| 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?
Kim Mearig: The best
part about 2008 was the swells at the beginning
of the year, and the historical election. Very
excited about the positive direction our whole
world will be going. We woke up to a new world.
In 2009 I would definitely like to see some more
surf, we're going crazy in Santa Barbara...I haven't
surfed in 22 days, not that I'm counting. And
more of what I already talked about...just want
to see our world get back on track.
JG: Tell us about the first
time you ever stood up on a surfboard. Where was
it and what were you riding?
KM: The first time
I ever stood up on a board I was 11 years old
and it was at Sandspit and I rode it all the way
to the beach. Totally hooked at that moment. The
board I was riding was my uncle's 6'10" single
fin with the word "Thought" on it ,
some underground shaper from the 70's.
JG: What is your current
favorite board? In 2009 do you have any plans
to experiment with different surfboard designs,
materials or fin configurations?
KM: Right now I am
riding a 6'3" round pin Al Merrick single
concave. I have been riding Al's boards since
I was 14. I would like to try some of the new
stuff Al's been experimenting with.
JG: Do you have any heroes?
If so, who and why?
KM: Growing up as
a young surfer in the 70's I looked up to the
whole Bustin' Down the Door Guys and the women
of that era like Lynne, Margo, Rell and so on.
Those were the people I saw in the magazines.
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?
KM: THe best maneuver
this year by a girl/woman, this is a hard one.
I watch a lot of the girls surf throughout the
year online, and I think there are a lot of girls
out there with lots of talent to do something
crazy. We'll have to wait and see.
For those of you who like to
jump around instead of going one by one, here's
the complete list of surfers...
Image
Caption: The first time I saw Kim Mearig surf
was in a bootlegged VHS copy of 1982's "Off
the Wall 2". A year after seeing the film,
this fluid Santa Barbara regularfoot became the
1983 ASP World Champion. It's been 27 years since
that first film but within the next few weeks,
Kim's surfing will again be showcased in the documentary
"The Women and the Waves" opening in
Santa Barbara. As you can see by the framegrab
above, Kim hasn't missed a step. Photo: Peck Euwer
/ swellpicturesinc.com
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