We had the pleasure of interviewing two up and coming young Australian surf girls who are spending their childhood riding waves and sharing smiles.
Zahlia and Shyla are definitely ones to watch and clearly have big plans to take the surfing world by storm. At just 11 and 9 years of age, these talented surfers seem to have their dream lives. Shredding the local beaches of Wollongong Australia and living the ultimate Roxy surfer girl life. If you haven’t heard of these Australian super groms before, take note, they could be future world champions!
Name: Shyla Short
Age: 9
Home Town/Country: Austinmer, Australia
Years Surfing: 5
Regular or Goofy: Goofy
Quiver: Byrne Surf Boards – Gromatron, Stump Tooth
Sponsors: Byrne, Pines Surfing Academy
What made you want to learn to surf?
It’s just what we do.
Who do you look up to in and out of the surfing world?
Wiggolly Dantas, I surfed with him at Snapper once and he was pushing me into waves and encouraging me, he has plenty of time for the groms. It made my trip.
When you’re not surfing what do you like doing?
Dancing and skating on my Smoothstar skateboard.
Where would you love to go surf , anywhere around the world?
Bali, Nusa Lembongan (I’ve been there and I loved it).
Who’s your favourite person to surf with?
Zahlia, my sister, except when she drops in on me which is often!
What’s the best thing about surfing?
Everything, absolutely everything.
Favourite food?
Indian Butter Chicken.
Favourite movie?
Zero to 100, the story of Lakey Peterson.
Favourite surfing manoeuvre?
A carve off the top.
Dream surf trip squad?
Pretty much my whole family surfs and I’m a bit of a family girl, so I’m just going to say my family.
How old where you when you first got into surfing?
Four, pretty much as soon as I could swim. I started on bodyboarding and then as I got more confident in the water I started standing up.
What advice to give girls your age who want to learn to surf?
I guess for me it’s doing it with someone that makes it fun. I’m really lucky because my sister and I always do it together and we are only a year apart in age, so it’s like I get to surf with a friend every time we go in. It’s being confident to so I guess the more you do it and it practise the better you will get. Practise makes perfect so just have fun and keep practising!
Name: Zahlia Short
Age: 11
Home Town/Country: Austinmer Australia
Years Surfing: 7 years
Regular or Goofy: Regular
Quiver: Channel Islands – Rook 15, Fred Stubble, Fever
Sponsors: Roxy, FCS, Channel Islands, Pines Surfing Academy and Tom Baker Health and Fitness.
What made you want to learn to surf?
I wanted to learn to surf because my parents would take us down to the beach every weekend and do tag team surfing while we were toddlers and I guess in the end I just wanted to join them. I can’t remember wanting to, it was just something I have always done like breathing almost.
Who do you look up to in and out of the surfing world?
Stephanie Gilmore.
When you’re not surfing what do you like doing?
Singing, playing the guitar and dancing.
Where would you love to go surf , anywhere around the world?
Maldives or the Mentawai Islands.
Who’s your favourite person to surf with?
My sister Shyla.
What’s the best thing about surfing?
When you feel the push of the wave when you stand up, no matter what mood you paddle out in, you always feel happy after your first wave, it’s just the best!
Favourite food?
Cheese cake and salmon, I can’t choose!
Favourite movie?
Twilight
Favourite surfing manoeuvre?
Re-entry
Dream surf trip squad?
Easy I’ll have a boat full of my favourite people! My two sisters, Shyla and Keoni, my mum Kesh, my cousin Kia who rips, my surf buddies Seirra, Sky, Tyla, Mimi and Bella. Then I would have to have Stephanie Gilmore, Bronte Macalay and Lisa Anderson. However if boys were allowed to come (and there was enough room), I’d have my Dad, Breno, my brother Koa, Dyl my uncle took me out Sandon point for the first time, Jai and Jarvie my surfing mates and of course Jordy Smith. I don’t know theres a boat big enough!
How old where you when you first got into surfing?
I was 4 when I first started.
What advice to give girls your age who want to learn to surf?
It would be to just have fun and enjoy every minute of it. Maybe even join a local surf school which can teach you all the basis and more. Like our local one pines surf academy which we all attend, it’s allowed us to make life long friends with the same interests. We get to hang out like a team doing what we love even though it’s not a team sport. Not everyone may understand the team surfing aspect, but my surf buddies will get it!
