“It’s hard not to notice Indie. Whilst most kids her age are splashing about in white water, she’s charging big, thick, hollow waves amongst guys twice her age and twice her size. Whilst most kids her age are hooked to their computers trying to get illegal action from chatroulette, she merely uses hers to keep in touch with all the amazing people she’s met along the way. A child of the ocean, born in the water, at home in G-Land, Bali, NZ or wherever life takes her, Indie tells us what’s made her the incredibly strong surfer she is today and where she hopes it takes her. Don’t pretend that you hadn’t been warned when she takes the world tour by storm.” – EpicTV

Photo credit @ Indie’s laptop

Full name: Indica Moana Ratima

How old are you and where are you from? I’m 13 yrs old, from Raglan in New Zealand.

Indie, what’s the story behind your name? My dad named me after the surf break where I was born… Indicators. Both my parents love being in the water, my mum can surf really well, she actually charges it, and my dad rips.

You started surfing from the moment you could walk, how has it changed your life? Surfing keeps me busy, focused and off the street getting in trouble! My dad teaches surfing and he goes on a lot of trips to shoot photos and videos so he tries to get me to come on as many trips as he can. Some are just too gnarly though, him and his mates go on some crazy trips, long drives, chasing swells, and some of his mates are crazy as well, so I think it’s safer for me to stay at home sometimes. That’s what mum says anyway.

Indie & her dad Miles, the dream team.

What’s been your best trip with dad so far?  My favorite trip would be this year, Bali 2012. I think I am old enough now to appreciate anything that we are doing and I have made some lifetime friends who rip. We spent 3 months in Indo, including 6 weeks in G-Land, which I love, and the rest of the time just surfing around Bali with my friends.

Photo credit @ Miles Ratima

So you must have friends all over the world?  Yeah I have friends all over the world. I like saying that lol… Sounds pretty cool… It’s cool because they are all like me.

Is keeping in touch with everyone not tricky at times? It’s easy, Facebook is gold.

So who do you look up to in the sport? Bethany Hamilton because she charges big waves and she is inspiring, the way she surfs better than most people who have two arms. To have had her arm bitten off by a shark and to continue surfing and reaching her dreams is amazing.

What’s your biggest accomplishment in the sport? Just being where I am today.

What would you most like to achieve in the future? To be on the world tour.

What do you like best about it? Being surfed out.

What do you like least? Nearly drowning…

What’s next for you? I just want to surf and travel and promote riding eco-friendly boards and products that will help keep our planet and oceans clean for our future.

What are these eco-friendly board all about? My dad rides hemp boards and wooden Alia’s, and he’s always trying to ride boards that have less of an impact on our environment. I always try and ride his boards and he’s always telling me that’s what we all need to be riding.

Do you feel like you’re doing your bit to preserve our environment then? Yeah I guess I do. I always pick up rubbish if I see it in the water or on the ground. My dad is always saying that my friends and I should be eco terrorists, that we should be ripping on eco-friendly boards and showing other kids that we can surf just as good on these boards so that we can still have a clean ocean to surf in tomorrow.

If you could drop in on anyone, who would it be? Ha, everyone!

Photo credit @ Miles Ratima

Your favourite wave ever? Home.

Your worst surf-related memory? Nearly drowning at Manu bay.

Would you rather your dad let you get a tattoo at last or he got you a scooter? I’d rather get a scooter so I could go off surfing whenever I wanted to and didn’t have to wait for my parents to take me.

But if your dad did let you get a tattoo, what would you get? If I could get a tat, I’d get a New Zealand silver fern!

Photo credit @ Miles Ratima