Sponsor Spotlight – GemLife’s Gregg Piercy
AN AVID SURFER FOR OVER 50 YEARS, SURFING HAS BEEN A DEFINING FORCE OF GEMLIFE
DIRECTOR GREGG PIERCY’S LIFE, AND TODAY HE CREDITS THE SPORT FOR HIS DRIVE TO
STAY FIT AND TRAVEL.
Growing up between the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, Gregg was immersed in surf culture from a young age, taking up surfing from around the age of five.
“All you need is a surfboard and the ocean. It’s true. Only a surfer knows the feeling. If you haven’t experienced it, you can’t explain it to someone who has not surfed,” he said.
“It’s up there with one of the best things I do in my life. The lifestyle is inspiring and so are the people you meet along the way. It’s a great lifestyle and has always grounded me.”
Starting out as a kneeboard rider, Gregg’s proficiency grew to the point where he won the Queensland Schoolboys title and, in 1978, he came third in the Australian Kneeboard Schoolboys Championships. It was around that time two of his good surfing mates Thornton Fallander and Joe Engel (pictured with Gregg opposite, right) decided to head to Indonesia to make a surf movie, the iconic 1982 surfing documentary Storm Riders.
Although he was invited to come along, Gregg made the pivotal decision that it was time to get a job.
“I didn’t go because I thought I’d end up living for surfing. It was a turning point.”
Today, he continues to dedicate a lot of his training to keeping in the best possible shape for surfing. In addition to specific surf training, he does Pilates training a couple of times a week to improve his flexibility and keep his core strong.
He says surfing is a sport that can be enjoyed by all ages and can be taken up in later life too.
“There’s a lot of great surf schools and coaches. All you need is a reasonable level of fitness and time to practise,” he said.
The lifelong surfer says he still gets great rewards from surfing, and that’s one of the big parts of the sport’s appeal.
“Only last year, on Easter Monday, after 50 years of surfing at First Point in Noosa, I had one of my best waves ever,” he said
“It’s special experiences like that that keep you coming back. Surfing is a huge part of my life and it’s a sport that’s great for everyone.”
Living in Noosa at Sunshine Beach, Gregg is a big supporter of the Noosa World Surfing Reserve of which GemLife is a major sponsor, and the Noosa
Festival of Surfing – which GemLife is backing in 2022 as presenting sponsor – as well as a regular competitor in the Seniors Division.
“It’s great for GemLife to associate with and support the surfing reserve and the Festival. These brands are all about promoting the good life,” he said.
“The Noosa Festival of Surfing is a fantastic event that attracts people from all over the world. It includes divisions that go up to the over-70s and its terrific to see competitors of all ages take part.”
