Paige Hareb Interview

Last Updated on Thursday, 25 February 2010 09:25

Paige Hareb is a nineteen year old female Pro Surfer. Paige was born in a little place called Oakura in New Plymouth, Aotearoa. She is the first Kiwi female ever to qualify for the Women’s Dream Tour and is on her way to hopefully one day be crowned as World Champ!


Who influenced you in the direction you’ve taken with your career?
That would be my parents! Always so supportive! And of course I looked up to all the pro surfers and wanted to be just like them.

How influential was the support of your family?
Mum and Dad got me into a lot of sport when I was young. I love sport, and surfing just came out on top and lucky for me my parents and all my family have been very supportive of me to keep going with it and make it my career.

What do you think are some of the struggles young people face growing up in NZ?
Peer pressure is the main problem for anyone! You really have to know better, hugs not drugs! Also you can still have a whole lot of fun when you are sensible about drinking, and kids wait till you are the right age...you have so many years ahead of you to drink without it being illegal. You'll be proud of yourself and be a better person if you stand up to peer pressure!

What are some of the struggles you have faced getting to where you are today? How did you overcome them?
Being away a lot, not seeing friends and family for long amounts of time, having to train instead of going out and having fun with my friends, and of course, a few injuries along the way. All of these are struggles in their own way, you just have to stay positive and remember that you're young, you have time, and there will always be another time to do something you wanted to do, but missed out on.

Why should young people get involved in surfing, and what would your advice be for young people wanting to get into it?
I have played and done a lot of sport so trust me when I say surfing is the most fun! It's always different every time you do it so you can never get sick of it. Such good fitness with such a natural high at the same time. Just get out there and give it a go with all your mates.

What has been your career highlight so far?
Winning the Margaret River World Qualifying Series and qualifying for the World Championship Tour.

If you go out partying, what are some of the things you do to make sure you stay safe and your friends stay safe?
Always take my phone and be with at least one friend so you can look out for each other.

What do you see as the impact on NZ youth that are drinking underage and/or taking drugs?
It's not helping them at all, they don't seem as healthy and honestly when they push it too far I don't think they are having as much fun as they could be. It's not helping them now and it won't help them in the future.

What were some myths you believed in when you were young (in relation to alcohol and drugs), and did they influence your decision making?
I always grew up thinking and knowing drugs and too much alcohol was bad for you. I was in to a lot of sport and have always wanted to be a professional in some sport and I knew I wouldn't make it if I did drugs and drank a lot of alcohol.