REDBULL

Growing up on Oahu’s North Shore, Jamie Sterling, 27, was surrounded by the energy of big waves his entire life. From the front of his dad’s longboard to the legendary waves of Waimea Bay, Jamie honed his skills in all conditions to become a rare breed of surfer who can dominate the contest circuit just as easily as he drops into 60-foot faces. It was a December swell at Waimea that would help define Jamie’s career. Paddling out on bigger and bigger waves, Jamie’s surfing was quickly progressing under the watchful eyes of some Waimea locals. When he was just 17, a two-wave hold down delivered a thrashing like he had never seen. Instead of driving him away, though, Jamie was resolved: “That wave let me know what I could handle.” A major player in Red Bull’s Big Wave Africa event—he received an invite in 2001 at the age of 19—Jamie is also a regular at prestigious events like the Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational in Memory of Eddie Aikau and the Maverick’s contest, where his performance catapulted him to third overall in 2008. On a trip to Australia in 2007 with Aussie tow partner Mark Visser, Jamie got photographic proof of a few waves that earned him nominations for the 2008 Australian Big Wave Awards and the American Billabong XXL Awards. He is part of a committee of surfers who brainstormed the creation of the Association of Pro Tow-Surfers (APT) back in 2006, deciding on formats and locations for a full-scale big-wave surfing tour, a series he’s looking to win in 2009.