Liv Haysom Making Waves in Aotearoa New Zealand

Photo by Liv’s Mom

Interview by Leslie Carvitto

Fifteen-year-old humble, kind, and determined Liv Haysom is paving the way for girls surfing in New Zealand. She took a moment to chat with us about winning nationals this year, fighting for an under 14 and division for surfer girls, and her inspirations!

How did surfing evolve from hobby to competition? 

I think I did my first ever competition in my hometown when I was 9. That sparked my love for competition and I competed in my first national event when I was 12. It was a disaster competitive wise! There was one wave where me and my 2 friends (who were also competing for the first time) all dropped in on the one girl who actually knew what she was doing. Even though the competition didn’t quite work out, that couple of days surfing with all of New Zealand’s other groms made me realise how much I loved the surfing scene and I knew I wanted to keep doing competitions.

My favorite part about competing is definitely the friendships I make and memories I have with the girls who do the comps too. I also really enjoy having something to set my mind too and having to work really hard and be committed so that I can achieve my goals.

Tell us about how you fought for New Zealand to have a 14 and under girls division. What was the result? 

In 2017, the New Zealand surfing nationals were in my hometown and I really wanted to compete but there was no under 14 girls division. There were under 14 boys and under 16 girls divisions, but my friends and I who were all under 14 thought that it was only fair to have an under 14 girls category. 

So, we all emailed surfing New Zealand and asked them to add it. They said if there were 12 girls they would run it. We didn’t know it at the time, but an older surfer named Marguerite was also lobbying for us to compete.  We rallied up young female surfers from all over New Zealand and managed to get enough to make a division! There are now under 14 girls divisions in every comp and it’s the biggest girls division by far!

Photo by Amber and Friends Photography

You’re the new girls 16 and under national champion of NZ! Huge congrats! What did it feel like to compete in that last heat and how does it feel to be named a national champion? 

Thank you! It was the most stressful heat of my life.  All the other girls were ripping and it came down to the wire at the end. I had been training really hard leading up to that comp and I felt like my surfing was improving heaps so it felt amazing for my hard work to pay off!

What excites you about the progression of women’s surfing? 

Everything! The fact that girl groms are going up against boys and beating them is so cool. The turns and airs that the women are doing on the tour are insane and I love that the women’s surf community is growing and I’m always meeting new girls to surf with. 

Which female surfer inspires you the most? 

I’ve always looked up to Carissa Moore. I love the power, progression and style of her surfing. I also admire her positive, kind outlook on life and think she is someone to look up to both as a surfer and as a person. The New Zealand girls who I surf with also inspire me. We all push each other’s surfing and they are just really cool people to be around.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 

In five years, I hope I’m loving surfing as much as I do now, and still hanging out with the awesome people that make the New Zealand surfing scene so good as well as meeting new people. I also would love to be competing on the Qualifying series and working towards my dream of being on the WSL Championship Tour.

Photos by Dara Ahmed and Rob Counsell

For more women’s surf resources in NZ, check out Aotearoa Women’s Surf Association.