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Hey there! My name is Monyca, I’m 17 years-old and am a professional surfer from Hawaii. When Nike first came to me and proposed this blog, I was pretty psyched. I mean, surfing is a pretty male dominated sport, so it’s great to get the word out and get more girls into it.

So I figure the best way to start this thing off is to tell you a bit about the sport and myself.

For those of you who don’t know much about surfing, I’ll give you a quick rundown. You start off by eyeing the waves and when you see a rideable one on the horizon, you have to match its speed and paddle like crazy to get out there. Once the wave carries you forward, you jump to your feet and ride down the face of the wave, staying just ahead of the breaking part.

I’ve been surfing for about 8 years now. And even though I mentioned before that surfing is male dominated, it wasn’t unusual for girls from Hawaii to pick it up, because in Hawaii, surfing is a way of life. Basically, all my friends surfed, so I just naturally took it up.

But, surfing as a hobby is one thing and becoming a professional, especially for a girl, is a whole other. It’s a lot harder for a girl. Luckily, I had my parents who had always encouraged me, even from a young age, to be an athlete. And I think this paved my way towards a professional career. Most of my friends who are on a professional path are boys. In fact, I am the only female surfer on the professional path who has come from my hometown Hana.

Though, when I think about it, being the only female has also helped me out somewhat. Like all, my friends and neighbors love it when I bring my trophies back home, I think it gives them a sense of pride. So I get tons of encouragement from them. And that totally keeps me going.

So that’s my story so far. Next time I’ll tell you a bit about my upcoming competitions and training. Stay tuned for the adventures to come!