2 |  Jessi Miley-Dyer
Birthday: March 29, 1986
Hometown: Bronte, Australia

In just her rookie year on the WCT, 20-year-old Jessi Miley-Dyer finished fourth in the world, winning the final event of the year at all-time Honolua Bay. As if that weren’t enough, she also was the 2006 ASP Women’s Rookie of the Year, won the World Junior Championships, and finished first on the WQS. “I had one of those years where I look back on it and think, ‘How the hell did I do that?’” laughs Miley-Dyer. A nimble goofyfoot, fostered in the beachbreaks around Sydney, she’s equally comfortable on her forehand or backhand, as well as in big waves or small. Like Stephanie Gilmore, she’s part of a new vanguard in women’s surfing that’s helping to push their sport to levels never seen before. “I’m really impressed with the depth of talent that’s currently involved in the sport,” explains Layne Beachley. “Looking around the world, I’d definitely say that Australians are producing some of the strongest talent, but, overall, everywhere’s on the up and up. It’s exciting to see how well these girls are surfing.” With a brilliant performance to her credit last year, Jessi Miley-Dyer most definitely legitimized her position as a leader in this girls’ youth movement.