SAN CLEMENTE, California/USA (Friday, November 9, 2012) – Sage Erickson (USA), 21, has been in the spotlight as of late. From her late-season dominance in women’s 6-Stars to her recent gig doing post-heat interviews at the O’Neill Coldwater Classic, Miss Sage has been a leading lady in women’s surfing this season. SURFER Magazine caught up with the Ventura native to get some insight outside of her life in the water. This… is their story.
Perfect Day: Wake up early, no alarm clock. Sometime around Christmas so it feels festive in and out of the water. A good cup of coffee. My favorite time to surf is in the morning. Let’s squeeze two sessions in. Maybe the gym. Maybe brunch with friends. Maybe Barnes And Noble solo. Round the day off with some Mom time over a sushi dinner. She’s my best friend.
My Worst: I absolutely cannot stand dirty windshields on cars. It makes me cringe.
Skunked: My first was three years ago. It was my rookie year on the QS, and my WCT qualification came down to one heat and one placing in Brazil during the last darn event. Long story short, I needed to make my Round of 24 heat. I was losing up until the last 5 seconds—I needed a 7.33. Bec Woods was in second. An opportunity came to me and I surfed it as hard as I could, yet safe. I just remember jumping off and saying, “I could have done it. I could have qualified.” When I scrambled up on the beach, I overheard the announcers yell out, “And Sage Erickson gets a…” I paused. Took a deep breath. “7.3” Point freakin’ three short. I melted. Little did I know the moment of defeat would soon light a fire so strong in my heart to succeed. It’s driven me to be where I am today… heading into my second year on the WCT and sitting pretty on top of the WQS final standings.
Films: I love classics. The kind you buy in thrift stores, VHS style. Liar Liar, Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer. Labyrinth with David Bowie.
Words: Anything but 50 Shades Of Grey, please.
For the full interview with Erickson log on to SURFER Mag.
