SURFPRENEURS INTERVIEWS

Dive into the world of independent surf brands and discover how passionate founders turned their love for the ocean into thriving businesses.

Get Inspired by Surfpreneurs Stories

At Surfpreneurs, we’re here to help you shape your business vision by connecting you with some of the most successful and inspiring surf brand owners around the globe.

Through exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes stories, we regularly spotlight members of our community to spark ideas, share real-world advice, and fuel your entrepreneurial journey.

Let their stories inspire your next wave.

Interview with Roxana Turnbo from Surfer Girl Hawaii

My name is Roxana Turnbo , born in Miami Beach, Florida in 1984 and now have lived in Wahiawa, Hawaii for almost five years. It’s here in Hawaii where I’ve given birth to the start of my dreams. One of them being; I own Surfer Girl Hawaii a company that offers Handmade fashion designed by me, Waterproof Cosmetics, and organic skincare for surfers and women that lead an active lifestyle.

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Rise up: The leading surf retreat business in Central America

Phil is from Barbados Islands and Corina from Switzerland. How many chances are there to meet and eventually fall in love?

It happened in 2014 when they were in Nicaragua for surfing. It sounds like the classical summer loven and surf romance, but their bond was definitely a special one.

Rise Up Surf Retreats is now the number one surf retreat business in Central America. Let’s chat with Phil to know about their story!

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Product & retail, sustainability Lara Heller Product & retail, sustainability Lara Heller

Side business or all in? – Rainer from Rebel Fin Co. about this tricky question and his sustainable surf fins

I ‘met’ Rainer in our Surfpreneurs Club group and saw that he was both a part of Surfrider Foundation and founder of Rebel Fin Co. producing sustainable and environmental friendly surf fins. With so many hands on surf businesses I became curious. So here’s about Rainer’s ambitions, what makes Rebel Fins so eco friendly, how to manage to get your dose of surf when you live in Germany and the question if to start your idea as a side business or to go all in.

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“Work your a** off, be persistent & know your worth” – Marie, Founder of Surfwear Label Zealous

Marie is from Hamburg, Germany, but lives part of the year in Bali where the pieces of her surfwear label Zealous (founded in 2010) are produced. In our interview she talks about the challenges of founding a surfwear brand (spoiler: there’s a few) but also the benefits that leading a life between a big city like Hamburg and the palm trees of Bali brings.

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coaching, Product & retail Lara Heller coaching, Product & retail Lara Heller

Pepijn Tigges: Meet the Dutch Pro Surfer Coaching Online

Thankfully, Pepijn Tigges, a professional surfer from the Netherlands, is helping Dutch surfers to level up their surfing prowess. Amidst his own rigorous training regime for competitions, Pepijn runs his own online surf coaching business, designed for those who feel they’ve mastered the basics, and are ready to take their surfing to the next level.

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sustainability, Product & retail Lara Heller sustainability, Product & retail Lara Heller

The Good Wax Co.: Why it Needs an Alternative to Conventional Surf Wax

Have you ever heard of conventional surf wax being harmful to the oceans? Nah? Time to dive deeper into this topic and get to know an alternative wax that is doing good – for the oceans and you.

So here’s the story of surfpreneurs Rory Palmer-Rowe and his wife Jade who have founded The Good Wax Co. Producing a 100% organic wax the company also donates 10% of its profits for helping to save turtles.

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sustainability, Product & retail, fashion Lara Heller sustainability, Product & retail, fashion Lara Heller

BlackGoat: Building a wetsuit brand from scratch

“Why are wetsuits black and snowboard jackets a piece of art?” is the question that Marc Bohmann asked himself before creating BlackGoat wetsuits.

With an appealing design and innovative features, the founder is receiving so far great feedback by the Australian surfing community. Especially because Marc’s wetsuits are made with limestone neoprene, an impermeable material that is well-known for being eco-sustainable.

Let’s meet with Marc to understand his brand philosophy better!

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Lucia combined her two favorite things in the world, design, and surfing to create a swimwear brand Ninefoot Studio

Lucia Roman is a creative, surfer and soul behind Ninefoot Studio. She established Ninefoot as a swimwear line, made with high ends recycled fabrics, manufacturing in small quantities, and working with small workshops, and slowly building up the business. Lucia previously worked in the fashion industry as a designer for more than 9 years. She was fed up with the 9-5, so four years ago, she moved from LA to Bali.

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Kim decided to build her own swimwear brand because she couldn't find a bikini that fits: The story of WONDA

I’m Kim - 27-year-old German who moved to Lisbon 2 and a half years ago to escape the grey and rainy weather in Germany and to be closer to the beaches and ocean. After I finished my Master’s degree in Lisbon last year, I’ve started WONDA - An environmentally conscious swimwear brand aiming to provide a solution that fits every body shape. All our bikinis are made from recycled ocean and landfill plastic waste and are locally and fairly produced in a small factory in Lisbon. 

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