“I’m passionate about spreading the message that girls can get pitted too,” said Lilliana Bowrey after she sent through an image to the Tracks inbox of her slotted deep in a Super Suck drainer in Indo last year.
Not only does Lilliana talk the talk, she walks the walk too. When she’s not elegantly cruising on her log, she can be found hunting swells in Indo and Aus, working on her barrel riding technique. Her recent edit ‘Short N’ Sweet’ is evident of that and she was charging Kirra during the recent Tropical Cyclone Alfred swell too.
The 20-year-old is on a mission to encourage other girls to push themselves in bigger waves. She recently took inspiration to start pushing her own boundaries after seeing the likes of Caity Simmers, Molly Picklum and others charging at Pipeline. We caught up with Lilliana and asked her to provide some tips for the younger generation.
Get comfortable in the uncomfortable
“Just have a dig, you never know unless you go. You’ll surprise yourself at what you’re truly capable of. Never give up, just keep pushing and learn to get comfortable in the uncomfortable because that is where you grow the most as a person.
“In order to gain confidence you need to put yourself in those uncomfortable positions. We all have our limits, but we have to try and push ourselves. If you go out in surf you feel nervous in, you’ll quickly realise that it’s going to be okay and the more time you put in, the easier it’ll be the next time you’re out there and it’s big.”
What doesn’t kill you makes your stronger
“I recently had a two wave hold down at Kirra and almost blacked out, but I eventually surfaced and after a few deep breaths I was okay. That to me was like; what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Each wipeout only gives me more confidence that I can deal with any situation I may find myself in. It leads to me getting more excited for when the surf is bigger.
“Sometimes it’s good to get rattled, you quickly realise you can deal with what the ocean is throwing you and it gives you the confidence to keep pushing, knowing you’ve got the strength and ability to deal with the situation.”
Respect everyone in the lineup
“You should always respect the locals and everyone else in the surf. Understand the rules, especially when the surf is bigger and there’s more risk involved.”
Don’t be afraid to be vocal, if it’s warranted
“You should always have respect for everyone, but if you need to be to call people off the wave if you’re the deepest and you’re in priority then you should be able to do so.”
During the recent Tropical Cyclone Alfed swell at Kirra, Lilliana was dropped in on while setting up for a backside tube. The incident was captured by a photographer and after posting it to her social media, she received a number of comments in support.
“I hope that the surfer would’ve gone on that wave, regardless of whether it was a man or a girl that was deeper. You hope that it wasn’t just because I’m a girl.
“I would’ve loved to have confronted him and said something to him. Guys are happy to call each other out in the surf but I don’t see many girls calling people out, we should be able to. I understand you have to respect the locals and everyone should show respect for each other out there, but if you feel like you aren’t being respected, you should be able to say something.”
