Bio

A city girl from Buenos Aires, Mercedes surfed for the first time on a trip to Brazil. Soon after, she skipped the city to be closer to the waves. Settling on the North Shore of O’ahu, she fell in love with the art of big wave surfing. Today, she’s a well-respected female charger. “The ocean,” Mercedes says, “gives me so much joy.”

• 2009, 2010 and 2011 nominations for Billabong XXL Girl's Performance Award
• First woman to surf El Buey, Chile
• Third place in Women's Big Wave Exhibition, Nelscott Reef, 2010

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Surfing Ambassadors

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• View Gerry's Profile
  Gerry Lopez

  There are few images as iconic as Gerry calmly slotted on a perfect, eight-foot day at Pipeline. After redefining the art of tube riding on the North Shore of O’ahu, his focus turned to Indonesia, where he pioneered legendary spots like Uluwatu and G-Land. Now based in Oregon, he surfs, writes, shapes, and shreds powder days near his home in Bend.

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  Wayne Lynch

  “Surfing and designing have always been about exploration and discovery,” Wayne says. A highly influential figure in the evolution of the sport, Wayne’s groundbreaking approaches in the ‘60s and ‘70s are still resonant today. He continues to surf and shape while living a quiet, artful life with his family on the wild shores of southwestern Victoria.

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  Chris Malloy

  Home base for Chris is a working ranch in California, where he lives close to the land with his wife and kids. The oldest of the three Malloy brothers and the director of 180° South and a number of highly regarded surf films, his life is a blend of tradition, conservation and creativity. “The best things in life,” he says, “are the simplest.”

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  Keith Malloy

  Like his brothers, Keith is a master of all forms of waveriding. Whether it’s a gun, a thruster or a pair of swim fins, his approach speaks of a lifelong commitment to the sea. After years of surfing in front of the lens, he recently stepped behind the scenes to direct the bodysurf film Come Hell or High Water. He lives in California with his family.

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  Dan Malloy

  These days, Dan’s schedule has become slightly less nomadic, though trips to score waves and test product are still a significant part of his life. Living with his wife near Lompoc, he’s a believer in the self-sufficient, well-rounded life, with farming and ranching keeping his hands busy between sessions. In the water, he’s happy from two feet to twenty-plus.

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  Belinda Baggs

  A seeker of wild places and warm blue water, Belinda’s heart has always been set on the ocean. A passionate all-around surfer, bodysurfer and paddleboarder, she’s perhaps best known for her graceful and technically accomplished longboard style. Bindy has a wandering spirit, but her roots are on Australia’s Sunshine Coast. “Time in the ocean,” she says, “is like returning home.” She recently settled down in her home town of Newcastle and added the role of mom to her resume.

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• View Léa's Profile
  Léa Brassy

  Surfing drives Léa’s life. She’s constantly on the lookout for the perfect moment, either at home or during her travels, to drop into a wave and ride. Her lifestyle revolves around this quest and all her belongings fit into her Grandfather’s old van. This van is the only home she’s known as an adult, providing shelter during her search for the next hidden break.

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  Ramon Navarro

  Chilean big wave surfer Ramon Navarro grew up on the ocean, helping his father with his fishing business and learning to dive at an early age. Ramon has built his reputation on riding giant surf, and his top finishes in numerous competitions throughout the world speak to his talents. A committed activist, he’s worked on numerous projects to preserve his country’s vibrant surf environment.

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  Kohl Christensen

  “Surfing big waves keeps me grounded,” Kohl says. As one of the leading players in the revival of paddle-in surfing in giant conditions, he spends much of his time tracking swells and testing new board designs. When it’s flat, he’s pretty grounded as well, installing solar energy systems and tending his off-the-grid farm on the North Shore of O’ahu.

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  Liz Clark

  When Liz was nine, her family spent a year sailing the Mexican coast. “That trip inspired my dream of sailing around the world,” she said. After college she turned her dream into reality, leaving Southern California in her 40-foot sailboat, Swell. Now, when not surfing perfect reef passes in the South Pacific, she’s working to raise environmental awareness through writing and photography.

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  Julien Fillion

  Julien’s easy going, laid back attitude sometimes overshadows his accomplishments as a kiteboarding athlete, designer and indie rock musician. Julien’s travels in search of big waves has fueled his passion for designing the ultimate water sports equipment. When he’s not kiteboarding, surfing or hard at work on a new project, he’s the lead singer of Montreal’s indie rock band Trusted Waters.

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  Dan Ross

  As a kid in Northern New South Wales, Dan’s dreamed of being a pro surfer. That dream landed him on the World Tour, with a deserved reputation for powerful rail work and committed surfing in challenging conditions. Now, he hunts big waves, coaches young surfers and speaks out for environmental causes. His advice: “live simply, eat organic, give back and have fun.”

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  Jason Slezak

  The love of surfing drew Jason to Cape Hatteras, where he settled just as kiteboarding was being introduced to the Outer Banks. Kiting became a way to get in the water on windy days, and he was “instantly addicted.” Between the research & development of gear, exploring unique kiting locales, and coaching others, kiteboarding continues to be the driving force in his life.

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  Kim Diggs

  Kim’s love for surfing set in at a young age, with a childhood among the sandy beachbreaks of the Outer Banks. As a teenager, the sport started taking her farther afield. She feels that surfing has taught her the importance of giving back to every community she visits. Kim’s always smiling, and when not in the water she’s sketching, painting and playing piano.

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  Trevor Gordon

  At a young age, Trevor realized he wasn’t drawn into surfing’s competitive side. He opted for a more inspired life, experimenting with alternative equipment and traveling in search of exotic and uncrowded surf. With a free-flowing style honed on the Santa Barbara points, his recent forays include Fiji, India and British Columbia. When small waves prevail, a paintbrush and canvas provide outlets for his creativity.

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  Jeff Denholm

  Jeff is as tough as they come. Born and raised on the southern coast of Maine, he lost his dominant arm in an accident on an Alaskan fishing trawler. With self-designed prosthetics, his connection to the ocean has only grown – he surfs, dives, bodysurfs and competes in long-distance paddleboard races. “The ocean is my escape,” he says. “Under, on, in or other.”

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• View Mercedes's Profile
  Mercedes Maidana

  A city girl from Buenos Aires, Mercedes surfed for the first time on a trip to Brazil. Soon after, she skipped the city to be closer to the waves. Settling on the North Shore of O’ahu, she fell in love with the art of big wave surfing. Today, she’s a well-respected female charger. “The ocean,” Mercedes says, “gives me so much joy.”

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• View Mary's Profile
  Mary Osborne

  With a classic style learned on the cobblestone points of her native California, Mary has been a leading figure in women’s surfing since her first magazine cover in the early 2000’s. Since then she’s been featured in dozens of publications, from Surfer to Spin, and is co-author of Sister Surfer: A Woman’s Guide to Surfing with Bliss and Courage.

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• View Tom's Profile
  Tom Doidge-Harrison

  As a skinny eleven-year-old shivering on a Cornish beach, Tom likely didn’t foresee a future that would lead him into some of Northern Europe’s heaviest surf. He eventually settled on the western shores of Ireland, where he shares a small cottage with his family, charges barrels and shapes custom sleds for County Clare’s magical string of coldwater slabs.

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  Tomoko Okazaki

  Wind and waves are the elements of Tomoko’s existence. Raised on the Japanese coast, she began windsurfing at sixteen and was soon adventuring to exotic shores around the world. Now settled in Maui, her passions include kiteboarding, surfing, paddling, backcountry snowboarding and leading wind and kite camps for women. “In many ways,” she says, “the ocean rewards me beyond my imagination.”

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• View Crystal's Profile
  Crystal Thornburg-Homcy

  Born and raised in Hawaii, Crystal’s first steps were at the beach. An accomplished longboarder and all-around ocean athlete, she also bodysurfs, freedives and races canoes, kayaks and paddleboards. With a degree in Environmental Science, Crystal works closely with a number of environmental non-profits. She lives on the North Shore, where she and her husband run an organic produce company, Crave Greens.

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  Kimi Werner

  Kimi grew up in tropical surroundings on Maui, where her father was a dedicated freediver. With a craving for the simple life, Kimi followed in her dad’s footsteps, winning a U.S. National Spearfishing Championship in 2008. She’s also an artist and accomplished chef. “The moment I took up freediving and spearfishing again,” she says, “I reconnected to the happiness of my childhood.”

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  Patrick Wilson

  Growing up in the depths of West Cornwall the search for good barrels soon led Patch to places like Mexico, Oz and Indonesia. Funding his trips with construction work, his recent focus has been on Ireland, Scotland and breaks closer to home. With a preference for solitude and quality waves, he's out there whenever the North Atlantic begins to stir.

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• View Devon's Profile
  Devon Howard

  A second-generation surfer from San Diego, Devon’s career blends riding waves with documenting the surf culture, its history and personalities through words and imagery. A former editor of Longboard Magazine and a regular contributing writer and photographer for The Surfer’s Journal, he’s recognized equally for his surfing achievements and his numerous articles and photography. Devon currently lives in Cardiff By The Sea, California.

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• View Dave's Profile
  Dave Ogle

  Born and raised on and around boats in Newport Harbor, Dave’s life has been intertwined with the ocean since he was a grom surfing under Newport Pier. “I feel the most alive,” he says, “when I’m in the ocean.” Dave has combined his passion for all ocean sports with his passion for photography and video production to communicate the wonders of our fragile marine environments.

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• View Joe's Profile
  Joe Curren

  Raised on the classic breaks of Rincon and The Ranch, Joe inherited his father’s restless nature. He earned a reputation first as a world-class surfer and far-flung traveler and later as a photographer, capturing surfing’s many facets. He’s traveled to more than 40 countries on six continents. He currently resides in Crescent City, where he runs an art framing business and makes handcrafted surfboards and furniture.

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• View Kyle's Profile
  Kyle Thiermann

  As creator and host of the YouTube series, Surfing for Change, Kyle combines surfing imagery and current global issues to highlight the power of individuals in creating a better world through everyday decisions. Kyle speaks at Universities across the country and has been featured in Outside Magazine, Surfer Magazine and on the Discovery Channel. Kyle lives in Santa Cruz where he recently built a backyard half-pipe.

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