Laura Crane is much more than a former Love Island TV star. Since she removed herself from the show’s cameras and drama in 2018, Laura has focused on herself, her health and her first love: surfing.
Laura grew up riding waves in Croyde, a village on the west-facing coastline of North Devon, England. She first surfed on the North Shore of Oahu when she was 15. In her later teens and 20s, she lived in Portugal for six years, where she surfed up and down the coastline, including at Nazaré (“But only like 2 or 3 meters,” she said).
But last summer, the 29-year-old decided to take a step up the Nazaré ladder. Laura partnered with former CT surfer and Nazare stalwart Eric Rebiere, and they trained their butts off for three months. By the time October arrived, she strapped in and got her first taste of the wave’s tow-in magnitude. “That was the day I fell in love,” Laura said.
Two months later, a December swell rolled in. Laura waited on the backup jetski for hours, not thinking today was her day. But that changed when Eric rolled up. Here’s how she described the session.
“The day I caught this wave was wild, by far the biggest waves I had ever seen in my life and so so clean,” she said. “It was my first ‘proper day’ as Eric said. He was surfing with Sebastian (Steudtner) that session and I was on Sebastian’s backup ski in the channel just watching everyone get beautiful big waves. I remember Joao Macedo coming up to me asking if I had a wave yet and saying to him if the time comes I’ll be ready, not sure at that point if I would even get a shot on the rope. Three hours later I was still in the channel, and Eric called me over, Seb got on the backup ski and before I even had time to think Eric picked me up to go find one. We head straight to the first peak and the set of the day comes through.
Frame: Pablo Garcia
“Nic von Rupp and Joao got on the first one, and then there was a second one. Eric looked back at me and said, ‘Okay let’s go!’ and in Eric’s style positioned me deepest. I couldn’t quite believe this wave was mine. I let go of the rope and everything just slowed down. You’re so present … I was steaming down the line when I remembered Eric said I better not just go straight. So I dug my rail in, wrapped it back into the pocket and saw how big that thing was (laughs). I was so stoked when I came off the back. Eric and Seb swooped me up. That wave meant more to me than anything in my career. I felt a lot of pride, all the work I had put in paid off and the feeling of smashing that glass ceiling I had over me.”