Squirrel is flying high
QUINCY Symonds is a super grom, mature beyond her 10 years and aiming high.
She was raised on a farm in Texas, USA, where she adopted a squirrel she called “Soul”.
As a child she never played with dolls, preferring to ride on the farm tractor and pick-up truck where the nickname was born when dad picked her up pretending to fly in the air like “The Flying Squirrel”.
Her fearless approach to surfing knows no bounds and according to proud mum Kim, her daughter can’t wait for the days when she takes on big surf at Mavericks, Chopes, Shippies and Jaws.
Noticing her potential, Rip Curl’s ultimate grommet scout Sean “Flanno” Flannigan immediately signed the super pocket rocket with sights set on the prestigious International Grom Search finals.
Last year Quincy qualified for the national finals in the 12 and under girls and finished third. It’s been her dream to be sponsored by the Curl.
Based at Tweed Heads and doing her schooling by distance education, Quincy is very bright and performing maths level 6 in Year 4. She plays guitar and drums.
“Quincy is so serious about her outlook on life. We like to keep her well-grounded and impress on the values of keeping it real,” said Kim, who burst into tears when Quincy won the under-10 Occy Grom final at Duranbah Beach in her first Occy Grom and on her last day of being nine years of age.
“It was such a big moment”, Quincy laughed, asking “why are you crying?”
Kingscliff’s pro Mitch James has helped in the formative stages while Cabarita powerhouse and former professional competitor John Fuller showed Quincy how to dive at nearby Cook Island.
She began surfing at Greenmount at age four on her dad’s surfboard until acquiring her own board, aptly named “grommie”.
Quincy has nicknames for all her boards. She rides ones shaped by Wayne McKewen at Mt Woodgee with Willy Nichols unique artwork. “They are all specially designed for me,” she said.
Dad’s dawn patrol sessions motivated her to get up early and go surfing before sun up.
“I didn’t like it that he wasn’t home when I got up, so I asked if I could get up really early and go surfing with him the next day,” she said. “I didn’t have to wait until the next day as he took me straight away.
“I don’t find surfing hard. It is so much fun and exciting and every day there is something different to learn and experience.”