JESSICA TAFT
Full Name:
Jessica Taft
Hometown:
Oceanside, CA
Stance:
Regular
Where do you currently live?
Oceanside, CA with my 16 year old son and 9 year old daughter.
What’s your favorite local spot to surf?
North Jetty Oceanside Harbor
Favorite place to surf?
Scorpion Bay and Rincon, Puerto Rico
Favorite Trick?
Tip time
What’s your favorite board?
My custom 9’6” Barahona single fin log.
Who are your sponsors?
Barahona Shapes, Sedohr Clothing
What are some of your favorite bands/singers?
I’m an 80’s girl. Some of my other favorites are The Eagles, Bob Marley, Ed Sheeran, Tom Petty, Sublime…. I’m into pretty much everything.
What are your favorite TV shows / movies?
Grey’s Anatomy, Dexter, Blacklist, Super Troopers, Saturday Night Live, Coming to America, anything with Will Ferrell…
How did you get started surfing?
I come from a family of non-surfers but have always been an athletic tomboy. My dad is a computer nerd. At age 11 I had a music teacher who surfed and one day he told the class he was starting a surf club at our school and would teach anyone who wanted to learn. I picked up a garage sale board and showed up to the first practice. He pushed me into my first wave and the rest is history. I shortboarded for about 6 years before transitioning to longboarding and haven’t shortboarded since. My dad has never been a fan of surfing but I was persistent and eventually he accepted my passion.
What are some of your other (non-surfing) hobbies?
Sewing, repurposing furniture, decorating, crafting with my daughter, and boot camp workouts.
What was your first board?
$25 garage sale find - 6’2” Gary Linden beater board with dings all over.
What was your first car?
1996 Honda Civic (hand me down from my brother).
Who is your favorite pro?
Right now… can’t get enough of watching Andy Nieblas
If you could go surfing with one person...it would be ________?
Rell Sunn
If you could go surfing anywhere it would be ____________?
I’ve traveled a lot but have never been to Australia and New Zealand. One day…
What was your first surf trip?
Costa Rica when I was 18. We stayed in Tamarindo.
Do you have any upcoming trips planned?
Puerto Rico in November for the 50th anniversary festival for the surfing championships that were held there in 1968.
What is your favorite competition?
I love the Malibu events because it’s unreal to surf those waves with just a handful of other people.
What was your biggest win?
I won the Malibu Surfing Association competition in 2016 and beat Carla Zamora, who rips and is one of my surfing idols. I’m thinking she just had a bad day, but I did surf my best and was so grateful to win against so much talent.
What was your scariest moment in the water?
In 2014 I trained to surf Tres Palmas, a big wave spot in Puerto Rico. I barely made it over a 20’ plus wave when a set rolled through and had a three wave set hold me down. I’m happy to say I was able to surf there but will likely never surf big waves again. I have so much respect for people who do.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
Losing my towel at San Onofre recently and exposing myself from the waist down to a grom’s dad.
Stay tuned with Jessica at @jess_taft