Meet 12-year old grom Emma Houle.
Photos by Mia Houle
Words by Kelli Bean
Q: What grade are you in?
A: I’m in 6th grade.
Q: Where are you from and where are you living now?
A: I’m from Louisiana but now I live north of Montreal, Quebec in Canada.
Q: Are you a flatland, wave rider or both?
A: Right now I only wave ride but I would love to try flatland someday soon!
Q: What board do you ride?
A: I ride a Zap Skimboards large Wedge.
Q: How long have you been skimming?
A: I’ve been skimming since I was 9 in 2011, but I started seriously skimming at 10 years old.
Q: What are your favorite things about skimboarding?
A: My favorite things about skimboarding is probably catching a wave and the speed you have gliding thru the water!
Q: I love the speed while gliding too! Where is your favorite skim spot?
A: My favorite skim spot is probably OBX because the waves can get pretty big!!
Q: Where would you love to travel to skim, if you could pick anywhere in the world?
A: I would love to go to Brazil or Australia!
Q: Describe for us your contest history.
A: I’ve only done one competition so far and I came in second place at the OBX Skim Jam in 2013.
Q: What did you love about competing last summer?
A: I loved the atmosphere of all the skimmers and nice people around!
Q: Which contests will you be competing in during the 2014 season?
A: I will attend the OBX Skim Jam, the Zap Amateur World Championships of Skimboarding in Dewey Beach and maybe some other ones!
Q: Awesome! Are there any tricks you would like to learn this summer?
A: Yes! There are definitely a few tricks I would like to learn like big spin, 540 pop shuv it and maybe the superman if I’m lucky!!
The only way to learn a trick is to fall and get back up!
Q: Would you like to be sponsored?
A: Yes! Of course, I would love to be sponsored! I mean who wouldn’t?
Q: What companies would you love to be sponsored with?
A: I would love to be sponsored by Zap Skimboards or any company that would take me on their team!
Q: That’s the spirit. Who are your favorite skimboarders you look up to?
A: My favorite skimmers as in a role model are Helen Holt and Ed Hayden because they’ve been nice to me since I started. Skill-wise Casey Kiernan, Helen Holt again, Ed Hayden again, Monster (Dave Armstrong) and Jason Wilson!
Q: Great choices! You and your friend Maia Demirs have a community skimboarding Instagram account called @skimmerslife. What inspired the two of you to create the account?
A: We got featured on this one skim account and we were so happy but that account just stopped posting so we decided to make one ourselves!
Q: You have put a lot of work into it, so thank you on behalf of the sport. Besides skimboarding, what makes you happy?
A: Skateboarding!
Q: Do you have any shout outs before we end your interview?
A: Everyone that supports skimboarding with me!
