Name
- Nicole Grodesky
Age - 26
Hometown - Saint
Augustine, Florida
Sponsors - 100%
soul surfer
Stance - Goofy
Shaper –
Various
Surfboards –
Nezzy
5'6" x 18 5/8 x 2 1/8 Swallow, Channel
Islands K-Board 5'9" x 18 1/8 x 2 3/16
Diamond,
Black Pearl Creations 5'10" x 18 x 2
Squash
Nicole Grodesky Story
& Interview conducted by Kyla Langen in Carlsbad,
California
 With
the recent fall of our nation's last core women's
surf magazine, JettyGirl felt it appropriate to
shed some light on the shadowed underbelly of
female surfing. April's subject, Nicole Grodesky
is no stranger to the truth behind the scenes,
and is far from hesitant to share her thoughts
on the matter. Bred in Saint Augustine, Florida
and currently residing in San Clemente, the ex-pro
surfer, picture taker, student, and table waitress
makes bold claims regarding the male dominated
industry. Filtering her anger through a lens,
Nicole hopes to communicate her ideas and emotions
to the world via photographs. She is working diligently
toward a college degree, aspiring to sell her
possessions and travel the world with a surfboard
and a camera. Listening closely to her heart,
she conquers her fury with laughter and seeks
happiness wherever she goes. Read on as the ripping
goofy footer speaks her mind.
Kyla: Does it flatter you
to no end that Holly Beck recommended you for
April's JettyGirl?
Nicole: Yeah, of course,
that's really cool. We kind of have a history
- some good, some bad, but she's a good friend.
She always wants to see her fellow competitors
succeed, which is cool.
KL: Florida transplant,
ex-pro surfer, student, photographer…what's
your deal?
NG: Yeah, I've always been
a competitor, love sports, and the ocean, so it
all just came together with my swimming background.
I saw people surfing and knew I wanted to do that.
So I picked up a surfboard and my life pretty
much changed right then, like most surfers I guess.
KL: When and why did you
leave Florida?
NG: After high school I
did a semester at Daytona Beach City College,
they're known for their photography program. So
I checked that out for my mom, but realized my
heart wasn't into it. I wasn't focused. So I moved
out to California 'cause that's where my heart
was, and the rest is history.
KL: Fill us in on the history…
NG: Well, I decided I wanted
to be a pro surfer. I'm kind of an all or nothing
kind of person, so I trained, I swam, I biked,
I ran… I was living with another aspiring
pro surfer, Layne Harrison, and he coached and
pushed me, which was a blessing. I just tried
to push my limits, and freak myself out trying
to do stuff I never thought I could do, get it
out of my system basically. So fortunately I was
able to do that in San Diego, surfing South Mission
Jetty and Sunset Cliffs, and scored you know,
without going to school and waiting tables at
night. I took full advantage of my surroundings,
because I came from a place where it wasn't consistent,
it was hard to work on your skills.
KL: So you became a pro
surfer?
NG: Yeah, it was a slow
start. Coming from the East Coast I didn't really
know what to expect, or even what it really meant
to be pro. At first it was all about surfing and
getting good waves. So I started doing local NSSA
contests to see where that would take me. My first
season I did okay, and by the second season I
won 4 out of 6 comps in the Explorer, which was
a record at the time. People started noticing
once I started beating Holly really. One way to
get anywhere in any sport is to beat a household
name. So that enabled me to get some sponsors
so I could go out and do pro contests, the WQS.
Nicole Grodesky
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