
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.
Interview with Brett Jackson from Sea Gods
I'm Brett, owner of SeaGods Australia. We are an ocean clothing Brand based out of Western Australia. Growing up on the ocean I have always had a deep connection and respect for the seas. My wife and I decided to start up a clothing brand aimed at all ocean lovers.
Interview with Sam Roberts from Elamigo
We are ELAMIGO, a growing surf/beach inspired fashion brand. Our sole aim is to produce some really decent quality clothing that is easy going and laidback, yet is still stylish, meaning that it can be worn both on the beach and on the street.
Creativity for sustsainability: The story behind Big Raven's upcycled surf-ponchos
Rui is the co-founder of Big Raven Portugal, a brand for eco-fiendly and consciously created surf ponchos. In this interview he explains more about his motivation, which is love for the ocean.
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!
Nalu Project: Beautiful Upcycled Products Made out of Wetsuit Waste
Nalu Project is a surf brand from Portugal started by Eva Diemer. She started to use old wetsuits and converting them into beautiful neoprene products.
Eva shared with us in this interview her story of building a sustainable surf business.
“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.
Are you Sober&Naked yet?
We know: ocean adventures and sustainability are the keys to a great life. And that’s what motivated Jana Garous to co-found Sober&Naked, an eco-bikini brand for active mermaids.
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!
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.
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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