| 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?
Nicola Atherton:
Traveling to new countries and surfing new spots
and experiencing different cultures.
A group of us went to Matchupitchu before the
world tour event in Peru started and we hiked
up to a summit called Winapitchu...by far the
best thing I did this year. So I hope that I experience
more things like this in the new year.
JG: Tell us about the first
time you ever stood up on a surfboard. Where was
it and what were you riding?
NA: I went down to
the local surf school at Bondi. It was a purple
9ft foamy. My parents had bought me a four
day holiday camp style thing for my birthday.
I was so bad in the beginning. I think it
took me until the 4th day to stand up.
JG: What is your current
favorite board? In 2009 do you have any plans
to experiment with different surfboard designs,
materials or fin configurations?
NA: Right now I'm
riding an Al Merrick Biscuit. It's 5'6''.
I love it...goes unreal in the summer junk right
now. So I'm just messing around having some fun.
But I'm looking forward to working with Chilli
on some new fiber flex short boards for
the upcoming events.
JG: Do you have any heroes?
If so, who and why?
NA: Lisa Anderson.
Need I say more..... awesome surfer, I've always
tried to emulate her surfing. Also, she's really
humble about her talent and all her achievements too,
which makes me like her even more.
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?
NA: I think it will
come from one of the grommets. They are really
pushing the limits right now and keeping
it fresh. My vote would be Malia Manuel...forehand
air/reo to reverse.....
For those of you who like to
jump around instead of going one by one, here's
the complete list of surfers...
Image
Caption: Australian Nicola Atherton throws water
in a pre-heat warm-up at the US Open in 2007.
I haven't had the honor of meeting Nicola in person
but judging by the endless supply of Facebook
photos I've seen of her, she looks like a super
fun person to hang with. I hope we can shoot soon...a
nicely thrown fan is always refreshing and Nicola
executes these kinds of turns with ease. Photo:
Chris Grant / JettyGirl.com
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