Alyssa Spencer doing her thing. Photo: World Surf League
Alyssa Spencer is an incredible surfer. The 20-year-old from Encinitas, California has been turning heads for years with her powerful approach and confidence in the lineup. In 2022, she narrowly missed qualifying for the Championship Tour and is eager to fulfill her dream of qualifying. Currently ranked seventh on the Challenger Series, Spencer is determined to perform well in the final two events and secure her position in the top five. Here, Spencer shares when she first knew she wanted to be a professional surfer, what a typical week of training looks like, and her goals looking forward.
How did you first get into surfing?
Both of my parents surf, so they are the ones who taught me. My dad put me on the top of his longboard when I wasn’t even two years old and both my parents always had me swimming in the ocean from a super young age. I fell in love with the ocean and surfing from the amount of time we spent at the beach when I was a little kid.
Why was Encinitas an ideal place to grow up as a surfer?
Because there are waves for every level of surfing. We also have the most amazing surf community — they all have been like my second family and biggest supporters since I started competing.
Where is your home break?
Seaside Reef. When it’s good there is a super fun left reef break out the back. There are also two smaller waves on the inside of the reef called Parking Lots and Palis that are super fun, ripable waves too.
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When did you first start competing?
I think I was about seven or eight years old, and my dad and I would do the U10 push-in division in the WSA series. I competed in NSSA, USA Surfing, and the pro juniors growing up. I have always been super competitive, so it comes really natural to me to compete.
When did you know you wanted to be a pro surfer?
There are two moments I remember. The first one is when the surf movie Leave a Message came out. It’s an all girls surf movie Nike did. I went to the premier and remember feeling so inspired to make that dream of mine become a reality.
The second moment is when I was 13. I signed up for my first ever pro junior event thinking it would be cool if I made just even one heat. I ended up winning the event and that really gave me a boost of confidence to go for it with my dream of becoming a professional surfer.
What have been some of the highlights of your season so far?
This season has been so much fun. This is by far the best I have started any year on the Challenger Series. We have been scoring amazing waves at all the events.
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What is your favorite stop on the Challenger Series?
Snapper. It’s a dream to be able to surf out there with only one other person out and enjoy surfing with no one out.
You’re sitting right on the edge of qualifying for the CT. Do you have a plan or strategy going into the final events of the year?
I’m really excited for the rest of this year. My surfing, body, and mind feels at its best, so I am going to keep up with everything I have been doing to prepare for events. My plan is to keep up the consistency and aim for big results in these last events.
How would you describe your surf style?
I would say my strength is my backhand surfing for my power and style.
Are there any surfers on tour that you really look up to?
It’s really hard to choose one. I admire the hard work and surfing of all the girls on tour. Stephanie Gilmore is always one of my favorites and she is the GOAT of our sport.
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What does a typical week look like for you?
I surf every day one to two times per day. For training, I go to the gym three to four times per week, practice yoga, and focus a lot on injury prevention and recovery with stretching. I have put a lot of work into my mental strength this year: I do breath work and mediation consistently and work with a mental coach as well. I go to school online at the local community college, so I usually have a bit of schoolwork to do throughout the week.
What do you like to do when you’re not surfing?
Spending quality time with friends and family is super important to me. I really enjoy diving and fishing; my whole life revolves around the ocean! Traveling is a huge part of my life, so I enjoy eating good food and making the most of adventuring in the places I visit around the world. I also love country music and sometimes me and my friends go line dancing for fun.
What are your goals for the rest of this year? Or even long-term goals?
To finish in the top five of the Challenger Series and win an event. Long term goals for me are to finish in the top five of the world tour and win a world title one day. Qualifying for the 2028 Olympics in L.A. is also a big goal I have for myself!
