Surfing has always revolved around one elusive word: core. It’s the heartbeat of our culture — the measure of authenticity. Once, that word defined the very soul of surfing. Lately though, its meaning has waned, scattered by hashtags, hype and trends. True ‘core’ has become something rare, almost mythical. Then along comes Ruby Berry, a reminder that purity in surfing still exists, and she has ‘it’.
The 18-year-old goofy footer grew up around Gnarabup Beach in the coastal town of Prevelly in Margaret River.
“I used to spend a lot of time down on the beach in front of the house and at the river mouth. It was hard to find learners waves near home because the coastline is rugged wave-wise and not really that user friendly. Mum and dad both surfed, so I was always groveling around learning how to swim and playing on surfboards,” said Ruby.
Growing up around some of the country’s heaviest waves and slabs, Ruby was very much thrown in at the deep end and forced to get comfortable in waves of consequence from an early age. Her most recent film ‘Pilgrimage’ is the surfing world’s introduction to the blossoming career of a young charger.
“Ruby has only just turned 18, so she has a long road ahead. That want and desire to paddle out when it’s solid or heaving and to take it on is not something that can be easily coached, and I think it goes a long way in showcasing a deeper desire in a core surfer,” said former tour surfer and Ruby’s O’Neill team manager Rob Bain.
For a young girl to earn her stripes in the various line ups around WA is no easy task. It takes a certain type of passion and a learned experience, full of bumps, cuts, and bruises. A passion that will serve her well, as she goes forward on her own pilgrimage to other places, other waves and other adventures.
To learn more about Ruby, check out Pilgrimage above.
