Sophie was meant to be on the North Shore competing against the world’s best, but unfortunately she was watching the Sunset Beach broadcast from her lounge room like the rest of us. The 24-year-old experienced the biggest high in her pro career at the end of 2022 when she triumphed in what was essentially a must-win final in the last Challenger Series event at Haleiwa. The victory catapulted her from way back on the Challenger Series rankings, and made her a surprise qualifier for the Championship Tour (CT).

However, the fairy-tale finish to 2022 was swiftly followed by heartbreak for Sophie. The villain in this instance was the notorious Snapper Rocks backwash, which tore her anterior talofibular ligament. Initially Sophie was initially in denial about the severity of the injury and tried to convince herself that she could possibly compete through the pain. Eventually she accepted the truth and made the call to withdraw from the first two CT events, in Hawaii. 

Sophie announced last week that she’s recovered from her injury and will be making her CT debut at the MEO Ripcurl Portugal Pro (Waiting period kicks off on the 8th). There is no warm up for Sophie who has to battle it out with Steph Gilmore and Caity Simmers in Round One.

Tracks caught up with Sophie twice. Our first conversation was shortly after her career-high win at Haleiwa. Our second chat took place shortly after she announced the injury and its consequences to her socials. Most Pro Surfers ride the injury- induced emotional rollercoaster at some point in their career – thinking back to Liam O’Brien’s injury last year. Here’s how the Sunny Coast local has been handling the high and the lows of pro surfing. 

The Highs 14/12/22

Tracks: Congratulations . What a crazy event to win and you know how are you feeling?

Sophie: Thank you. Yeah, I’m over the moon. But I feel like that’s obvious. It’s a whirlwind at home. And there’s a lot I need to organise. But yeah, I’m just, I’m so happy. So happy.

What were you saying to yourself going into the final? What was your mindset?

I kinda, I was like, alright, this can happen. I can qualify. And I was really overwhelmed at first and getting really rattled in that, like, I know now I’m so nervous, like, oh my gosh, what am I gonna do, and then I was able to regroup and, and just come back to what my focus was for the event and that was just to be strong and, and just attack. I was able to kind of put the whole qualifying situation aside and come back to just wanting to give my all, knowing that I was going to come out of the event disappointed if I didn’t just go for it… Paddling out I didn’t know the exact scenario that needed to happen. But as I was paddling out for the final, I kind of figured it out in my head. I was like, I think this is what needs to happen. So it’s really weird to think that that was going through my head. But yeah, as soon as the hooter went, it was just all about trying to be on the best waves and do my best.

Are you finished with Uni? Or are you still going with that? You were doing a double degree weren’t you?

Yeah, I graduated last June. Oh, well, yeah, I finished uni. And I have been working a part time marketing job on the coast this year. And going to the office while I’m at home, and then working from afar as much as I can. So I’m going to try and, you know, continue that in smaller doses next year, just to sort of keep me active and keep, you know, finding passions outside of the water. So yeah, my boss has been really helpful in that. He knows that surfing is 100% coming first, and I just work when I can, which is really awesome. And I’m really grateful for that.

Does the Bio Med’ Science degree help you as a professional athlete?

I think it just really helps… Yeah, I did marketing and biomedical science. Biomed helped me get a huge understanding and appreciation of the human body and how it works on a cellular level, but also, you know, on a physical level with your muscles and nerves, and brain. And yeah, it definitely, like helped me understand how the human body works. And take that into my sport. And then yeah, it obviously just helps with other life skills, like, you know, being organised and, you know, sometimes having to do work that you don’t always want to do, which I think definitely translates into being an athlete as well and being dedicated. So, yeah, everything has really kind of complemented each other.

For sure. What are your goals for 2023?

Yeah, that’s a tough question. Because it’s, yeah, it’s been such a whirlwind since I got home. And at the moment, I’m just really excited at the opportunity to be able to surf such amazing waves, with only two other girls out there. My goal is just to lean into all of the adrenaline and discomfort that comes with that. And I just want to do what I have always wanted to do and that’s just to really test my limits and get better at surfing. And I think if I do that and just give my all and lean into being an underdog rookie on tour, then the results will follow. But yeah, at the moment, the idea that I have in my head this year is just to you know, test my limits. And you know, making this mid-season cut is obviously the biggest thing on everyone’s mind, but I don’t really want to focus on that. I just want to focus on doing my best surfing.

Cool. Is there an event you’re looking forward to the most?

Yeah there is. Obviously all of them. Pipe is pretty spectacular, but I’m especially looking forward to Bells, the history of the event and all my relatives come from Victoria. So I think it’ll be a really special vibe there.

Have any of the CT elite reached out to you and offered some advice?

Tyler said, congrats. But no advice. Someone that I’ve sort of gotten to know a bit better, this year is Sally because I travelled with her to Huntington for the ISA. So she’s kind of been a good mentor this year already. So I’ll definitely seek her out. And then yeah, I’m really good friends with Isabella Nichols. So I think we will be really good sparring partners and shoulders to lean on while we’re on the road this year. So yeah, I don’t think they’re going to be giving me any of their secrets. Everyone’s competitive, that’s why we’re here. So I don’t know everyone’s different. So maybe I don’t actually want their advice, we’ll see (haha).

Good point. Thanks for your time Sophie. Hope you have the best Christmas all the best. Congratulations again.

Thank you so much, Have a good day.

***

The Lows 31/ 1/ 22

Sophie: Hi, how you going?

Yeah, good. Thanks, Sophie. Thanks so much for doing this again. Really appreciate it. Yeah, no worries at all. I’ve got plenty of time on my hands these days.

Are just you getting on the recovery program now or are you still resting at the moment?

Um, no, I’ve been back recovering for about three weeks. I had surgery a month ago. So as soon as I got out of that, I was into rehab mode. So that takes up half my day. And then the other half is just kind of doing whatever, things like this.

Can you give us the details on the injury?

Yeah, I was surfing Snapper. Right before the NYE swell. So it was only like two foot or so. And the backwash kind of just, I saw it coming. And I was like, oh, yeah, here’s the backwash. And then it kind of just snuck under my front foot and hit my back foot. Yeah, completely tore my anterior talofibular ligament.

Was it painful right away or did you kind of go into shock?

I think I went into shock and denial. I kind of was like, ‘Oh, that hurt. That didn’t feel great’. But no, this isn’t happening right now. And so I paddled back out and kind of wiggled my foot around a bit. And that actually wasn’t hurting that much, if at all. And I don’t know whether it’s just the type of injury or whether my brain was just telling it not to be sore. But yeah, I tried to surf another couple of waves and kind of couldn’t turn at all, just had to go in straight legged and hobble up the beach.

You didn’t share the news straight away. Did you think about like, Okay, I might still want to compete? Is that why you kind of waited it out a little bit?

Pretty much. Yeah, I was like, I’ve got no idea how I’m gonna respond. Obviously, you get given timelines, but everyone’s different. And I just, I didn’t want to pull out and then be like, ‘Oh, no, I’m actually fine’. So yeah, I just kind of had to weigh out my options. And yeah, I figured if I could give two weeks notice, then that would be enough time for my injury replacement.

You got to go to the Aus Open of tennis. That’s pretty cool?

Yeah, that was fun. It was a really good trip. Bottle organised (Jay Thompson surf coach)it  with a few of us. And, yeah, I was kind of umming and argghing whether to go on it because obviously, like flying isn’t great for swelling and everything. But at the end of the day, I kind of prioritise being able to, you know, hang around some really positive people and sort of challenge myself mentally. We did, yeah, sort of a bit of a mindset camp as well. So I kind of prioritise that over, you know, a day or two set-back in rehab.

Cool, Thanks for your time again and all the best with your recovery

No worries, thankyou.

***

Best of luck in Portugal Sophie, Australia is cheering for you!