The Girl Who Goes For It - Kiesha

Meet Kiesha, The Girl Who Goes For It. 

Easy breezy, free spirited, and when she cares about something? Her determination is completely on fire.

Meet Kiesha. A 19 year old Fijian surfing superstar and honestly, one of the most quietly powerful women I've had the pleasure of putting Elation on.

She's the kind of person who walks into a room and you just feel it. That energy. That ease. That sense that she's exactly where she's supposed to be.

And in the water? She's unstoppable.

— ✧ —

She's been going for it since before she could remember

Kiesha started surfing young. So young that she doesn't remember one exact first moment, but she remembers the feeling.

"Excited and a little nervous at the same time. It was one of those feelings where I knew straight away it was something I wanted to keep doing."

That's the thing about surfing. It finds you before you even know what it is. Before you have the words for it. Before you understand what it's going to give you and take you and shape you into.

It just shows up one day and says, this is yours. And Kiesha said yes. From the very beginning, she said yes.

— ✧ —

The life that surfing built

Kiesha has spent her life moving between Fiji and Australia, chasing waves and everything that comes with them. New places, new lineups, new versions of herself showing up every time she paddled out somewhere new.

"It pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me grow up a lot faster. But it also opened so many doors, with surfing and with life."

I don't think you can put a price on that kind of growth. The kind that only happens when you say yes to the uncomfortable thing. When you pack your bags, cross an ocean, leave everything familiar behind and back yourself completely, with the support of her family. She did all of that, all before twenty. 

I don't know about you but I was absolutely not that brave at a young age😅

There's something about a woman who is willing to be uncomfortable in pursuit of something she loves. It's one of the most powerful things you can witness. And with Kiesha, you see it in everything, the way she talks about life, the way she shows up, the way she keeps going even when it gets hard.

Which it does. Even for the ones who make it look effortless.

— ✧ —

What she does when it gets hard

"I try to take a step back and remind myself why I started. Sometimes that means having a break, free surfing, or just taking the pressure off. It helps me reset and fall back in love with it again."

Fall back in love with it. That's the bit that got me.

Because that's the secret, isn't it? The surfers who last aren't always the most talented. They're the ones who know how to come back to joy. Who knows that the ocean isn't just a competition, it's a relationship. And like any relationship, it needs tending to.

Something I love about Kiesha is that she dances with whatever the ocean gives her. Some days she's cruising on her soft top, other days she's shredding on her shortboard. She doesn't discriminate against board or wave size. She's just out there,  falling in love with it, every single time.

Kiesha gets that. At nineteen, she already gets that.

"I'm proud that I've kept showing up no matter what."

Honestly? We are so proud of you too Kiesha.

— ✧ —

And then she went back to her roots.

Last year Kiesha took out the crown at the 2025 Female Local Speciality Finals at Cloudbreak, Fiji, running alongside the WSL Fiji Finals.

Let that sink in for a second.

Cloudbreak. One of the most powerful, most respected, most unforgiving waves in the world. A wave that demands everything from you, skill, courage, commitment. A wave that doesn't care who you are or where you came from.

And there was Kiesha. Returning to her roots, paddling out to compete on the biggest stage of her life, 

And coming home a champion.

There are moments in sport that give you chills. This is one of them. I remember watching Kiesha surf. Seeing the aftermath of the comp come through on social media. And I cried. I genuinely cried for her, because just to show up like that, on that wave, on that stage, is something extraordinary in itself.

The win was incredible. But showing up? That's the part that gets me every time.

Because it wasn't just a competition win. It was a homecoming. A full circle moment for a girl who left Fiji, grew up faster than most, backed herself through every wave of doubt, and then returned to the place where it all began and said yes, this is mine.

Imagine being a young girl in Fiji, watching from the shore, wondering if the ocean has something for you too. And then seeing Kiesha out there.

Now you know the answer is yes.

She's not just a surfer. She's proof of what happens when determination meets heart. She's a role model, a trailblazer and a reminder to every woman in the water, and out of it, that going for it completely is always worth it.

The crown looks good on you Kiesha. 🌺

— ✧ —

Ask Kiesha where she feels most at home and the answer is simple.

"Being in the ocean, especially surfing. That's when everything else kind of goes quiet and I feel the most grounded and present. Also being around people that I love."

The ocean and the people she loves. That's it. That's the whole thing.

There's something so beautifully uncomplicated about that. In a world that constantly asks us to be more, do more, achieve more, Kiesha knows exactly what fills her up. The water. Her people. The quiet that comes when you're exactly where you're supposed to be.

We should all be so clear about that. 🤍

— ✧ —

On swimwear, because obviously we had to ask

"It has to stay on in the surf first of all. I look for pieces that are comfortable, secure, and still make me feel confident. If I don't have to think about it while I'm surfing, it's perfect. I also love a good colour that stands out, and if it has a flower on it, even better." 🌸

Kiesha has been part of the Elation family since she first started surfing competitively. And honestly, watching her surf in it? That's exactly why we do what we do.

"The way it fits and feels in the water. I trust it when I'm surfing."

Trust. That's the word right there.

When you're paddling into Cloudbreak, you don't want to be thinking about your swimwear. You want to be thinking about the wave. You want to be fully present, fully committed, fully yourself.

That's what we build every piece of Elation for. That moment. That trust. That feeling of being so supported that you forget what you're wearing and just surf.

And Kiesha has been with us through it all, from our signature prints, Peony and Eagle Ray, right through to now absolutely dripping in her Pitaya pieces. A woman who knows what she loves and sticks with it.

Flowers optional. But highly encouraged. 🌸

— ✧ —

Her advice to every woman in the water

"Don't compare yourself to anyone else. Everyone's surfing journey is different, and the most important thing is to enjoy it and back yourself."

Short. Simple. Everything.

Print it out. Stick it on your board. Tattoo it on your wrist if you have to.

Because she's right. The comparison is the thing that steals the joy faster than any wipeout ever could. Your journey is yours. Your waves are yours. Your version of going for it looks different to everyone else's, and that's not a weakness, that's the whole point.

Back yourself. Always.

— ✧ —

And if she's packing for a surf trip?

"Good bikinis. A camera or GoPro to capture everything. And a bula smile."🌺

If that doesn't sum her up perfectly, I genuinely don't know what does.

Pack light. Smile big. Go for every wave.

Very Kiesha. Very us.

— ✧ —

Kiesha, thank you for being part of the Elation family since the very beginning of our journey. For showing up every single time, through the pressure and the wins, the hard days and the beautiful moments. 

You are exactly the kind of woman Elation exists for. The kind who backs herself completely. The kind who goes for it, always.

For the girls who go for it.

Love, Mel xx