by Eliza Sterling

Meet Alicia Marlo, an elite Roxy squad surfer who traded the icy slopes for the warm, undulating embrace of ocean waves at the tender age of 13. Ever since her family moved from the French Alps to the sultry south-west of France, it’s been nothing but surf, sea, and successful competitions. Marlo has made impressive strides, shattering records and clinching numerous podium places in the French and European Championships. She currently sits firm in the ninth position in the Women’s Longboard Tour 2022 ranking.

Alicia Marlo’s Approach to Training: Hard Work on Land and Sea

Marlo’s ardor for longboarding is barely contained: she describes the sport as more graceful than shortboarding, with a fluid rhythm resembling skiing. She likens surfing on a minimum 9ft longboard to dancing with the ocean. Her commitment to her profession is wholehearted, believing that the key to success is constant improvement and practice.

Marlo’s training regimen isn’t confined to the water. She works extensively with a fitness coach and a mental health trainer. She staunchly advocates for good cardio fitness and a strong mindset to manage the stress of competitions and maintain calm under pressure. To optimize her performance, she also prioritizes regular cardiovascular exercises, including running and intensive surf training drills.

Marlo’s love for the waves knows no bounds. When on home turf during winter, she usually spends between 40-90 minutes in the water. But when conditions are favorable, she’s surfing from dawn to dusk. She particularly enjoys the waves of El Salvador, an annual family surfing holiday destination.

Strength, Stability, and Power: The Physical Demands of Surfing

Alongside mental fortitude and good cardio, surfing also demands exceptional balance, core strength, and strong arms and shoulders. Intense competitive heats demand numerous repeated attempts at catching waves within a 25 minute window, an undeniably exhausting endeavor. Legs too need to be powerful to maintain control and maneuver the board effectively.

Marlo’s fitness training includes a blend of bodyweight exercises and light weightlifting routines, with gym machines, free weights, and medicine balls forming part of her arsenal. She frequently does plyometrics, like box jumping, to build explosive power in her lower body and uses a BOSU to hone her balance and stability.

Food, Family, and Relaxation: A Surfer’s Secrets to Recovery

Marlo’s approach to nutrition is as determined and consistent as her training. She loves creating nutritious and delicious meals, with an emphasis on fresh fruits, vegetables, and an abundance of hydrating fluids. She also finds joy in making healthier versions of sweets like cakes and cookies. An erstwhile vegetarian and pescatarian, Marlo now introduces limited amounts of chicken into her diet, firmly believing in listening to her body’s cravings and needs.

Recovery, she says, is as crucial as the rigors of training. Time spent in her native France with family, cooking, and practicing yoga, provides the calm and solace she needs. Her yoga routine, created alongside her mother, has been a helpful tool during lockdowns. Her travels often limit her yoga sessions to just 30-minute online classes, enough to stretch her body out and prevent stiffness, especially after long trips. Additional calming techniques include guided meditation and breathing exercises, ensuring she remains composed, confident, and competitive, particularly during stressful moments in a contest.

All Marlo needs to face the waves are a wetsuit, a longboard, a tin of wax, and her trusty massage gun – an essential tool for pre-session warm-ups and post-session recovery. Her favourite gear, the Roxy wetsuits, combines style and comfort making her feel fabulous on the waves.

A Champion in Sight: Alicia Marlo On her Surfer Goals

Marlo has her sights set on breaking into the top five of the Women’s Longboarding Tour and clinching the title of European Champion. Her end game, no less than the title of World Champion. Her greatest pride is living her dream every day, doing what she loves, and getting paid for it. Her family and the supportive Roxy team, her “second family”, are her strengths. For Marlo, the thrill of surfing, experiencing new places, and meeting diverse people is what truly drives and satisfies her.

Discover more about Alicia Marlo and other incredible surfers on the Roxy Surf Team today.

Alicia Marlo, Roxy Squad surfer, longboarding, Women’s Longboarding Tour, strength training, mental health training, cardiovascular exercises, nutrition, hydrating fluids, yoga, healthy diet, balance, core strength, Roxy wetsuits, massage gun, European Champion, world champion