hardwell 2.0 version is a shift of perspective and sound, something which is best experience during the live performances of REBELS NEVER DIE.

AM: The decision to come back on the road and tour must have been one where you had to think about how you could do this in a way where you still felt comfortable. How do you approach touring now and deciding how many dates/cities that you want to include in your schedule?

H: I decided that this time around I will reduce the touring to a smaller number of shows. I think in 2022 I’ll have done about 50 flights in total, which is a much more manageable amount. I want to be back performing and connecting with the fans, but I also need that time in the studio to be creative, spend time with friends and family. It is all about balance.

AM: You played Ultra Music Festival with only unreleased music – such a bold move! Why did you want to take that approach and were you nervous about how it would be received?

H: I was incredibly nervous before that come back! I don’t usually get nervous, of course you get the pre-stage nervous out of excitement, but it’s part of the experience, it’s good to have some nervous. But this was a lot different because I had been away for a long time, I was also coming back with a new sound and new stage show. but after the first song, and feeling that love from the crowd, it all started to click into place.

AM: You’ve been navigating your world tour since Ultra what do you do the day that you have a show coming up. Are there any routines that you do that prepare you for a show and/or are there things that you do once you’ve left the stage that are a must for you?

H: Not really. I like to relax as much as possible to get ready for the show. Spend time with my team and just get myself into the zone of what’s about to go down with the show. I’m always working on new edits and ideas fo the show, so that keeps me focused in the build-up.

AM: What do you want your legacy to be seen as in terms of the mark that you have made in the music industry?

H: Just somone who put his heart and soul into making music he believed in.

IG @hardwell

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Hardwell

Read the DEC ISSUE #84 of Athleisure Mag and see OWNING HIS SPACE | Hardwell in mag.

OUT AND ABOUT | ALI FEDOTOWSKY

We're kicking off the beginning of the year and as we navigate all of the things that we want to do, recover from the holidays, we also want to make sure that we're taking care of ourselves with a bit of self-care. Self-care can be a number of things from watching our favorite shows, taking a walk and doing things that just bring us joy!

We caught up with one of Bachelor Nation's faves who competed on Season 14 of The Bachelor and was the 6th Bachelorette. From there, she continued to stay on our screens as a host for NBC 1st Look, a correspondent on E! News and E! Live From the Red Carpet as well as being a co-host on Hallmark's Home and Family.

We caught up with her to talk about her time on The Bachelor/The Bachelorette and advice that she has for those that are thinking of being on the show, the importance of creativity and making sure that as we WFH that we remember to go outside whether it's for a walk or anything that breaks up our routine.

ATHLEISURE MAG: During the holiday season last year, we followed The Bachelorette’s Michelle Young in her season and currently, we’re watching Clayton Echard on The Bachelor which is always a great way to begin the new year with this franchise. As one of Bachelor Nations’ faves as someone who competed on The Bachelor as well as being The Bachelorette, we couldn’t chat with you without asking you what it was like to be on both sides and what your best takeaway from it was?

ALI FEDOTOWSKY-MANNO: For me, you would assume being the lead of the show as The Bachelorette was the best thing ever and that I absolutely loved it. But for me and I think that this is true for a lot of people, it was actually the opposite! I had so much fun as the contestant because you get to hang out with a bunch of girls, sit around the pool, drink margaritas, just talk, have fun and not have to work! It was like it was a long vacation. It was lovely and sure there was drama here and there, but it was fun! I made a bunch of friends whereas as The Bachelorette, you’re going out on these dates every single day that are like 13 hours long – you’re exhausted and you just want to be able to take a nap! A lot of the dates that you’re going on are with guys that you’re not totally all that interested in and you have to give them a chance so you’re doing it anyway and again, you just want to be able to take a nap! For me, I actually highly preferred being a contestant. Maybe I just like naps, who knows?

AM: A nap is always a good thing! So for those that may be thinking about wanting to sign up to have that experience, what is your best advice? When you just talked a moment ago, we never thought about how long the dates were and what those dynamics are.

AFM: Oh, they are so so long! What I always try to tell people who are thinking about what it would be like to be on the show, is that I ask them, if I put you in a room and you’re single with 25 men, how many of those guys do you think you would be interested in? I mean come on, if you had to guess how many would be interested in.

AM: Ok that’s a question, at most 2 or 3 people. It’s pretty tough to have an interest in all 25!

AFM: Exactly! So, put yourself in the shoes of being The Bachelorette – you’re in a room with 25 guys. Let’s be real, at least 10 – 12 are put there just for entertainment because the producers know that you wouldn’t be interested and it’s just about the drama or to be funny. So maybe you’re left with 12-15 that are actually casted for you. Chances are that at the end of the day, you’re only going to be interested in 1 or 2 of them. So knowing that and assuming that about yourself, most people would be this way as I know I was – you know who you like right away. But you’re forced to go out on all of these dates with these guys who are great guys and you want to give them a chance and to be fair because they are putting their life on hold, but you really wish you were back with the other guy who is back at the mansion. It’s really hard honestly and for me, it was a really hard experience. I’ve been told by producers that I am a little bit of an outlier because I knew the guys that I liked from day 1 and it never changed and I was never interested in anyone else after that. But for most Bachelor and Bachelorette leads that I have spoken to over the years, they have said that they only liked a handful maybe 3 or 4 if they were lucky. It doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with the other people, the guys and girls were great – it’s just that there wasn’t any chemistry there from the get go!

AM: Transitioning from your time on these shows, it’s always great to see you in your role as a journalist and TV personality. Was that a natural progression for you to take these roles on?

AFM: It was for me. Just because, I have always been that person who enjoyed public speaking. Some people hate it and I love it. I loved giving speeches and little things prepared me for it. I got best speaker in my oral communications class in college. When I worked at Facebook, one of my jobs was to teach people how to use different programs and talking to groups. It’s always been something that I have enjoyed and I think it was a natural progression and at the end of the day, people who are The Bachelor or The Bachelorette lead, they are usually chosen because they are comfortable talking in front of a camera. So as you can imagine, that is a natural progression – the people who aren’t comfortable talking in front of a camera are usually the ones that don’t open up and then don’t get lead role on the show because they need someone who can be comfortable there. I will say, that I moved from LA a year ago, because I was ready to sort of step away from television and just leave that part of my life behind although now that I am here in Nashville and working from home everyday, I’m like maybe there is a TV gig that I can do locally ha! We’ll see, maybe I will be back on TV who knows?

AM: I hope so as I always enjoyed seeing you hosting and corresponding for a number of different shows! Well, as a busy mom with so much on your plate, how do you take time to ensure that you’re meeting your health and wellness goals and the time for yourself that you need?

AFM: For me, a really important thing and I think that this applies to a lot of different people, because so much of the world has changed over the last couple of years with so many people WFH now – a really important part of my health and wellness is getting out of the house. Because I don’t have a TV show that I go to work at during the week anymore, I find that I am working from home and doing a lot of different projects and I have a business that I am launching soon and all that. I find that weeks will go by and I’ll say to myself that I have not left the house in 2 weeks as my husband took the kids to school in the mornings – I need to get out of the house. Going for walks, a drive, whatever you need to do! If you’re WFH and feeling down, I really believe it will help so many people by just getting myself outside of the house every once in a while.

AM: Tell me more about teaming up with PEBBLES on their mission to spark kids’ creativity with the Never Stop Doo-ing Project and why you wanted to be involved in it?

AFM: Speaking of getting out of the house, that’s one of the things that my kids are doing today! We’re going to go see the PEBBLES mural in Nashville. It’s really cool! They have this initiative called the Never Stop Doo-ing Project and a few weeks ago, we encouraged parents and kids to submit artwork online. That artwork is now turned into murals that we can see in LA, NY, Nashville and Denver. You can take your kids and I’m really encouraging parents to do this and I'm doing it today with my daughter. I think that showing a child that this is a big mural in a major city and that kids their age are having their work displayed there – the sky is the limit. Never stop creating, never stop doing, never stop using your imagination to be whatever you want to be. I think it’s going to be a really good teaching moment for my daughter today. She’s going to be so excited to see that there is going to be a mural in Nashville – because in Nashville, murals are huge and they’re everywhere and people love them! That kids her age created them and it will be so inspiring for her and I hope that parents will be able to do and share that with their kids. They’re only up to the 13th of this month, so there are only a couple of days. Put on your coat, have an outing of it and maybe this will be people’s actual excuse to get out of the house when you’re WFH. Get out, take your kids out and it will be good for your mental health and it will hopefully be able to inspire kiddos.

AM: Love that we’re in NY so being able to check it out will be a nice break!

AFM: Um yeah but since you’re out there – make sure you bundle up!!

AM: For sure this time of year you have so many excuses to stay in – but this is a good one to venture out!

So you were talking about projects that you have coming up – what can you share with us?

AFM: Right now I have a hair accessories line that I am wearing in my hair right now Scunci X Ali Fedotowsky which is available at Walgreens nationwide. It’s such an awesome thing that I was able to be part of and I hope people check it out as it is super affordable.

I’m launching my first product for my first business shortly! A clean liquid hydration packet. A lot of them are filled with a lot of sugar and I feel like mine is cleaner and great. It’s taken a long time to develop with my partner and hopefully that will launch soon and I am so excited! I hope that people will love it.

IG @ali.manno

PHOTOS COURTESY | PEBBLES

Read the JAN ISSUE #73 of Athleisure Mag and see Out and About | Ali Fedotowsky in mag.

Hear TV Host Ali Fedotowsky-Manno on our show, Bungalow SK - which is a part of Athleisure Studio, our multimedia companion podcast network! Subscribe to be notified when the episode drops. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts or wherever you enjoy your podcasts.