Eyes on the Prize
Nage Melamed gets to work with the tools for success
By Christen Vidanovic 

Fourteen-year-old Kaua‘i native Nage Melamed was made for the water. She was born in her parent’s bathtub after they returned home from a trip to Tahiti. Her dad immediately called her Nage, which means “to swim” in French. The name is a perfect reflection of the Hanalei ripper, and Nage has been gracefully swimming through life ever since, balancing obligations (school) with her passions (the ocean).    

She and her brother are both home-schooled by their mom, allowing ample time to focus on work and waves. “I usually wake up, look at the waves and if it’s good, I go surfing,” says Nage. “If not, then I come home and exercise. Then I go to school and surf again in the afternoon.”    

Her country-style life keeps things simple and happy. She works once a week at The Bikini Room in Hanalei, lives with her parents, older brother, sister, a dog and the most recent addition to the family, an abandoned baby boar named Squiggles. She spends her extra time hanging out with her friends and spending as much time in the water as possible. “I love being in the water—being surrounded by it and good waves—I just love it,” she exclaims.    

She’s sponsored by …Lost Enterprises, Electric Sunglasses, Ocean & Earth and Ted Shreds, a company that makes candles out of surf wax. She keeps motivated by listening to upbeat music like techno and hip-hop, favoring Rihanna and Sneaky Soundsystems.    

Nage cherishes all her accomplishments in the water, big and little, whether it was the first time she caught a really good wave and did a turn (she freaked out for days, she says) or when she won the Irons Brothers Pine Trees Classic when she was eleven. Her dad, Andy, taught her to surf when she was six and she’s been surfing competitively since she was ten. But her most significant accomplishment so far has been her recent third overall placing in the regional ratings of the WQS Women’s division.     She’s focused on working hard at improving herself in the water and primarily having fun. She may be short but she’s tough. Nage works out by stretching, strength training, working out on her elliptical and taking kickboxing classes.    

Traveling is one of Nage’s main priorities along with achieving a career in professional surfing on the Women’s ASP World Tour. She’s surfed all over Hawai‘i, California, Australia (Snapper Rocks is her favorite) and Bali and plans on keeping up the jet setting in the future.    

She’s inspired by surfers like Stepahnie Gilmore and other women who give it their all in the water. “When I see girls that are better than me and I see them doing really good stuff, I want to be like them and I want to try to do what they’re doing,” she explains. “But my dad pushes me the hardest; he gives me so many opportunities that other kids don’t have. He lets me travel and do contests everywhere. I don’t take it for granted—I’m so thankful for everything.” [PAU]