| JettyGirl:
While faltering economies, political turmoil and
energy issues dominated most of the headlines
during the past year, much of 2008's good news
slipped through the cracks. What's the best thing
that happened to you in 2008 and what are you
most hopeful for in 2009?
Jenni Flanigan: I
guess the best thing I'll take away from 2008
is a very good lesson about finances, how to be
more aware of them and in control, and that the
things you think will always be there, houses,
jobs, etc., might not, so be prepared! I've learned
a very valuable lesson at the expense of my many
family and friends who have lost so much this
year in the market, etc. May they make it up in
other ways -- family and friends are always the
most valuable things in life. We need to remember
that more often.
JG: Tell us about the first
time you ever stood up on a surfboard. Where was
it and what were you riding?
JF: My first surfing
experience was at Jupiter Inlet, Florida, with
my best friend Ashley McClure. Her mom was a lifeguard,
so we had access to the BZ foam rescue boards,
and we'd abscond with them for entire days practicing
our pop-ups and catching waves. There were no
other girls in the water in Jupiter back then,
so we thought we were pretty cool! Until the sea
lice, sunburn and board rash kicked in, that is!
JG: What is your current
favorite board? In 2009 do you have any plans
to experiment with different surfboard designs,
materials or fin configurations?
JF: I love all my
boards. If I rode the same one all the time, I'd
get board-bored and probably wouldn't surf as
much! I have some great Sirens made by the uber-talented,
mad scientist of board design, Kevin Shaughnessy,
and of course Mr. Tony Channin. My 5'8" Mark
Richards-style twin fin is probably my favorite
among the Sirens/Channins, though they're all
good boards. I got a great Donald Takayama longboard
this year which was a gift from a good friend
and indefatigable supporter of women's surfing,
Tim Fields. I love Donald and Diane Takayama,
and feel a part of their extended family of surfers,
so its an honor to have one of Donald's boards
amongst the quiver. My biggest surfboard surprise
this year was a little 6'8" 1970's-style
"hull" designed and given to me by longtime
friend and San Diego local old school ripper,
Dickie Lund. Dickie, aka "Papa", is
like family to me, so this board, called a "Rhythm
Tracker", is really special, and a ton of
fun to ride! I feel lucky to be able to ride all
sorts of boards and expand my knowledge and diversify
my skill-set. The right board for the right day.
JG: Do you have any heroes?
If so, who and why?
JF: My parents are
both my heroes in very different, but equally
amazing, ways. Being home in Florida for Christmas,
hearing all the old family stories and digging
through piles of dusty photographs and memorabilia
with my mom is such a treat for me, and very revealing
of my family's intricate and colorful story. The
older I get, the more curious I become about my
family's history, so this year I brought my dictation
machine home with me so I could sit down with
my father, who will be 74 by the time this feature
comes out, patriarch of the extensive Flanigan
clan, and record all his great stories--the ones
I'm always trying to remember and can never seem
to get quite right. Preserving oral history is
so important--my biggest fear is waking up one
day and realizing I know nothing about my roots
and where I came from, and that all the good stories
have disappeared with the last generation. I think
living 2000 miles away from home does that to
you...
JG: In 2009 we'll see the
best single maneuver ever done by a female surfer.
Who do you think will pull the move and what do
you think it will be?
JF: Definitely not
ME! I guess it depends upon the category. Shortboard
maneuver, probably one of the younger girls like
Steph Gilmore or Carissa Moore. Those girls rip,
and constantly push the level of women's surfing.
In longboarding, perhaps the ever-innovative,
wild child Jennifer Lynn Smith will get all wacky
with her wild self and do something crazy. I just
hope someone's there to get the shot!
For those of you who like to
jump around instead of going one by one, here's
the complete list of surfers...
Image
Caption: For some reason it's really easy to connect
with certain people in photos. Jupiter Beach,
Florida's Jenni Flanigan is definitely one of
those people. We can go out in the absolutely
worst conditions and come away with a handful
of good images. When she's not surfing, Jenni
spends time in front of the camera as a model
and writes stories for a number of publications
as well. See what Jenni's been up to at www.jenniferflanigan.com
Photo: Chris Grant / JettyGirl.com
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