Jamilah Star

Jamilah Star, a.k.a. “JamStar,” is one of a small and unique breed: the female big wave soul surfer. The 29 year-old burst into the public eye in 2005 when she won the inaugural women’s category at Billabong’s XXL Global Big Wave Awards show, which awards cash prizes for the biggest on-record winter waves surfed. In 2006 she won the Billabong Girl’s Best Overall Performance Award for her (paddle-in) waves at Mavericks and Waimea Bay over famed charger Keala Kennelly’s wave at Teahupoo. Star grew up surfing in the tight knit community of Santa Cruz, California. Her dad Reve pushed her into a wave when she was five years-old, and she was hooked. As the years went by and her water skills matured, she surfed bigger and heavier waves. She also trained her body as a junior lifeguard, wrestler (she competed against the boys in high school), lifeguard and champion Jujitsu martial artist.