| 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?
Sormarie Nieves:
The best thing that happened to me was going back
to college and finishing the semester with good
grades. What I'm most hopeful for 2009 is continuing
school while enjoying some good surf.
JG: Tell us about the first
time you ever stood up on a surfboard. Where was
it and what were you riding?
SN: The first time
I stood up on a wave was in a spot called Pine
Grove in Puerto Rico. My sister was pushing me
in the white water on her Town and Country shortboard.
I'm glad she had the patience to push me into
the waves, I loved it.
JG: What is your current
favorite board? In 2009 do you have any plans
to experiment with different surfboard designs,
materials or fin configurations?
SN: I have two favorite
boards my 9' Noah Ka Oi/Donald Takayama and my
9’' In the Pink. They both put a big smile
on my face every time I'm gliding on a wave. No
plans to change any configurations, but I wouldn't
mind trying different fins.
JG: Do you have any heroes?
If so, who and why?
SN: I don't really
have any heroes but I am inspired by all those
people that follow their dreams and take different
paths in order to achieve their dreams and happiness
no matter what obstacles they have in front of
them.
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?
SN: There are so
many good female surfers out there and they all
have the potential to pull big, complicated moves.
It's just a matter of them trying something new
that hasn't been done before.
For those of you who like to
jump around instead of going one by one, here's
the complete list of surfers...
Image
Caption: Meeting Puerto Rico's Sormarie Nieves
has been one of the highlight of putting JettyGirl
together. She has an awesome spirit about her...giving,
passionate, thoughtful. Sormarie's soulful approach
to waveriding is a joy to watch and photograph.
This photo of Sormarie has run elsewhere but it's
still one of my favorite images of one of my favorite
surfers. Photo: Chris Grant / JettyGirl.com
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