By Montgomery Coudriet
Wrightsville Beach, NC – You can find one of the top junior surfers in the country in the water at Wrightsville Beach most every day.
Skylar Steinmetz, who lives on a farm with her family in Rocky Point, is in the water twice a day, usually on the south end near Access 39. When she’s in the water she’s training to compete but she never forgets to have fun.
At age 13, Steinmetz has been surfing competitively for years. She’s so good, she snagged her first surfing sponsor at 11 years old.
With sponsorships today that include Savage Surfboards and Sweetwater Surf Shop, Steinmetz is competing in local surf competitions every month.
Steinmetz says the Wahine Surf Classic is one of her favorite competitions, and she doesn’t have to travel too far. The Wahine Surf Classic is an annual surfing competition for some of the best female surfers around.
Regular competition, consistent training and practice, not to mention her talents have earned Steinmetz the honor of being selected as an All Star for the Eastern Surfing Association (ESA).
Ask Skylar Steinmetz the hardest place she’s ever surfed, and she’ll quickly note, “The Outer Banks” [on Hatteras Island]. She competed in an ESA event there this year too and finished in the top 4.
Steinmetz’s dad introduced her to surfing on a shortboard. But in the last year or so she’s picked up longboard surfing.
She’s always challenging herself to learn new moves on short and longboards. Surfing short and longboards are different experiences.
Surfing in different locations creates the challenge of learning how to ride in varying wave sets. When all is said and done though, Steinmetz prefers “the shortboard” to a longboard. Her favorite place to surf to date is southern California.
Don’t think Skylar is a one-sport lady. She’s not.
Her first competitive sport was tennis and it remains part of life even now. Steinmetz still hits the courts to keep her game and skills up. She’ll also squeeze in some time at local skateparks too to enjoy her skateboarding passion.
Skylar Steinmetz is mature beyond her years. She’s polite. She’s genuinely nice. She’s competitive. She’s busy. She’s achieving success at an early age and handling it well. Simply stated, she’s grounded.
With her talent, her competitiveness, her grounded nature, make no mistake, Skylar Steinmetz will continue to move forward in the competitive surfing ranks.
Keep up with Skylar at @skythesurfgirl on Instagram.
