I started surfing because…
My father was taking my older sisters surfing and I just had to try it out, too.

What I love about it…
Surfing is a magical experience, and it changes every day so the experiences are continually surprising. It was my first true love as a young girl.

Favorite surfing destinations…
Hawaii, Mexico, West Sumatra and, of course, my home beach in Australia.

I train by…
Surfing as much as possible, circuit training, pool sessions and some martial arts with my trainer Nam Baldwin.

My pre-competition routine and rituals…
Surf the competition bank to feel it out pre-event. The morning of the competition, I listen to music, warm up with a quick routine, check my boards and equipment, make sure I’ve got a hair tie, take some deep breaths and hit the water.

I stay fit during the holidays by…
Incorporating some kind of physical activity into the day, but without making it a drag. I love any kind of beach activity, hiking with my friends and Ping-Pong. I am also not opposed to going out, eating and drinking with my friends, and dancing for hours on end.

And favorite healthy beach snack during the holidays…
I love a fresh, cold coconut water, mango and strawberries.

My surfing icons…
Rell Sunn, Lisa Andersen and Kelia Moniz are the most stylish females to watch ride a wave. I also love to watch Tom Curren and Dane Reynolds because they possess an assertive grace. From the moment any one of them takes off on a wave, there’s a connection to the ocean, and it’s through their body language, speed and seamless flow.

My advice for the surfing newbie…
Be patient. Learning to surf is not too easy. Make sure you have a larger board (soft tops are the best to learn on and they won’t injure you), look for long-peeling, smaller waves to begin with, take some friends and have fun!

And an insider tip for more advanced surfers…
Really experiment with your equipment — you might be surprised that different fin set-ups will give you more speed and excitement. Learn to read the wave because doing certain maneuvers in certain parts of the wave means you’ll come out of them with more speed so you can enter into your next move with a far better position!

When I’m riding a wave, I’m focused on…
Not thinking too much at all; a lot of my surfing is done by feeling and instinct. I’ll think how wonderful it feels to go fast and have that wind on your face and the water splash past your feet.

Most memorable day out in the waves…
Scoring an incredible wave to myself in the Mentawai Islands, West Sumatra. A big, perfect barreling surf was exhilarating, challenging and peaceful.