Grom of the Week: Sierra Downer

By Jake Howard

A threat no matter what she’s riding, 14-year-old Sierra Downer continues to impress her friends, teammates and maybe, most importantly, the judges.

At the Scholastic Surf Series contest in Carlsbad on Feb. 9, Downer dropped the hammer, winning both the girls short board and longboard divisions. Representing Shorecliffs Middle School, Sierra’s successes helped carry the team to a first-place finish in the team division.

“So stoked to take double wins in girls short board and longboard!” Downer wrote on her Instagram feed. “Good job to all the other girls, they were all ripping.”

Downer began building momentum at the end of 2018 with a string of Scholastic Surf Series and Western Surfing Association victories. In the four Scholastic Surf Series events she’s surfed this season, she’s won three of them and finished runner-up in the other one. This has given her a commanding overall lead in the Orange County Middle School Division 1 ratings.

But even with all of this competitive success, Downer is all about keeping her priorities in check and surfing for the right reasons.

“The best surfer is the one having the most fun,” she proudly said when the Positive Vibe Warrior Foundation named her Grom of the Week back in January.

We couldn’t agree more.