What Does Emi Erickson Do In A Day?

Contrary to popular belief, the best approach to surfing large waves is not waking up with a mild hangover, attaching a four-year-old leash to the biggest board in sight, and jumping into the water without even a light quad stretch. 

The modern big-wave surfer prepares all year long for those three to five swells that really matter. Survival is the primary motive, but performing at the peak of human capacity is a strong second. And achieving such heights requires exceptional preparation. 

You’ve probably heard of the name Emi Erickson. She’s a big-wave surfer based on Oahu’s North Shore and a bona fide staple at Waimea Bay. It’s actually weird if a swell goes by and she’s not out there. People are like, “Where’s Emi?”

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The only time Emi misses a swell is when she’s injured — which is her worst nightmare. After coming back from multiple knee surgeries, Emi realized that in order to avoid being sidelined on the best days of the year, she needed to be as strong and fit as possible. So, she started training. A lot. 

Push-ups, sit-ups, biking, sand sprints, boxing — whatever she could do to keep her body moving and decrease the chance of injury, Emi did it. 

In the video above, we get to see what Emi Erickson does on a “down day” — or when the buoy readings are below 15 x 20. To measure her effort and workout intensity, we strapped a WHOOP to Emi’s wrist to track her live heart rate, calories burned, day strain, and other vital factors. 

WHOOP is a personalized fitness and health wearable that monitors your recovery, sleep, training and health 24/7, plus provides personalized recommendations and coaching feedback. 

It’s pretty crazy to see what the human body is capable of when we have a singular goal in mind. And for Emi, that’s riding big waves as well as possible, for as long as possible. 

Tap into Emi’s routine above and get a WHOOP of your own here.