In this conversation with Holly Beck on Surf With Amigas, I trace the long arc of my surf life, not just where it began, but how it carried me forward.
I grew up in Florida with a single mom and a lot of energy, always moving, always outside, and surfing became a natural fit, a place where I could move, focus, and feel like myself. What started as curiosity quickly turned into competition, travel, and the belief that maybe this could become something more. At 18, I packed everything I owned into a 1991 Honda Civic and drove from Florida to California with no real plan beyond trusting the pull.
Surfing gave me access, to places, people, and opportunities I never imagined. It also taught me early that effort alone doesn’t guarantee outcomes. When things didn’t work out the way I thought they would, I stopped calling them failures and started seeing them for what they were.
“You can have the best intentions and put in a ton of effort, but if the timing isn’t right, life will redirect you. When the timing is right, it opens up.”
That perspective has followed me through every chapter, navigating women’s professional surfing, learning when to speak up, when to stand my ground, and when to let go of paths that no longer fit. Each redirect moved me closer to something more aligned, even when it didn’t look that way at the time.
More than 25 years after that drive west, I’m still in California. This is home. I’m married, I own a house, I run my own business, and I still surf. Surfing may not define my career anymore, but it defines how I move through life.
“If you’re on your path, things will work out. If you’re not, it’s just something getting you on the right path.”
Surfing taught me how to read conditions, trust timing, and stay patient when the sets don’t come right away. That same rhythm shows up in my work, my relationships, and the choices I make now. I remain patient when things don’t work out and I follow my instinct and trust the process of letting things open when they’re ready.
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