A coin toss at events to determine whether the women’s or men’s event will run on that day would be another introduction I’d like to see. I would love to see more and more events being held in great wave locations, providing that platform for performances to continue to elevate. There is an amazing level of talent on the World Tour at the moment that will continue to push the sport to new heights and there is an amazing wave of young talent developing globally as we speak. SF: I feel women’s surfing will continue to blossom in the next five years. I&T Today: Are there any changes to the sport of women’s surfing that you would like to see in the next five years? What about women’s big wave surfing? No second-guessing, or you will be toast. You have to believe you will make that drop. It is all about commitment when the waves are big. You put the head down and start paddling your butt off as fast as you can go. You see that big set coming your way and those butterflies and adrenaline go racing through your veins. I&T Today: Do you feel like time slows down when you’re taking off on a big wave? There is nothing better as an athlete than suiting up, warming up, and running out through the crowds on the way to the lineup, and everyone is cheering your name and giving you high fives wishing you all the best. It sends that adrenaline right through the body and I really try to embrace that and turn that into a positive and fuel a really strong performance. Sally Fitzgibbons: I love the energy of a big crowd.

I&T Today: How does the energy of a big crowd affect you? Listening to what my body needs and monitoring when I will be competing to adjust the workload is all part of the challenge. I develop a nice routine that I love and then just keep adding and subtracting as I go through the time at that location. Training outside of the water, you are not always going to have the perfect gym set up so you have to utilize parks and amazing running trails, and I make sure I travel with key items in my board bag to allow for flexibility in my training. Your surroundings and training conditions are always different. SF: It’s always challenging on the road while competing on the World Tour. From tracking and logging my training and competitive heats to helping produce my soon to be released Fitness App, “Train Like Sally,” technology plays a huge part in helping me improve in all areas of my life. SF:I am working with my major partner Samsung to integrate the latest technologies to take my performance to the next level as an athlete. I&T Today: Are there any specific technological innovations for surfing, like wearables, that you like? That’s what keeps driving me towards success. After all these years I am proud of the hard work I have put in, but by no means am I content. There are so many physical attributes that allow me to stay mentally strong in clutch moments in competition. Sally Fitzgibbons: You have to continually want to improve all areas of your game as an athlete. How do you continue to sharpen your mental edge?

Innovation & Tech Today: You’re incredibly motivated when it comes to competition, exercise, and diet. Innovation & Tech Today sat down with Sally to hear more about the dryland training regimens that power her stellar performance in the water, and the deep competitive drive that enables her career. Top surfer Sally Fitzgibbons has left her beloved home break in Australia for competitions across the globe.

Sally by the seashore