Meet Candra, the 22 year-old ladyslider who has salt water running through her veins. We had the opportunity to chat with the long-time logger to learn more about her very special relationship with the ocean.

Tell us about your relationship with the ocean.

The ocean is my quite place, it is my release from sometimes hectic days that can happen on land. As long as I can remember the water has calmed me. Even when I was a baby my mom said if i was ever upset she would either put me in the bath or take me down to the beach, and I was immediately happy. I love surfing, but just being in the ocean in general is amazing. I feel like my batteries are charged after getting out whether I just swam around and body surfed, went for a paddle on a flat day or got to surf. I have been on, in and around the ocean my entire life. Both my dad and my step-dad are watermen. They are both surfers and fishermen. I worked on the sports fishing boats for a long time with my dad and would go out my step-dad’s boat with him and my brother almost every weekend it seemed.

Tell us about a few of your adventures - where did you go, who did you meet, what did you learn?

In 2014 I got the opportunity to travel to the Philippines for an all women’s surf contest. There I got to surf with all the locals. Most of them were surfing on broken boards with ductape all over them, and lived in small little shacks by the ocean. They were the happiest people I have had the honor of surfing with and so full of pure stoke! It brought me back to why I love to surf and why the ocean is so important to me. They showed me true happiness, especially the children. I took home First place and won a surfboard, I gave that board to a women who coaches and helps young women learn how to surf in a small town in the Philippines, and she rips. She has never had here own surfboard before, seeing her face feeling her happiness from that was more amazing than winning the event.

In March of 2015 I traveled to Australia to participate in the Noosa Festival of Surfing were I took 7th. I was surrounded by so much talent. I learned a lot about myself and my surfing on that trip, how to compete better and different maneuvers. It was amazing to get to surf perfect waves and than get to watch everyone surf those waves. Than I got to travel down the whole East coast. Australia is such a beautiful country and the people are so kind.

July 2015 I traveled to Japan. I experienced a typhoon and Tokyo traffic. I got to surf in rare amazing conditions and I got to surf in what they have on a day to day, small, windy, beach break. It was cool to see that no matter how small or bad it was, how stoked they were to go surf and the point they made to make sure they got before work no mater what. The surf culture in Japan is strong. I came home and stooped looking at the cams and checking the waves for an hour before paddling out and just started going when I wanted to surf, and I have been having a great time! I got to spend some quality time with my wetsuit sponsor Axxe Wetsuits. It made me even more stoked to be apart of this company. They take such good care of there workers, they are all so kind and they all work so hard! All the way down from the owner to the people doing the tedious glueing, they are all so passionate about what they are doing. The food in Japan is to die for, and the culture is so interesting and different. The respect level for their people is so high.

How long have you been surfing for?

I have been surfing since I was about 4 with my Dad’s. I did some Scholastic comps when I was in school but wasn’t really taking surfing seriously, it was just fun and a release.

About 4 years ago my step dad told me that he really thought I could make it in surfing and that he saw something special in me. After that I really started taking my surfing to the next level, not only was it for pleasure but it became my sport, I started training, surfing more and harder than ever, and than I met my boyfriend CJ who is a professional longbaorder, who has now along side Mr. Frosty Hessen has taken me under there wings and have been coaching me both on the physical level of surfing and competing and the mental side of it all too.

What is your favorite board?
My favorite board at the moment it my orange “Aus Slasher” by Ian Chisholm of South Coast Surfboards out of Australia. It is a 9'1, no concave, 18 inch nose, 22 7/8, with a 16 inch square tail.

Where is your favorite surf spot?
I am torn between the point in Sladita, Mexico and Nationals in Noosa, Australia.

Day job: Assistant Manager at Rip Curl

Dream job: Traveling personal trainer and surf coach.

Who or what inspires you?
My mom and grandmother inspire me. They have worked so hard there whole lives. They have been both been through a lot on their lives as well, but they have always done there best to keep there head up and keep moving forward. I have learned from their strength and their mistakes. I believe I am who I am today because of them. They are survivors of illness and life.

Words of wisdom for female surfers?
Keep having fun, don’t let the boys get you down. When I was younger and surfing I would get a lot of heckling from the boys and I had to learn how to not let it get to me, some things were really hurtful, but I had to just keep telling myself the opposite.

Push yourself! you will be surprised what you can actually do. Go for things that you want to accomplish, but you feel like you will be embarrassed if you fall. odds are that you won’t. ( in surfing and in life) Go out there and charge! people will look up to you for putting it all on line and going for the big hacks, and hang heals. Even if you fall. You have to start somewhere. Chase your dreams and your goals, and keep dreaming up new ones.

Interview with Candra Jordan

Meet Candra, the 22 year-old ladyslider who has salt water running through her veins. We had the opportunity to chat with the long-time logger to learn more about her very special relationship with the ocean.

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