The start of the new year is often an ideal time to reflect on the last 12 months, celebrate the best bits, set new goals, and prepare for the new opportunities ahead.

2023 has been an epic year for Team dryrobe® with many incredible achievements and successes. Some of our awesome ambassadors share their thoughts on the past year and what they hope is in store for 2024.

Find out what keeps our team feeling inspired and get ready to be encouraged to go for gold next year, whatever your dreams or goals may be!

Andrew Cotton

2023 highlights

Definitely my swell chase adventure to Cortez Bank, it’s a big wave spot 100 miles out to sea from San Diego, California. I surfed it in January with the 100 Foot Wave team filming for HBO season 3. It was the biggest cleanest waves I’ve ever seen and definitely a trip of a lifetime.

2024 aspirations

Surfing! Just looking forward to improving every aspect of my surfing, from equipment, techniques, and fitness. Looking at marginal gains and enjoying the process.

Bárbara Hernández Huerta

2023 highlights

Our Guinness World Record in Antarctica for the longest polar swim ever in Antarctica or the Arctic - that marks a before and after in my life and career. I swam 2.5km at 2° C, an impossible swim for many reasons, and thanks to teamwork and the support of dryrobe® we were able to move forward. That was our dream for 10 years and it taught me to see the best and worst of myself and to continue working towards a clear purpose, which is the protection of the ocean.

2024 aspirations

I hope to continue with what I love to do, I hope we finish the elusive 7 of 7 seas and be the first South American to achieve it. I hope to continue with extreme and wonderful swims in cold waters and long distances but I also hope to remain closely linked to the community and collaborate so that others continue dreaming big and building their goals and desires.

Izzi Gomez

2023 highlights

My 2023 highlight was definitely getting to surf Cortez Bank! It has been a dream of mine to surf there since I was a little kid and it felt so surreal to accomplish that!

2024 aspirations

My aspirations for 2024...I really just want to continue to push myself and continue to chase heavy water waves and get really barreled haha!

Ben Skinner

2023 highlights

For me, it was my performance at Malibu in the WSL World Longboard Championship Finals. Just to even qualify this year was a real challenge and I'm stoked that I managed to push through, qualify, and have a fight for a world title, which is pretty exciting.

2024 aspirations

That in turn has set me up for qualification for next year and another go for a world title. So that is going to be my main goal next year is to try and achieve that as well as facilitate my kids in doing what they need to be doing. Lukas has had a pretty crazy year and next year is going to be the same.

Lukas Skinner

2023 highlights

I think I had two pretty stand-out moments. I won the Rip Curl Grom Search Final in Bells, which was a big achievement on its own. And recently I got second in the ISA Junior World Games which is a goal that I've wanted to get my whole life, just missing out on gold by 30 seconds and 0.5 score. It was a big achievement for me and hopefully, I can go for gold next year.

2024 aspirations

Just looking forward to learning how to surf bigger and better waves, learning how to barrel ride better, and hopefully going for gold in the ISA and just bettering myself in all parts of my surfing. In January I'm heading to Australia to the Gold Coast with GB surfing and I'll be there for a month then hopefully I'll head to Hawaii after that and try and push myself at Pipe. Hawaii is the biggest goal trip and waves-wise.

Cal Major

2023 highlights

2023's highlight has to be all the successes we've had with Seaful this year - getting more people into and onto the water and understanding how amazing it is - and from a personal perspective getting to see firsthand the impact that's had on people.

2024 aspirations

James and I have just moved up to the Scottish Highlands - we're really excited to explore and have new adventures up here, the most exciting of which is getting our sailing boat on the water and getting out to the West Coast Scottish islands!

Lexie Kelly

2023 highlights

I focused a lot on my personal growth this year traveling with my dog to new places to swim and explore. One place I really wanted to visit was the Galápagos Islands to swim with some of the exotic animals there. I saw it on Nat Geo as a kid and always thought it would be a cool place to go but never thought it would actually happen. This year I got to swim with Marine Iguanas, Dolphins, Sharks, so many fish, turtles, rays, and even a penguin!

2024 aspirations

I am looking forward to my 2024 year once again helping kids in the community achieve their swimming goals and finding love for the sport. I also plan to continue my journey exploring new places, and meeting new like-minded swimmers around the world as well as seeing old ones.

Siyanda Hewitt

2023 highlights

It was a big year for training and traveling, making a phenomenal transition in surfing.

Chosen for the England Squad and is the first ever paid Black surfer from the UK, leading to a major feature in the Guardian. Also received the best funding from Sports Aid this year.

Started in the Maldives surfing reef breaks and then went to South Africa and trained in Jeffreys Bay. Then, Huntington Beach, California to compete in an international contest and got 4th place, surfing against surfers on the QS. Also spent a season at Trestles working on point break surfing. Went to Portugal to focus on beach breaks and gnarlier waves.

2024 aspirations

A super exciting year ahead. Will be In South Africa in January training, then off to the Maldives. Also preparing to compete in Skeleton Bay, Namibia. Then going to be back in the US.

Lucy Campbell

2023 highlights

A year of ‘pinch me’ moments, feeling unbelievably lucky to call my passion my job. I got my foot in the door on the World Qualifying Series and a good position in Europe and the World. Although I was happy with my results I was always 1 or 2 places off my goal which have only left me hungry for more!

2024 aspirations

I can’t bloomin’ wait for more of the same. Getting my head down and stuck into training early in the year then putting it all the practice in the comps. Mixed in with a few fun projects I have up my sleeve.

I couldn’t be more grateful to be surrounded by unbelievable support going into the year, through family and friends as well as brand families/ sponsors, It means the World to me.

Keri-anne Payne

2023 highlights

2023 was a bit of a quiet year but I worked well with The Peligoni Club and Oyogo on 3 retreats this year. 1 was in Greece, South Lodge Spa and Penny Hill Park Spa & Hotel.

We launched a new safety system with Wild, and I helped to get 2 open water venues up and running, one in Cambridgeshire and Northampton.

I did a talk at CarFest on open-water swimming and opened the new SeaLanes pool in Brighton with a masterclass. I also did a breathwork course (still to be officially qualified) and learned how to surf!

2024 aspirations

I have 3 retreats this year, one in Greece in May, one at the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews also in May, and one at Toad Hall Lodges in March. Looking forward to heading to Oz with J for 2 weeks during Easter!

Sophie Hellyer 

2023 highlights

I went up to the Lakes and did the Great North Swim. It was my first organised swim event and I loved it.

2024 aspirations

I want to complete another swim/run challenge! Let me know if you know of any fun ones.

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Published on December 29, 2023