Every month Drift will be bringing you the hottest talent and sublime stylists from our wondrous water world. This month 18 year old WSL newcomer Emily Currie from Cornwall was gracious enough to allow us a few moments to catch up…
If you hear someone singing in the line-up, it’s probably Emily…
“I like having a song in my head, it helps me find a rhythm!’ This bubbly, wide-smiling surf singer also happens to be one of the UK’s most talented rising wave riders.
“During a Longboard heat at Boardmasters this year, I was singing so loud but didn’t realise my competitor sitting literally behind me. She was smiling and I went quite red….”
Emily letting rip at Thurso last week. Image: Malcolm Anderson
As likeable as she is gifted, Emily’s taken these praiseworthy qualities into adult competition and shone in two different surfing styles, riding both longboards and shortboards. Hitting a very brisk Thurso almost fresh from a balmy California would be a shock to the system for even the most seasoned of surfers, but she takes it all in her cheerful stride. Plasticity is just another arrow in the Currie quiver and she’ll need it as she’s got a very exciting year ahead.
So where are you from Emily?
Bude, Cornwall.
How long have you been competing?
This is my 4th year in shortboarding and 3rd in longboarding.
Image: Malcolm Anderson
Congratulations on landing 4th in the WSL European Longboard rankings! Do you have a preference between riding longboards or shortboards?
Thank you, I really love doing both! Well I do and I don’t, I try to do both equally, but I definitely shortboard a lot more.
How did it feel to win in the U18 Girls BLU, having done the same at the Bude Waveriders Competition and the English Nationals?
It felt great to win the BLU series. They are always super fun competitions even if the surf is bad, just because the atmosphere is so great and it’s so relaxed! I love doing competitions at home, and Bude Waveriders is a great club that’s set up by people who care about surfing so much, so when they started doing the competitions it was good to get involved. To win back my English National’s title was also great. I won it 2 years ago but this year I really felt like I deserved it. I worked hard to get it, so it made the feeling of winning a national title even better.
Want to nominate someone up and coming for Drift Introduces? Email Anya at [email protected]
What is it you love about surfing?
Just how fun it is! It’s just such a great thing to do and I love competing as well. Usually it doesn’t feel at all like a competition, yes I want to win, but I’ve made so many friends through surfing that it’s great seeing everyone and having friendly rivalry.
Image: Malcolm Anderson
Where in the UK is your favourite place to surf?
Definitely at home, my home break is Crooklets and I just spend so much time surfing it. Many people think it’s awful, but when you put so many hours in, it’s just brilliant.
Emily’s favourite spot Crooklets in Bude
What did the word adventure mean to you when you were small, and what do you think of now?
It used to be going outside and finding new potential places to build our tree houses, climbing, seeing who could get the muddiest and just exploring! Now it is travelling all over the world and surfing incredible places with great people.
What in life gets your adrenaline pumping?
When you are practicing a manoeuvre that you want to be able to do and then performing it, and just wanting to practice it over and over again to get it perfect.
Image: Malcolm Anderson
Where would be your dream surf trip location to travel to?
If I had answered this in the summer I would have said Trestles, but then I went to California and surfed it and it’s such an amazing wave! So I guess I have to say my close second choice, Noosa. I’m very excited to be going there in February.
What kind of training do you do out of the water? Do you have a favourite?
I swim a few times a week, which I love doing and have done since I was very young. I also train with my personal trainer, Heidi at The Unit. This is definitely my new favourite. Over the winter I’ll be training with her everyday and she just pushes me to my limit, which is awesome because the results are already showing!
Who do you lookup to the most, and does anyone outside the surfing world also inspire you?
I don’t really have just one person; it is my whole family (minus my annoying twin brothers of course haha). My grandparents in particular, just hearing all their stories and all the hard work they put in to be where they are now, it’s just inspiring to our generation. It makes me realise I have to work a lot harder.
If you weren’t a surfer, what would you want to be?
Probably a golfer! It runs in the family and I really enjoy it.
What’s your biggest goal?
To just see how far I can get in my surfing, trying my best and wherever I get to, not regretting that I didn’t try 100%.
Can you tell us three things from your bucket list?
- To go to Australia and travelling around in a campervan (Which is happening in February wooo).
- To go to Disneyland! (That one sounds silly, but I have never been and really want to haha).
- And cliff diving. It looks insane, but I’m too scared!
What’s your favourite thing apart from surfing?
I think it’s got to be working out with Heidi. I get pushed so hard and find it really difficult, but it is definitely one of my most favourite things, I really, really enjoy it!
If you were going to shape a board, what would it be?
A proper retro 6ft single fin for sure.
Image: Malcolm Anderson
Do you have a favourite pre/post surf snack?
Fuel 10k porridge, I can’t get enough of it at the moment. It’s so yummy and warm now it’s getting colder!
What’s next for you this year?
I’m heading to Australia for a couple of months to travel around and get some warm water training in before next season, when I’ll be doing the Longboard Qualification Series, and a few of the Shortboard Qualifiers!
Drift will be following Emily’s career over the next year and are looking forward to a Mickey Mouse hat in the post…
Main Image with thanks from Emily’s sponsor Gul Performance Apparel
