Rising Grom Natasha Gouldsbury

Meet 14-year-old Natasha Gouldsbury — one of those who had a dream and made it happen by way of her self-belief and discipline, growing up in the most unlikely place for a champion surfer to come out of, yet now ready to take herself to the next level living amongst the core scene of surfing in Taranaki.

- 

You grew up in Levin, not exactly a thriving surf town. How did your first surfing experience come about? When and who with?

When I was about nine, my Dad bought a soft-top from the Warehouse and we took it down to Waitarere Beach, just north of Levin, and gave it a go. I had so much fun. For a while, my Dad pushed me into the waves until I could catch them myself, which didn’t take long.

You mostly surfed on your own when you started. How did you have any idea how to progress and what to do?

My dad surfed when he was younger and to start with he gave me some pointers. When I did get the opportunity to surf with others I’d also look at what they were doing and I also watched WSL surfers on TV and the internet and tried some of the things I saw them doing. After a couple of years, we started travelling up to New Plymouth regularly. Local surf coach and photographer Daisy Day was so cool with all the help and encouragement she gave this little kid from Levin. After a while, I also started to get some coaching from Jarred Hancox, which really helped me progress. Now I also get to surf with guys that rip almost every day.

Your family, realising your talent and your educational needs, made the move northward to Taranaki. How was that move for your family life and your surfing?