Between Swells With Jamie Sterling

All Photos by Todd Glaser

On the North Shore of Oahu along the famous 7 mile stretch lies a road named Ke Nui Rd. An unassuming road that millions of tourists drive past every year along this beautiful coastline. The houses along this road house some of the best surfers in the world. One of these surfers is named Jamie Sterling.

You’d never know if you drove, walked or rode a bike past his house but inside lies the mind and training tools that allow Jamie Sterling to charge some of the biggest waves the oceans of the world have to offer. Just outside his home he has world famous surf breaks such as Sunset, Phantoms, Rockies, Pipeline, Off The Wall and Waimea as training grounds for his surfing skills. It’s a recipe that has produced one of the best big wave chargers on the planet. Jamie can translate his skills directly to almost any wave around the world and feel confident he can ride and survive the wave.

When you meet Jamie he is relaxed, intense and is well thought out with his words. You can see how this translates into to the way he lives his life. When you enter his home through his garage the first thing you see is a very long board rack with sticks ranging in size from 5′8″ to 9′. The big ones at the end are a bit scary as you envision how big the waves must be for him to ride those beasts. He has all the water toys one needs to stay active in the water no matter what the conditions. Hanging neatly are the Matuse wetsuits he recently used, care instructions followed to the “T”. Then you notice the medicine ball, yoga mat and some odd metal balls with thick handles welded to them. I ask Jamie “what are those?” as a little smile comes to Jamie’s face. “These are Kettle Bells” Jamie replies. Whenever I see that look in Jamie’s eyes you know he’s passionate about the topic at hand and will spill as much knowledge on you as you are willing to take.

Jamie explains that the Kettle Bells are one of the tools he uses to give himself a great workout and to keep himself physically tuned and ready for the next big swell. When the waves are small Jamie stays active working out with the Kettle Bells along with Yoga, running and SUP. Sterls gets into explaining how the the Kettle Bells really work with momentum, core stability, timing and control. They allow you to work on movements that greatly benefit activities such as surfing and fighting. The Kettle Bells were first developed in Russia for their military and special forces training. They are a fairly recent phenomenon to come onto the U.S. scene and seem to be widely accepted in the mixed martial arts community and now among many pro surfers. It’s no surprise Jamie has been training with Alex King and the Kettle Bells for a while now. Alex King introduced Jamie to the Kettle Bells and has worked the Kettle Bells into to Jamie’s weekly routine.

Jamie charges some of the biggest and gnarliest waves around the world. Simply surfing all the time isn’t enough to keep your body in shape to take the beatings waves of that size can dish out. If you want to stay healthy and expect some longevity in the sport of big wave riding you need to train. Jamie feels that Kettle Bells give him a edge over those who don’t use them as a cross training tool. “The waves are not always good but I still like to push myself everyday” says Jamie. After witnessing one of Jamie’s 1 hr workouts you can see how dedicated he is to improving his riding through any means necessary.

Sterls is eagerly awaiting the next big swell. You know he’ll be ready to go anywhere in the world at a moments notice. It’s a good thing he has the mental confidence of knowing he’s always ready because of his training in between swells. Keep an eye out for Jamie the next time you see media coverage on some massive swell somewhere. There’s a good chance you’ll see his name mentioned or a photo of him on some mental beast of a wave.