Layne Beachley

I might be a kid from Cronulla Beach, but believe it or not, I've never really mastered the art of surfing.

So who better to teach me than the woman known around these parts as Gidget - world champion Layne Beachley.

Layne has carved her name into surfing history. She learned to surf at Manly Beach by the age of 4…and by her teens, she'd shot straight into the ranks of pro surfing.

"I wanted to be the best, I'm a competitive demon. Wanted to test myself against surfers to see if I too could be the best."

She passed that test with flying colours… After sitting in the top 6 for years… Layne scooped the world championship in 1998, and has held onto the title for the last 3 years running.

Layne's also broken into the man's world of big-wave surfing…and has just conquered the biggest wave ever ridden by a woman.

"I saw behind me this 30 foot barrell, carved to left… just went YAY.. that was it for me!"

The swell's not quite so daunting today.. but I still need a lesson.

Layne hurls me onto a few breaks and I'm not doing too badly…
That is until she decides to show me how its really done…

She's certainly a powerhouse of skill and determination.

Layne's next goal is to add another notch to her world champion belt…to beat Lisa Anderson's record.

"I'm going for 4. No 5 - not 4, Lisa Andersen has 4, why settle with 4…"