Amy Dyer; The Young Soul Surfer

Hey, Meg here. Amy Dyer, a young surfer born on a farm in Braunton. From a young age, this junior surfer has truly made a name for herself, competing in contests across the globe. Living on a farm away from the waves, Amy’s Father would pick her up everyday after school, and drive straight to the beaches. And now, hoping to win in the ISA World Juniors in California in just under two weeks, I’ve caught up with Amy to talk about her life as a surfer.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

When did you start surfing?

‘I started surfing when I was 12 years old. The main reason I started was due to the competitiveness between me and my cousin!’

How important was parental support to you?

‘My parents have always been extremely supportive of my passion for surfing. My dad is a surfer, he taught me the grassroots on a long board at Saunton. They’ve always taken me to beaches, to the contests, and have stood in the pouring rain ‘supporting’ (or just talking to other people and shouting my name randomly in my dad’s case!) I appreciate everything they do, and the sacrifices they make to their plans to fit around when the waves are pumping!

What is the one thing that should be taught in schools that isn’t already?

‘Adult life skills. How to pay our bills, taxes. They should have classes that support students who aren’t sure what they want to do in their life yet. There is so much stress nowadays about deciding how you want the next 60 years of your life to pan out, I think it’s really important for young people to know that it’s OK not to know.’

Best advice you’ve been given?

‘The best advice I’ve been given is to not take life to seriously. Time and time again, I have fallen victim to putting excess stress on myself before a heat, and I have found that being negative only reduces my ability to surf because of my nerves.’

Favourite board?

‘It’s got to be my 5’5 Carbon Stringer Epoxy Quiver board. It makes even the smallest days SO much fun, and absolutely flies down the line! I would highly recommend to other surfers.’

What would you have done if not surfing?

‘When I first started surfing, I began to skate to increase my balance and surfing ability, so I think I probably would’ve continued to progress with that instead!’

Biggest achievement so far?

‘My biggest achievement is being selected to compete for Team England at the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships in Japan 2017, and California 2018.’

What do you do in preparation just before you get in the water?

‘I don’t do any big preparations before I surf. I like to go out and catch a few waves as my warm up, but that’s about it really!’

Next upcoming competitiom?

‘My next contest is the ISA World Juniors in California in only two weeks!’

And finally, what advice would you give to beginner surfers?

‘My main advice would be to keep at it. Surfing is a sport which takes a lot of time to perfect, as you are only on the waves for a few minutes each surf. So, just try and get in the sea as much as possible to really maximise your practice time.’