“When You Feel Really Sexy, You Just Surf So Good”

Last week, Emi Erickson piqued our interest with her existential dilemma around surfing in the Jaws Big Wave event. 

Emi’s internal debate sounded something like this: Are potential money and fame really worth debasing the thing I love most?

Subsequent considerations included risk of re-injury (Emi sustained a major knee injury in the 2018 Jaws event) and the desire to live life on her own terms, not fulfill some apparent “obligation” placed on her by wider surfing society.

Ultimately, Emi decided to pull on the lycra and eeked her way into the final. She earned fifth place and walked away with all limbs in-tact. A relative triumph. 

Placing aside, getting to hear Emi’s ideas on these matters—cut between the expert big-wave analysis of Mark Healey and Jamie Mitchell—is thought-provoking, as she raises important questions about the female existence in a majorly male-dominated sector. 

We especially loved this line: “When you fee really sexy, you just surf so good. It’s true! What, everyone wants to be all macho and whatever, but if you feel so sexy, you catch all the waves, and do whatever you want.”

This ep also follows 19-year-old Izzi Gomez, who despite her best efforts, didn’t get out of her alternate slot. But that didn’t stop the 5x SUP champ from getting in the water both before and after the event, which will improve her chances of qualifying next year.