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Sage Erickson
Catching Waves, Winning Hearts

In the competitive world of pro surfing, Sage Erickson stands out from the crowd.

At 21 years of age, pro surfer Sage Erickson has become one of surfing’s brightest stars and most sought after personalities. It’s no wonder: Blessed with an abundance of athletic grace and cover girl good looks, Sage’s calm demeanor and quite confidence define her style in and out of the water.

Born in Ojai, California, she spent a few years on the North Shore where she taught herself how to surf after being inspired by her older brother and dad, both surfers.

Her family moved from Ojai to the North Shore of Oahu when she was nine. One day at Sunset Beach, Sage paddled out on an old school board lying in the sand , “I got to my feet on my first wave and rode it all the way to shore,” she said “I started surfing two to three times a day after that.” Sage and her mom moved back to Ojai when she was 14 and she’s been competitively surfing ever since.

Whether she’s skillfully handling the world’s best surf breaks, sharing her style and fashion tips or in on-camera interviews, Sage has become a crowd pleasing favorite and sponsored athlete who makes her living traveling the world and enjoying a life that most of us can only dream.

As one of the leading contenders on the roster of the ASP (American Surfing Professionals,) Sage embodies the quintessential California surfer…blonde, athletic and assured, but it’s her disarming charm and easy smile, that make Sage an excellent ambassador for the surfing community.

We had the pleasure of meeting Sage at La Jolla’s famous Windansea Beach in San Diego, California on one of southern California’s superbly warm winter mornings.

The sand and breezes were a balmy 75 degrees, the sky was crystal blue and, best of all, we were treated to a rolling gallery of perfect, glassy waves.

Before Sage paddled out, we chatted about the morning’s surf conditions, the peaking break that is unique to Windansea beach and her amazing run from amateur surf phenom to her current position at 4th place in the ASP Women’s world rankings.

Health Beauty Life: Can you tell us about your board?

Sage: It’s a 5’8” Channel Islands Al Merrick, my surfboard sponsor…they make some of the best boards in the world…And I did the design myself.

Health Beauty Life: You’ve been surfing for quite a long time…How long?

Sage: 11 years, since the age of 10.

Health Beauty Life: Wow, that’s more than half your life…Who got you started?

Sage: My brother’s always surfed and inspired me…but as a competitive person, I found early on that not only can surfing be a sport but a competitive lifestyle.

Health Beauty Life: To surf competitively on the world stage, natural talent and physical gifts are not enough…can you tell us about your training, workouts and the mental conditioning required to compete at this level?

Sage: I train 3 or 4 times a week in a local gym and I eat healthy and live a healthy life…Going into a contest requires a kind of confidence that starts outside of the water, and it’s a confidence that says” I deserve to beat that opponent”…the extra time I spend in the gym helps build that kind of confidence and helps me believe that I deserve to win….I’ve learned that you have to put in that extra effort to be successful in anything you do.

Health Beauty Life: Are you competing on the west coast, east coast or all over the place?

Sage: I just qualified for the World Championship Tour, which is the biggest tour with seven events: Australia, New Zealand, France, Brazil, and other stops around the world…I love to meet new people, sample foods and be introduced to new cultures internationally. I have a few stops here in California, and I love competing in front of home town crowds, but my favorite part of my job is traveling and competing internationally.

Health Beauty Life: What other opportunities has surfing professionally given you besides international travel?

Sage: Surfing’s given me the opportunity to work in beautiful locations on the best beaches of the world, live my passion, and enjoy a lifestyle that provides me special time away from my hectic schedule and to reflect on what’s really important. When I experience third-world countries it makes me see how fortunate I am and I always try to give back to the communities I visit… It’s the small kindnesses and caring that goes so far.

Health Beauty Life: That’s a lot of realizations for someone who is so young…it’s great that you’ve gained so much from surfing….

Sage: Yeah, it’s great to be so blessed with the ability to do something I enjoy and I do owe it all to surfing.

Health Beauty Life: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us today…I guess it’s time to paddle out and catch a few waves…

Sage: Yep, I’m dyin’ to get out there… it looks so fun!

As we watched, Sage paddled out, joined the lineup of hometown surfers and rolled into her first of many exceptional rides, winning the respect of the Windansea Beach locals and proving why she is one of surfing’s shining stars.

Birthday: December 28, 1990
Resides: Ojai, California

Hobbies outside surfing: Photography, blogging (check out Sages blog! midlength.blogspot.com) working out, spending time at Barnes and Noble and hiking with her dog.

Fresh from surfing, Sage’s hair was in desperate need of some serious TLC, so we looked to Tashya Garoutte at Pearl Salon in La Jolla, California for some professional help.

Tashya began Sage’s mini makeover with a clarifying stage to remove environmental build up and debris from the over exposure to salt water. After wetting down the hair, Tashya generously misted on ENJOY Clarifying Spray, which worked to clarify and chelate, cleansing both the inside and outside of the hair shaft of all impurities. Directly on top of the Clarifying Spray she applied ENJOY Sulfate-Free Shampoo, worked it into a rich lather and then rinsed. Excess water was removed by squeezing Sage’s strands before applying ENJOY Intensive Reconstructive Spray and layering on ENJOY Hair Mask for deep conditioning benefits.

After towel blotting to remove as much excess water as possible, Tashya then misted ENJOY Conditioning Spray on all over, and combed through to detangle. ENJOY Shaping Lotion was applied starting at the ends and working upward.

Tashya cleaned up the dead ends of Sage’s strands, giving her long layers that were tapered in front to suit her face shape and features. Using a large ceramic round brush, Tashya blew the hair dry starting at the nape of the neck and working forward. A flat iron was run through the dry hair to set a sleek finish and then a few drops of ENJOY Hair & Skin Treatment Oil were smoothed over the surface to tame any frizz and add additional shine. The end result is touchably soft, like a completely new head of hair! It’s a better shape minus the split ends with a healthy luster.

For Sage’s makeup, Tashya wanted to bring out her already beautiful features. She had Sage wash her face with SKINJOY Foaming Cleanser and then apply SKINJOY Moisturizing Spray to re-hydrate her skin from the salty ocean water.

Tashya applied a light foundation to allow a clean base to work with. She used concealer under the eyes to help brighten them up and then prepped the eyelids for eye shadow, setting everything in place with pressed powder. A bronzer was used to contour Sage’s cheekbones and forehead, and to bring out the sun-kissed glow of her skin. Tashya applied a light blush with a warm undertone and slight shimmer to enhance the beautifully bronzed skin.

For Sage’s eye makeup, Tashya opted for an iridescent shadow on the lids in light gold and reflective peach. A subtle brown shadow was used in the crease of her lid to create depth and make her eyes stand out even more. Tashya used a very light cream eye shadow just under the eyebrow on the brow bone for a soft highlight. Using a very thin, angled makeup brush, she used a dark brown eye shadow and created a very thin eyeliner, starting on the outside of the upper and lower lid. She applied very light and small brush strokes to work her way into the corners of each eye.

Sage’s picture-perfect look was completed with a coat of waterproof mascara. That way if the waves were just right, she could hop back in the ocean to do what she does best without re-emerging with runny mascara.