Interview: Isabella Nichols, the surfing student
As students dealing with the simulated stress of finals week — or even real world stresses like getting a speeding ticket or having to find a new roommate — it sometimes helps to look to people who seem to almost effortlessly handle themselves in what would ordinarily be a stress-filled life.
Competitive surfer Isabella Nichols is one such person. Born in Horshlom, Denmark, Isabella moved to Coolum Beach Australia when she was two years old and almost immediately took to the water. That she would eventually learn to surf was a foregone conclusion — this was Australia, after all — but the pace at which she mastered the sport was astonishing. After dominating regional competition Isabella went on to win the 2015 World Junior Championships at age 18, and hasn’t looked back since, her life a whirlwind of school, competition and almost non-stop international wave chasing. In April, Isabella slowed down enough that I could ask her how she handles it all.
Jared: In the last year you’ve won the World Junior Championships, graduated high school and traveled to ten different countries. One question: how?
Isabella: Last year was so challenging, so much stress with wanting to do well in both aspects of life, but Coolum High was super supportive and helped mold my schooling around surfing by letting me finish year 12 over two years, which gave me a lot more time! It was still stressful, but I tried to make it work in whatever way I could.
How many countries have you visited in the last year?
China, New Zealand, Tahiti, Mexico, America, El Salvador, Indonesia, Spain, Hawaii, Portugal last year, so ten.
Did you have to do school work while traveling?
I tried to separate school and travel as much as I could, even if that meant having to catch up and spend a lot of time in the books when I got home. I wasn’t a fan of studying while traveling because I didn’t want any distractions and wanted to get the most out of my travel experiences.
Which country was your favorite?
I’m in love with New Zealand! It is such a stunning place and still pretty close, it really depends, I loved everywhere I went because they were all different in one way or another. But New Zealand is just stunning. The landscape is to die for, the people are lovely, the food is good and the waves are incredible; what more could you ask for?
Now that your passport is almost filled, do you feel you have learned more from school or your travels?
They have both taught me totally different things and I’m equally grateful for that. I feel like my life wouldn’t be as balanced if I’d only had one and not the other.
Do you see yourself going to college, and if so what would you want to study?
I applied and got into an engineering and business course which I will defer for as long as I can, but I’m not one hundred percent sure yet. I still have a while to think about it and I want to make sure I like it. I guess I’ll just see how everything pans out and just roll with it.
That’s the kind of decision that stresses out a lot of people your age. How do you handle the stress of everyday life? At least your sort of everyday.
I love music, listening to or playing music, catching up with friends, watching TV series and reading is gold, anything that gets me to zone out is great…. The thing that makes me the happiest is coming home from a trip and spending time with my family, I always miss them when I go away and they are my biggest support crew.
How have you dealt with your sport becoming your profession?
Transitioning from being a part-time student and part-time surfer to surfing full time was quite a shock to the system. I guess I just realized that I had a whole heap of time that I never had and now have more time to train and surf, which is a massive help. I can actually structure my week around the surf rather than having to structure everything around school.
Are your surf sessions the same as before they became your profession?
I’m always looking for ways I can improve, having an objective when I paddle out is handy. Nothing’s really changed, ever since I was young I’ve had the same mentality, basing my surfing/training session to suit waves and areas I’m traveling to compete at helps me mentally and physically prepare…I was surfing tonight and literally sat out there and thought to myself, “This is why I surf.” I watched the full moon rise, the water was like silk and the waves were so much fun, crowd-less too!
To hear you talk it all seems so effortless. Does anything ever shake you?
I have a crazy fear of heights. They always gets me. But if I were to get deep, I’d have to say that my biggest fear is not being able to perform to my potential, in any aspect of life
So what does it feel like to be living the life that every surfer dreams about?
Its pretty surreal to have found something that I love doing and being able to do that every day. It’s still a lot of hard work but I love it. It has been a pretty awesome journey so far, made easier by the team who supports me, obviously my family, my coach Tim Just, Kurt Jacobs and so many others. It’s just so exciting.
— Jared interviewed Isabella Nichols as part of a study abroad program for surf journalism offered by Sea State. Learn more about Sea State’s programs for school credit here.
Here are some more Surfline Study Hall articles to help you navigate the life of a student surfer:
Surf/Study Abroad Opportunities
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