Meet surfer Laura Crane

WHL takes five to meet surfer Laura Crane

Professional surfer and model Laura Crane became UK surfing champion at the age of just 14. Since then, she has represented Great Britain internationally, ranking fifth in the 2013 International Surfing Association European Championships. While travelling the world competing, Laura continued to model for Nike, Billabong and Chilli Surfboards. Laura is now based in Portugal and the UK. We caught up with Laura to find out what makes her tick and how she keeps in surf-fit shape.

1 What made you fall in love with surfing?

‘I fell in love with surfing the first time I stood up and rode my first wave, from that point on I knew I didn’t want to do anything else. Surfing is my passion because it takes me to some of the most beautiful places on the planet and it just gives you a feeling I don’t think any other sport can.’

2 We want to try surfing, too! Where do you recommend we go surfing in the UK?

‘Well I grew up surfing my home beach Croyde Bay in North Devon so I am of course biased and couldn’t think of a better place to learn. It’s a very picturesque village set around a beautiful coastline with some great shops cafes and pubs and reputable surf schools with a chilled vibe.’

3 How does surfing keep you in shape? How else do you maintain fitness?

‘For core and upper body, surfing is second to none, to keep my legs in shape I do a lot of running – I’m lucky as I have always really enjoyed running unlike most. Twice per week I do a weights session to maintain strength in my legs, to surf a lot you have to be fit, so a combined training regime is necessary.’

4 Do you enjoy any other beach or water sports?

‘I love being in the water and at the beach. However, for me is hard to be there and think about anything else than surfing. If there are no waves I enjoy wake surfing on the back of a friend’s boat and stand-up paddle boarding.’

5 Can you share some of the healthy diet tips of top surfers?

‘We all eat pretty well – lots of protein and some carbs for energy so we can surf for hours on end.’

6 What do you typically eat in a day?
‘Breakfast [is] eggs, salmon on rye bread or fruit with yogurt and muesli. Lunch [is] soup or a salad. Dinner [is] some sort of meat or fish with veggies, beans and salad.’

7 You’ve modelled for Nike and Billabong. What top beauty/fashion tips have you learned from the modelling world?

‘I am a surfer so most of the time my hair is lucky if I can pull brush through it!! I used to have pretty bad skin as a teenager so always had to stay away from heavy make-up. Like any girl I love to have a little pamper – hair masks are my saviour and I am a moisturising addict. Fashion has always been something I’m interested in, and if the waves are flat you can be sure that I have convinced myself I need to go shopping…. I love shoes and clothes.’

8 Summer is approaching! What are your tips for prepping for bikini season?

‘Firstly I believe in maintaining a healthy diet – it is the main factor of getting your body to where you want it. Also for toning and fat burning the best [exercise] is HITT, it only takes 40 minutes maximum and the results are fast.’

9 What kind of swimwear do you like and how do you find confidence in a bikini?

‘I am a bikini girl through and through – although I love the look of swim suits I hate the tan lines and having a white stomach. Like any girl, I have the down days where I don’t feel as confident in my bikini however I am a firm believer in you look how you feel.

Confidence for me comes from within the person not necessarily what size and shape you are. I have tried and tested lots of bikinis over the years as some are definitely beach bikinis while others are good for surfing in securely.’

10 What has been your proudest achievement as a sportswoman so far?

‘For me has to be representing Great Britain.’

11 How do you promote a healthy body image?

‘For me it’s really important that I am being a positive role model, and that’s not just posting photos of me always looking my best, I like people to feel I am just me, and, like everyone else has stresses about body image – I have to watch what I eat, train most days, not just to keep my body looking this way, to me it’s just as important to maintain a healthy mind.’

12 Do you consider yourself to be a feminist? Do you think it is important that women become more prominent in the sports field?

‘I love nothing more than seeing a woman thrive in a sport, especially in a male dominated sport like surfing. I think it’s very important that women become more and more prominent in sports. When I was younger there were very few female athletes that I really looked up to, within the last few years there are so many woman that I now look at as inspiration for myself and other girls all around the world and I think it’s really really awesome.’

13 You have travelled the world competing! What has been your favourite destination so far?

‘This is always the hardest question to answer for me. I have been to so many amazing places around the world, and all are so different, my two favourites have to be the Maldives and Portugal.’

14 You are an accomplished sportswoman! But you’ve also dabbled in modelling. Do you plan to expand your expertise in any other fields?

‘I would love to start working in TV doing some presenting of some sort, sports, etc. I love people, and love new challenges so I’m pretty open to try my hand at most things, also to talk out a little bit more about health and fitness.’