Emilia Herrero

Our next rider is from a region that produces some amazing waves, the APB this year highlighted some of those by having three events there and we were not disappointed.

Chile is doing something right in 2019 15 Chilean men finished in the top 50 with the next closest country being Brazil who had 9 men finish in the top 50 and there were 14 Chilean women in the top 25 with the next closest country being Portugal with 8.

With regions like Iquique, Antofagasta and Arica it's a pretty bad ass place to live and personally I can't wait to check it out

"My name is Emilia Herrero, I’m 21 years old and currently living at a beach called Reñaca in the fifth region of Chile.

I grew up mostly in the main city, Santiago, but have lived in some other places as well.

My grandparents lived near a beach called Maitencillo, also in the fifth region and every summer or long weekends I went to visit them.

At the age of 14, I started surfing and working all my summers at my friend’s surf school.

I never felt comfortable in the city, so when I was 18 and had finished high school, I decided to go live out of Santiago and near a beach or somewhere outdoors and I took a two year sabbatical before studying filmmaking at a University.

At first, we had gone to the north with some friends but I broke my board surfing.

In order to continue with the trip, a really good friend of mine lent me his bodyboard and that’s how I felt immediately in love with this sport.

He trained me and encouraged me boogie boarding, It was like I had an out of the world connection with it.

When I’m bodyboarding there are no problems or concerns, it ́s just the ocean, the board and me.

During my sabbatical year, we went to live in New Zealand from 2016 to 2017 and I took all my bodyboarding equipment with me.

My main purpose, besides travelling and working, was to improve on my riding and go to as many breaks as I could.

I also went to Indonesia during that period and challenged my self to ride those epic waves like Uluwatu, Binging, Nusa Dua, etc. (I wish I could go back!)

During all the travelling I met a lot of new people who inspired me on changing the way I see the world.

So when I came back to my country I had decided I wanted to live near a beach and started focusing all my actions into improving my riding because I had a new dream, to become a professional bodyboarder and complement it with my other passion which is filmmaking.

I’m currently training by my self, but constantly receiving support and advice from my friends who also bodyboard and have more knowledge than me.

This year I decided to follow the women's bodyboarding national tour in order to position my self in the national ranking, but because I’m studying and not sponsored yet it has been really difficult to gather the money for all the travelling and competing, although my family and classmates have been very supportive and they’ve helped me with what they can so I can accomplish my dreams.

I see my self someday following the APB Tour along with some of my idols like Valentina Díaz, Ayaka Suzukii and pretty much all the girls in the tour that prove that there are other ways to live beside the conventional styles.

I want to travel around the world, getting to know all the breaks I can and to make documentaries about it so young people can inspire to living lives they want to have.

I feel that with determination one can accomplish everything that they set out for themselves.

Photo credits include:

Gabriel Brantes

Gustavo Romo Luque

Cacho Mauro

Jvidalso Photo

@lorenzo_raiderss

@gonzalo.vicenciooour

Francisca Nuñez

Emelia it would be fantastic to see you accomplish your dream, to see you as a permanent fixture on the APB and inspire so many young riders along the way.......Don't give up on your dream!

With just one more week of MOVEMBER I need one last little push to help me smash my already eclipsed Movember fundraising target, just click on the link and hit donate to Kristian ❤️

We have teamed up with the guys at SENNOSEN go check their new range out the most environmentally friendly natural rubber, respect the environment.

Click on the link below and use discount code KRISTIANMARTIN for 10% off

If any boogie chicks out there want to improve their style then hit up Valentina Diaz, she has teamed up with the guys at The Puerto Experience May 13th-18th to run an all female masterclass down in Mexico, just click on the link nbelow to get booked up.

Mexico dates confirmed for two more trips with The Puerto Experience:

Trip 1- 17th-21st Aug 2020

Trip 2- 24th-28th Aug 2020

Included is 5 days 5 nights, shared accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner with 3 beers and local Mezcal.

AC transportation to at least two surf spots a day with activities during down time, 3 surf guides, media including drone, water and land photography all for the bargain price of 850 US dollars per person.....

please hit on the links below to reserve your spot

You just need to get your flight in on the Sunday to Mexico and fly back out on the Friday, unless you want to do both trips, spots are filling up fast, don't miss out get in touch to leave a deposit to secure your spot.....