Emi Erickson on What It Means to Be a Big Wave Surfer

Emi Erickson occupies two separate realms of the wave-riding universe. She's still a young woman but  an old soul, perhaps. She told me she often dreams of the old days when one merely needed a wetsuit, a board, and good swell to ride big surf. Simple times when lineups weren't overcrowded and catching larger than normal waves was just part of your daily routine near her home on Oahu.  But Emi lives in the modern big wave world where those who ride big surf often compete, when competitions survive and have longevity. But most surfers really just ride big waves for the love of it. We spoke with Emi about this dichotomy between competition and soul, and her place in the surfing world.