By: Anna Nikstad This season, the industry gave women a pretty clear message about their grooming needs. Some took immediate offense, whilst others, such as myself, took it upon ourselves to put some sort of pressure on what is being perceived as the industry norm. Regardless of what was meant, it clearly was a message to all women out there that they were taking far too serious, regardless of age, nationality or sex. One of the major topics of conversation this season has been the growing gap between the male and female heights of beauty. Height is clearly not the deciding factor when considering one’s attractiveness or desirability.
Growing up as a wakeboarder on the Eastern Slope of South Florida in the 1980s, Anna Nikstad had learned the importance of her height. As a seven-year old girl, she would literally be run down by a car due to a lack of respect for her height. The negative reaction from people made her feel unappreciated, which made her want to build an identity for herself as someone who was different. A beautiful woman with an incredible work ethic, Anna Nikstad certainly fits the mold of what the modern woman should aspire to be. Having achieved such lofty goals in her own life, it only made sense that she would turn her passion for wakeboarding into her career as a professional wakeboarder.
Being tall has always been an advantage, especially when it comes to surfing. However, being even taller has never been given the same treatment when it comes to being a professional wakeboarder. Despite what many women assume, being tall does not automatically make you a better athlete, or better at your chosen profession. Anna Nikstad is proof that you do not have to be a certain height in order to pursue a career in wake boarding, and that in fact this very profession can make a woman of any height a better, more capable athlete than they’ve ever imagined.