© Oakley
Kira Sheppard: Born to Surf
Jan 04 2007 / Los Angeles, CA From Tahiti to Puerto Rico, Kira Sheppard has seen more of the world in 20-years than most people will experience in their lifetime.
Unlike many kids growing up, begging your parents to drive you to the surf is usually the norm, but for Kira Sheppard life was quite different. Her father was a die-hard surfer and carted their entire family around the world numerous times in search of the perfect waves. By the time Kira was twelve she had been to some of the best breaks in the west like Costa Rica and Mexico. By fifteen she was competing and traveling to surf challenging waves in Hawaii and had been to the Caribbean, Tahiti, Australia and Panama.
“I was lucky because in the summer my Dad would take me to surf spots all over Mexico and Costa Rica because he hoped I would want to pursue surfing as a lifestyle. He wanted to get me ready for if I wanted to compete. Going to all of those places helped make me feel comfortable surfing in tough spots.”
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By fifteen Kira began traveling to contests. At first it was fun, but she quickly realized she didn’t love contests though because the locations weren’t always the best and she didn’t necessarily always get to travel with people she liked, but it was exciting nonetheless to be a competitive surfer. As she traveled the world opened up more and so she kept competing. Her first big solo trip without her family was when she went to visit a friend named Alana Brennan in Hawaii. She remembers that experience being a little scary because a plane got canceled and she has to spend the night alone in Oahu and get herself to a hotel. “It was good for me because I had to learn to be independent and to deal with things as they came up. Also, the waves were so big in Hawaii that to start out with having to deal with the canceled plane really gave me an overall sense of confidence in myself.”
Since then she’s dealt with much bigger waves and more canceled flights than she can count. And she’s also taken a big step in her surfing career that required tons of confidence. She quit competing. But this doesn’t mean she quit surfing. Kira has decided to focus her energy on shooting for magazines and pulling trips together with like minded surfers who are in general pushing the surfer girl image to the mainstream. This means trips with other gals like Holly Beck, who she just went to Tahiti with.
“Contests are always there and I can go back to them if I want but for now this is what I love. I like choosing where I want to travel to. On tour the waves are often not good, the weather is not good, you just get put in situations and it’s not the best time really and so I find I don’t surf as well.”
Still, it’s not surprising with a background like she had that she went on to pursue becoming a pro surfer for a little while. The sport was deep in her blood. And growing up in Satelite Beach, Florida helped because she had great role models to look up to like Kelly Slater and Lisa Anderson, both world champions who sprung from the mediocre waves of Florida.
“I surfed with the boys every day. I would go straight from school to the beach with whomever had a car that day and it didn’t matter how bad it was. By the time school was out it was always windy and choppy but we were excited anyway.”Everyone surfs in Florida. Moms, Dads, kids. It’s never cold and the vibe is perfect for a surf scene. “Growing up in Florida where the waves aren’t great makes you really appreciate good waves a lot more,” says Kira with a smile. She’s not dis-ing her home turf, it’s just that these days she splits her time between Southern California and Puerto Rico, so she just knows what good surf is like.
But as perfect as the surf can be in exotic locations like Puerto Rico or even Tahiti, there always are bummer days in the surf. This last week in Tahiti was a good example. Kira and Holly Beck took a trip there and were were dealt a rough hand in the first week (well as rough as it gets in Tahiti). The waves were flat and it rained, so the girls made the most of it snorkeling, biking and hiking the Island and just enjoying the culture. “Everyone was so welcoming. People were always singing and laughing and cooking food.”
When the waves picked up it was on. And good waves were only part of what made the trip so perfect for Kira. The other part was that her Dad came along on the trip and so father and daughter were able to surf some epic sessions together. “My Dad is so proud of me. I love that he taught me to surf and now I will be able to pass this gift down to my kids someday.”
Want to know more about Kira Sheppard's life as a surfer girl?Click here for five questions with Kira >
Click here for an update on Kira in 2007>
