EVENT UPDATE:
The junior surfing state titles have been postponed to the following dates:
Woolworths NSW Junior State Titles pres. by Ocean and Earth (Illawarra)
Junior State U16’s divisions – Wednesday 25 – Sunday 29th Aug 2021
Junior State U18’s divisions – Thursday 26 Aug – Monday 30th Aug 2021
NSW High School State Titles pres by Ocean and Earth (Illawarra)
Tuesday 31 Aug – Wednesday 1 Sept 2021
2515 COVER STORY – PUBLISHED ON 1 JULY 2021
Surfing’s junior state titles are coming to town and Austinmer’s Short sisters – Zahlia, 15, and Shyla, 13 – are looking forward to competing on home ground.
From 14 to 21 July, 300 of NSW’s best junior surfers are set to descend on the Wollongong coast for the 2021 Woolworths NSW Junior State Titles, presented by Ocean and Earth.
Zahlia, in grade 9, and Shyla, in grade 8, will both be competing in the U16 girls category.
One competition. Two sisters. Same age group. It’s an idea that might have many parents ducking for cover, but these girls aren’t just family.
They’re best friends.
“Honestly, it might sound strange to people but Zee is my best friend no doubt,” says Shyla. “We are so close in age we do everything together – train for comps, surf, dance, have the same friends, school and travel.”
“Shyla and I are super competitive but it’s an advantage for us, I think, being in the same age group – most of the time,” Zahlia says.
“We push each other and Shyla is usually really motivated to beat me because she’s younger.
“We definitely lift each other’s performances being so close.”
What’s it like to be a teenager juggling high school, surf training, social media and top-level competition? Zahlia and Shyla kindly took time to give us a peek inside their world.
When did you learn to surf?
Zahlia: When I was four years old.
Shyla: I learnt to surf at the age of 3. I always wanted to do what Zee did so when she started surfing, I did. I mostly learnt to surf at Bulli Beach.
Who taught you?
Zahlia: Mum and dad always surfed, so it was always gonna happen. It wasn’t too long and we were all in it together! I love it when we all go out together including my younger brother and sister, Keoni and Koa.
The Junior State Titles will be held in the Illawarra this year. Why is this comp a big deal for you?
Zahlia: State is a stepping stone to qualify for the Aussies (Australian Titles). Last year due to Covid it took place online and I ended up 3rd in the U16s for Australia. So I’m really excited this year to get back into surfing actual heats and competing.
Shyla: If you do well at the Aussies you can potentially represent your country at the national titles. It would be super cool to do well and represent the Illawarra.
What has your preparation involved?
Zahlia: I have been working out a lot and going to the gym in the mornings. I also do a lot of surf training with Dave Hyslop. Shy and I go to the sports school in Berkeley (Illawarra Sports High). There is heaps of training prep we do there with our school surf coach, Geoff Latimer.
Shyla: The school’s Surf program is awesome and helps us a lot in all aspects of our competitive surfing. Apart from that, we’ve been working a lot with Dave on dialling in on my boards and focusing on good healthy preparation.
What’s your goal?
Zahlia: Obviously winning would be amazing! But top 5 will also be a great achievement and would mean I qualify for Aussies. It’s gonna be held at Stradbroke Island (Queensland) this year, which will be awesome as I’ve never been there.
Shyla: The main goal is to perform at my very best in every heat. Hopefully make the final and, of course, the end goal is to win and beat Zahlia.
What form does sibling rivalry take?
Zahlia: Shyla and I are super competitive …
We definitely lift each other’s performances being so close. It can be hard to swallow at times when she beats me because she is my little sister but it also pushes me harder and becomes more motivation for me to push harder, so there’s a positive that comes out of it after the initial sting.
Shyla: When Zee and I are competing against each other every second year, because of our age difference, I always get super competitive and want to beat Zee. If I was surfing against my other sister, Kiki, I would probably give up waves for her – but maybe that’s just cause she’s younger and I don’t really ever have to surf against her in comps yet.
Zee is so supportive of me and tries to help but I just can’t help but want to beat her and see her as the biggest threat in every comp I am in.
Once the hooter goes, though, we just go back to being sisters and leave the competition in the water, most of the time – haha.
How about sibling support – tell us how you’ve helped your sister.
Zahlia: Often before Shy’s heat I will sit with Shy to help assess the conditions and talk about where to sit. Strategies for the heat and call her back into place if she falls out of place during a heat. Even when we are in a heat together, I will try to give her advice during the heat, especially if I am winning and she needs to get a score to help her progress to the next heat. Although she’s beaten me a few too many times lately, I think I might have to start keeping my advice to myself, haha.
Shyla: I could never imagine doing any of it without her, we fight occasionally like normal sisters or best mates do, but it never lasts more than 10 minutes. I can’t ever remember being angry with her for more than 10 minutes and I think that was when she wore my white jumper. Anyone that knows us knows she can’t wear any of my white clothes. It will cause a fight every time, haha.
But other than that and my white clothes I am supportive of everything Zee does and try to help encourage and motivate her.
You’re often away at surf comps. How do you fit schoolwork in?
Zahlia: I try really hard to do my schoolwork whilst away. A lot of our work we do online using Google Classroom.
Shyla: That’s why Zee and I decided to go to the Illawarra Sports High. They prepare all our work to be done easily online whilst on the road.
What do you like about the school?
Zahlia: They help us a lot with our schoolwork when we are away. All I have to do is ask Mr Latimer (Math teacher and surf coach) to email my teachers then my work is set up for me to do online. The surf program is amazing, we get to surf a lot at school and train in the school gym.
Shyla: Illawarra Sports is a great school to be at for any young athlete trying to find a good balance with competing and getting a good education. The coaches and teaching staff are awesome.
Social media – love it or hate it?
Zahlia: I like social media, I enjoy making edits and TikToks and planning things out for my social media. It’s a great platform to show your ability if kids are looking to get sponsored and stay connected with friends and see their achievements.
Shyla: Social media for me can be a love-hate relationship at times. The positives for me is it can help keep you connected with friends that you meet along your travels from far away. But it can also psych me out a little before comps when you see how well your competitors are surfing.
I recently had to compete against Sierra Kerr in the Billabong Oz Grom Cup and it was right around the time everyone was posting her huge airs and that was nerve-racking. And, of course, I drew her every heat to the final for that comp.
But mostly I try not to focus on it too much. I’d say Zee is better at the social media thing than me. She likes editing and doing all that sort of stuff.
What do you do in your downtime?
Zahlia: I hang out with friends, go to the gym, I love singing, dancing or playing guitar. I enjoy cooking, watching YouTube and Netflix and I always make time for TikToks!
Shyla: When we aren’t surfing we dance a lot. Mum owns a dance school here in Austinmer (JR Dance). Other than that it’s always good to hang with friends, squeeze in some homework and love listening to heaps of music in our spare time!
Where’s your favourite surf break?
Zahlia: Locally my favourite surf break would definitely be Sandon Point, best Right Ever if you can get a wave out there! But Keramas in Bali or Pit Stops and Four Bobs in the Mentawais are my favourites overseas.
Shyla: There are so many awesome breaks we’ve been lucky enough to surf, so it’s a hard choice. In Australia my favourite would have to be Little Austi, that left can really pump when it’s working. I can say that cause this is an Austi mag and anyone from Austi that surfs already knows that.
My favourite break overseas would be Keramas in Bali, which is the most perfect and fun right hander. I love surfing my backhand!
Who do you most admire?
Zahlia: In surfing, I admire Caroline Marks. She qualified for the CT [Championship Tour], which is the world professional surfing league, at the age of 16. That is extremely inspiring! In life, I admire my parents, they do so much for all of us.
Shyla: Caroline Marks. I admire her because she is an amazing surfer, super friendly, and has a super-strong backhand.
Good luck! Have you got any rituals before a comp – how do you stay calm under pressure?
Zahlia: In the morning of the day I compete I always have to have an early-morning surf, I listen to music before my heat and I have to plan well.
Shyla: I do like to use a few breathing techniques … Just super-slow breathing to try lower my heart rate and calm me down before the panic sets in. I don’t really have a ritual, I did have a favourite wetsuit I always wore but the first heat I lost in it I stopped making that a thing, haha.
WATCH ‘SWAP’ AT THE BOWLO
Last year, after Covid halted overseas travel, one of Zahlia’s teachers had an idea: what if she swapped sports with her schoolfriend, Stanwell Park snow star Mia Rennie. Could they become better athletes by sharing skills? So Zahlia took Mia surfing on the South Coast and Mia took Zahlia skiing in Jindabyne. The results are captured in a short film filled with fun, friendship and stunning scenery.
