An Interview with surfer girl Jesse Owen (by Anne Beasley, 1999)

Jesse lives in Cape May, New Jersey and she's just learning how to surf. She is so cool, she sent me a picture and then answered these questions. Go girl, go surfing!

  How long have you been surfing? Only two summers

How did you get into surfing anyway? My dad and mom surf!

Tell me about Cape May, New Jersey. Are there other girls to surf with? I live in west Cape May. It's a really small town and my school is small too. I surf with my friend Nora and also a girl that lives on my street in the summer,Alica.

What else do you like to do besides surf? I play basketball I like to go to the mall and talk on the phone.

What grade are you in school and what is your best/worst subject? I'm in sixth grade and I hate math! I love science and gym.

  How cold does the water get there in the winter? I don't go surfing in the winter but once I went swimming in October and it was freezing!

What's the biggest day you have been out surfing? I don't go out on big days, I surf only little waves. (For Now!)

How do you feel out in the water? What makes you love to surf so much? I love when I'm first paddling out and the water is cold and I don't know what to expect.

Have you ever thought of surfing in competitions or joining the ESA? I have thought of joining the ESA, but when I'm older. I'm not ready to be in contests now.

Tell me what the beaches are like where you live. Do you have to pay to go on them and are they clean or dirty? The beaches are in Cape May, I live in West Cape May but they are a bikeride away, they are pretty clean. You have to have a beachtag to get on the beach, they are like $3, under 12 you don't need them but I'll need one this summer.

Does it get crowded in the water and are the boy surfers nice to you? Some surfing beaches get crowded, the boy surfers are sort of nice, some are in my class and some are really cute!

What kind of music do you like? Have you been to any concerts? I like surfing music and No Doubt. I haven't been to any concerts except the concerts my friends and I put on.

What's your favorite thing to eat? My favorite food is macoroni-and-cheese, I really like it when I make it with Velveeta cheese

What do you think of seeing all girl surfing magazines and videos? Do you have any surfer girls you think are really cool? I really like seeing all the girl surfers I like them better than the men, and they all started out just like me. I really like Layne Beachley.