Had you grown up in a tropical paradise, you too, like surfer girl Qadeja Musaddiq, would not want to leave. The young 23-year-old lives and breathes the coastal life, so much so that she has seamlessly picked up surfing over the years, and now has the chops to contend with the kahunas of the region.
Hailing from the humble resort town of Cherating, her entire life revolves around the ocean. Her parents have played host to many visitors, local and foreign, at their chalet and restaurant. Much of her formative years were spent by the beach, where she would build sandcastles as her dad and brother, Didaq Musaddiq (who represented the country in the sport at the SEA Games in 2019), would ride the waves in their free time.
At age seven, Qadeja got her first taste of surfing. “I felt absolute joy from that. Sure, the first time was a little rough because I didn’t like the waves, but after some time, I just got into it naturally,” she enthuses. She has come a long way since then. With support from her family and the local surfing community—including the national surfing association, Persatuan Luncur Ombak Malaysia (PLOM)—she went from grommet to pro just like that. In 2022, she found herself amidst her heroes at the Phuket Beach Festival International Surfing Competition. Though she didn’t bring home the gold, she did snag first-runner-up, second only to Hiroka Yoshikawa, a six-time Japanese longboard champion.
Qadeja is completely unfazed when talking about this lucky break, though she did have a rush of anxiety before the comp. “It was a surreal experience,” she begins. “At that point, I hadn’t surfed for months because in Malaysia, though it’s summer all year long, we only get about three to six months of waves that I could use for practice. I was up against great surfers from Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines, where they get to surf every day.”
But going along with the flow is something that’s practically embedded in her DNA. Sure, PLOM may have had high hopes for her to take the glory. Her family, on the other hand, incited no pressure on her. Cheering her on, Didaq would be the one to soothe her anguish. “He would drop me a text every day, reminding me to take it easy, to just surf like I did back home. That was a source of comfort to me,” she recalls contentedly.
Taking it on the chin, Qadeja was all smiles bringing back the silver. Her jolly persona is a breath of fresh air when paired with her wisdom. “It’s okay to strike out. It doesn’t mean I come home empty-handed, because I get the opportunity to connect and share experiences with other passionate surfers and learn so much from them. I’m fine being where I am in life. You can’t have it all, and I’m not here trying to dethrone the number one in the world. Being able to surf is enough to make me happy.”
Back at Cherating, she can be spotted running her quaint cafe, Malibo, serving up her special (a family recipe of stuffed tofu) or teaching people to surf. And whenever she finds herself out of Cherating, she’s gunning to go back. It takes quite an effort to pry this ball of energy away from her home break. “It’s my favourite beach to surf at, after all. It’s home. I can totally feel a difference when I am elsewhere. Even the people account for that feeling,” shares Qadeja.
What’s next? Well, the beach bum wants to travel the world to surf at as many points as possible. “I don’t really have my heart set on competing—though I’m more than happy to represent the country. But I have California at the top of my wish list right now because so many other surfers have gushed about it. Colour me intrigued.”
For now, she’ll take advantage of all the time she can get at home. Armed with her trusty longboard and sunnies, she’ll be carving out waves on the sunny coast where she resides. Maui Jim’s Ekahi collection comes with the proprietary PolarizedPlus2® technology which has hydrophobic treatments to help the lenses stay clear and dry. With those, her favourite sunscreen, and a beach towel, Qadeja Musaddiq is the queen of her own kingdom—and that’s plenty for her.
Photography: Edmund Lee
Makeup: Japhet Bong
Hair: Ckay Liow
Photography Assistant: Zane Chang
Qadeja wears a dress by Kate Spade New York.