Q & A: Jamie 'Sterls' Sterling - Into the Mainstream

Jamie Sterling. Ready to roll.

Speaking of safety, when do you decide to put that helmet on?
Depends on how I’m feeling and how the waves are. If the waves are below 70 percent, like a C or B- kind of day, then I’ll put a helmet on. If the waves are really perfect and I’m feeling good, I won’t put it on because I think I’m gonna make every wave anyway. But if I think there’s gonna be some dues paid that day, I’ll put it on. It depends on how I’m feeling when I wake up that day too, if I’m tired or whatever.

Any superstitions or pre-session rituals?
I’m not a superstitious guy. No rituals. I usually have tea in the morning lately. I’m really into this tea I’ve been drinking. Sometimes I’ll have a pair of boardshorts that fit me really good and if the waves are really serious I’ll wear those again because I know they won’t come off. [Laughs]

Injuries incurred on the job?
I hit my head at Teahupo‘o. I’ve broken both eardrums, once at Rocky Rights and once at Teahupo‘o. I’ve had a couple bad cases of staph from Hawai‘i, bad reef cuts. A lot of scars from the reef, but nothing too major where it kept me out of the water for more than two weeks.

Impressive. So many surfers have such a long list of injuries. Do you ever consider the worst-case scenario in what you do?
Death is not too much on my mind. It was when I was younger, but now that I’ve been doing it for so long, it’s all part of the game. Death could happen at any moment and I accept, that riding big waves, I could die someday. Dying doing what you love to do wouldn’t be such a bad way to die, either. I don’t realty think about it though. It’s just factored into the equation.

What’s goes through your head when you get held under?
I tune out everything and go into complete Zen. I don’t concentrate on what’s coming next. I tell myself to turn off the lights. Go limp and don’t think about coming up and just enjoy it. If you don’t enjoy it, that’s a huge part of surfing, so you have to like to wipeout. Sometimes wiping out is more fun than actually surfing a wave. You get more of an adrenaline rush sometimes wiping out on a wave.

Do you have a specific regimen for keeping fit?
I have a really healthy diet. I do a lot of yoga, run the beach a lot, incorporating a lot of medicine ball and balance ball training that Kahea Hart has been showing me. Also, I practice a lot of visualization while I’m doing yoga. A lot of meditation. Visualizing what you’re gonna ride tomorrow. You have to really want to do it when it comes down to it. Be really passionate about it and accept that you might have the time of your life or you might get hurt. You hope for the best, expect the worst.

How was your run in with La Costa (The Thing) in Chile?
It’s called “The Thing” because it’s this heavy, slabby, shallow reef break. For the first few feet it’s perfect, and then right when you think you’re gonna come out it’s got this thing at the end of it: this shallow patch of reef that slurps up and it forms about three little ledges and tries to grab you. Sometimes you can surf right through it, and sometimes you gotta air down it like a stair case. Those sessions are incorporated into the untitled big wave documentary I’m shooting with Andrew Kopjak and surfers Mark Healey, Rusty and Greg Long.

So, you’ve been spending alot of time in South America. What is the “Peru Project”?
It’s a surf documentary we shot with Dana Brown last year, just surfing through Peru, exploring the culture and all the great mysteries. We went to Machu Pichu. Just getting a better understanding of what Peru is all about.

How do you get the opportunity to surf all these new spots?
Sometimes locals in the area contact me and want me to come down and surf with them. Sometimes it’s a contest. Or a connection like Coco Nagales, who is Chile’s best big wave surfer. I’ve been working with him on discovering some other spots in Chile. We’ve got five already, but there’s a lot of uncharted territory to explore.

What is it like becoming a world traveler?
I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’ve learned how to be patient, different ways to cook food. A lot of different cultures influence me in different ways.

Out of all the waves you have surfed in the world, can you pick a favorite?
Pipeline. [Big smile.] Pipeline is my favorite wave.

Words to live by?
Treat others how you wish to be treated. Just be happy and enjoy life as if it may be your last day.

STERLING RESULTS:
• 4th place Red Bull Big Wave Africa 2006
• 1st place Maestro del Gringo 2006
• Surfline Best Performance Award ‘06 Billabong XXL Awards
• Billabong Deep Throat Award (Most Committed) ‘06 Billabong XXL Awards
Semi-final ‘04 Xcel Pro
• 12th place ‘04 Eddie Aikau
• 2nd place Big Buey Surf Challenge
• 4th place 2003 Hansens Pipeline Pro
• 6th place Red Bull Big Wave Africa 2003
• 10th place ‘02 Eddie Aikau

JAMIE’S TOW-IN PARTNERS:
Mark Healey, Mikala Jones, Troy Alotis and Don Darnell.

SPONSORS:
Redsand, Redbull, Pipeline Posse, Sector Nine, Bolle sunglasses, Astrodeck, Destination Surf, SurfCo. Hawaii, Futures fins, JC Hawaii Surfboards, Strech Surfboards, High Surf Accessories, Mana Tahiti.