Seea - Seeababes

The Surfing Life : Amy Lowry

2013-08-07T19:02:00-07:00

How perfect would life be if your job was to surf every day and hang at the beach? Amy Lowry and her fiancé Tim Reda have it all figured out. The couple runs a year-round surf school called Endless Sun in Newport Beach, and when they're not teaching kids how to surf, they keep busy kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding or hiking through Laguna Beach as professional nature guides.

An occasional surf model as well, you may recognize Amy from our Spring 2013 video lookbook, shot by Tiffany Campbell. Part of the original Seeababes crew, Amy's relaxed and friendly demeanor won us over from the start.

Confident and content in the water, surfing is nothing new for Amy, as she was 11-years-old when she first learned to surf at the same school in Newport Beach that she now co-owns. We all have to have our start somewhere, so we sat down with Amy to talk more about the rewards of teaching, the challenges of running a surf school, and what it's really like to live the surfing life.

Multi-talented surfer, teacher and surf coach, Amy Lowry.

Amy rolls right on a fun, uncrowded day at Trestles.

How did you start teaching surfing?

I started teaching surfing when I was 16-years-old at the same surf school that I’m at now, Endless Sun Surf School in Newport Beach, which is also where I learned. My co-owner, who is also my business partner, taught me how to surf when I was 11 at the surf school at Blackies. He’s been doing it since 1963. Then I moved on and was on the high school surf team and he was the coach. I kind of have his job now. I just kept teaching surfing because I love being able to give something that means so much to me, to other people. That’s when I started working with kids too.

Did you grow up surfing with a lot of girls?

Not at all. I could be out there and look down the beach and not see another girl for miles. In high school there was only a couple more girls—like three or four. Now the team has like 10. All my friends were always guys to have someone to surf with. It’s changed a bit. You can go to Newport and see more girls surfing today.

If I compare NorCal [where I went to college at UCSC] to SoCal, there is a huge difference. In Santa Cruz there are so many girls that grow up surfing there. That was really cool to me. It doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or a boy. You see a lot less girls surfing in Southern California. Girls are taught to value different things here. That’s something to look at and ask 'What can I do about this?’ and hopefully be good role models.

You coach the girl’s high school surf team, what’s that like?

To me, that feels like I’m giving back, because that meant so much to me to be on the high school surf team. I think I would have had a completely different life. It’s like a family and an outlet in every way that surfing can be an outlet. It’s a great team to be apart of and get you through high school.

Amy and Tim with the high school surf team that they coach, on a recent trip to Nicaragua where they brought over water filters for the local people.

Tell us more about Endless Sun Surf School.

We have summer camps, private lessons and an after-school program with several elementary schools, kindergarden to 6th grade. Four days a week, we pick up kids after school, walk them down to the Newport Pier and take them surfing. It’s really fun for us. Blackies beach is so shallow and gentle, and they can be knee deep or waist deep and it's really safe in that sense. It feels good to be teaching kids something that builds their confidence, and will be a healthy outlet for them for the rest of their lives.

Something neat that’s happening is that we've had a ton of kids with autism coming to us. Parents are figuring out that surfing is really good for them. Throughout the summer we do a lot of private lessons with them.

Amy with her all-girls surf class in Newport Beach.

How have you seen surfing be a positive force for autistic children?

In general, they have different ways of communicating and socializing. I think because, there’s the element that they are in the water. You are so much more focused compared to like, soccer. You could get distracted while you’re on the field playing soccer and that’s going to be okay. If you get distracted while you’re in the ocean, things could happen. It’s kind of that extreme focus. It could be meditative. They feel like, so free out there. We get a lot of reports from their parents that they came out so happy and so much more calm and able to communicate a little bit better.

Tim Reda on the far left and Amy at the far right with their surf school students in between.

How do you see the girls-only classes different from the guys-only classes or co-ed classes?

It’s like night and day. We have an all-boys class—it’s the advanced class. They are pretty competitive. They ask us to do a surf contest at the end. The girls are like, singing songs on the way down, laughing and are all about having fun. You notice some of them don’t know each other [because they are from different schools]. At the end of the year they are super good friends. The girls always want a party wave, to share waves, do silly things like ride backwards. Most of the boys aren’t doing that at all. They are pretty serious.

Something that goes hand-in-hand with surfing is environmental awareness and you and Tim also lead eco-tours in Laguna Beach. What are those tours like?

We are eco-tour guides for La Vida Laguna in Laguna Beach. A large part of our clients are coming from the corporate business world and their eyes get opened. Laguna Beach is a special spot that needs protection. I feel like we’re doing a small part by showing people how beautiful it is. We take people kayaking, surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, hiking, mountain biking. At the same time, we’re educating them about the environment around them. For example, while kayaking, we talk about the kelp forest and how it’s vital to their life too.

Amy explores underwater in Hawaii.

Soon to be wed, Amy and Tim.

What's it like for you and Tim to work together as a couple?

It's fun! I get to spend so much time with the one I love. It works for us. We balance each other out a lot. Tim has tons of creativity, and is always coming up with new ideas. He's the artistic one. Whereas, I’m the organizer of all of the chaos, and I’m the one who takes Tim's ideas and gets them done. And we both work really great with kids. I think working together has really helped us to grow a lot closer to one another and has helped us to get to know one another a lot faster and on a deeper level.

What does surfing mean to your relationship with Tim?

We met because of surfing and because of a surf contest. Maybe we would have met if we didn’t surf, but it sure helped us to meet one another and connect. Whenever we're having a bad day, we could go surfing together and our whole outlook will turn around. We're pretty tied together through surfing. Tim makes all the surfboards that I ride, he's a great surf photographer, and he likes watching me surf. Well, we both love watching each other surf! We travel around on surf trips together and we do a lot of surf contests together. Surfing is something that we both are passionate about, and that’s one thing that’s easy about our relationship.

Dropping in.

Toes on the nose in Nicaragua.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced being a surf school instructor?

I find it odd that there is a stigma and negativity towards surf schools. Not necessarily ours, but there are a lot of people in our surf community that don’t like surf schools. That’s weird to me because surfing is something we all love—it’s our life. Its also like, wouldn’t you want to share your passion, what makes you happy with other people? It’s a great way to give to people. I get it though, you could do it in a way that’s unsafe and overcrowds the beach. But you could also do it in the totally right way and be respectful and teach respect for others and the environment.

How do you like surfing in Seea?

I never really liked wearing bathing suits while surfing because they would always fall off. I don't want to worry about that while surfing. Seea suits are entirely different. They stay on while you're surfing, and are still super cute. And they give you the feeling of real surfer girls having fun at the beach. They're authentic, fun and comfortable.

Amy in the original San O suit.

Amy at Malibu.

Thanks Amy! You are an an inspiration for all of us who aspire to involve the ocean in our everyday lives, and to be true to ourselves and the things we love. It brings us great pleasure to know that each year a new wave of young women will learn lessons from such a talented and unpretentious role model, both in and out of the water.

Neighborhood Surf Shops: Huntington Surf & Sport

2013-04-03T15:58:00-07:00

We love breathing in the comforting scent of Sex Wax, neoprene rubber and swimsuits when walking into a surf shop. The local retailers that stock Seea suits are integral partners in getting our labor of love into your hands.

At first glance, our newest California Seea dealer, Huntington Surf and Sport in Huntington Beach, doesn't look much like a mom and pop shop. What many people don't know is that HSS is still a family owned business. Behind the glitz and glam and corporate surf logos that dominate PCH and Main, there is a core of enthusiastic employees with a passion for surfing, some of whom have worked at HSS for over 20 years.

Recently, we caught up with Ashlyn Pai, daughter of owner Aaron Pai, to find out more about the HSS story, and to find out what it was like to grow up surrounded by all the things we hold dear.

Then: The first HSS 15th St. location in Huntington Beach.

Now: HSS Pierside store at Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street in Huntington Beach.

Seea display at HSS.

The story starts with Ashlyn's father, Aaron Pai, who moved from his birthplace of Honolulu, Hawaii to Southern California as a child. Aaron fell in love with surfing in Huntington Beach when he was 12-years-old and spent his adolescent summers visiting his great grandmother in Honolulu.

In 1978, Aaron was the first employee to be hired at Huntington Surf & Sport and one year later, he had the opportunity to buy the shop. With the help of his parents, he started living his dream of running a surf shop. Today, the whole Pai family—parents, brothers and sisters—are involved in the store. As part of the women's merchandise team with buyer Latisha Tavarez, Ashlyn told us about what life is like being in a surf shop family.

What was it like growing up in a surf shop, in a place like Huntington Beach?

Growing up in Huntington Beach and in a surf shop, surfing has been all around me.... or I've been all around surfing. It wasn't until I got a little bit older that I got to step back and see the unique dynamic of southern California, and the roots a lot of our cities have in the sport of surfing. I see much more of a community now than I saw before, and I'm happy to be apart of it.

Pai family Aaron, his sister and cousin picking pineapples in Hawaii in the late 1960s.

Given your family roots in Hawaii, how have you seen the surf culture differ in California and Hawaii?

I don't get to Hawaii as often as I used to, but being there last summer really opened my eyes to a lot. When I was younger, it was such a great place to visit every summer. I can remember my dad pushing me into waves, the sunrises over Diamond Head, the saltiness of the water.

It wasn't until the past few years that I realized how much Hawaii has shaped my father's life, my life. I have such a love and appreciation for Hawaii, and as much as it may change in some areas, I still get the same feelings as when I was a kid.

The surf culture there is very simple and laid back. I can remember being 8-years-old and meeting a girl the same age. Her dad was friends with mine and he took us out at Waikiki for some waves and a burger after. Not very many places are like that. I think it's true that time slows down there a little bit. It's magic.

How have you seen the HSS business grow over the years?

When I was young, HSS had already been around for 13 years. We had two stores (our Pierside location and PCH and Warner Avenue location), and not too much girl’s product really existed in the industry. In the mid '90's we added the girl’s section at our Pierside location, and eventually had a girl’s store on Main Street as well, which is now our Billabong store. In 2006, we opened our store located at Bella Terra. In all, we have four stores located in Huntington Beach. It's been really awesome to watch HSS blossom into a fruitful thing. The future is something I look forward to.

Pai family as children. Pictured from left to right: Trevor, Lindsay, Taylor, mom (Sher) and Ashlyn.

How do you feel about coming into the family business now? Did you think you would always join in when you "grew up" or have another career?

I've been working here now since I was 12-years-old. My parents would let me help out on weekends, and I loved it.

When I was younger I thought for a while I would grow up and do my own thing. Once I hit a certain age, I was able to see what was around me and what I could be apart of. Everything just started to make a lot more sense. If I could work with my family that I love, why wouldn’t I?

On top of that, I've always had a love for fashion and clothing. My sister, Lindsay, is six years older than me. She has definitely influenced me. It's really cool to see the stages people go through, whether it's fashion, choices in life, where people are, how they got there and the steps they are taking. I'm happy to be apart of HSS.

Ashlyn with her father in Hawaii.

Trevor Pai and his wife Jenna (wearing the Seea Swami's Playsuit in Waterstripe) fishing off the coast of Tavarua.

What do you want to contribute to HSS?

I feel like I have an eye for detail, which I owe to both of my parents—that is what I want to carry on and contribute. I feel that it is very important to put the loving touches on things. It makes everything so much more meaningful.

How is your style and perspective as a girl influencing the store buys and decisions?

I think that nowadays it's more important than ever to set your store apart from others. So much product is available online. The team and I really want to create an experience when customers come into our store. It's important to keep things youthful and fresh, and that's what Latisha [Tavarez, HSS women’s buyer] and I like to strive for as the girl's buying team.

Lindsay Pai, now a mother of two children, at San Onofre in 2009.

HSS is located at the intersection of PCH and Main Street—opposite the busy pier and right across the street from Jack's Surf Shop. How do you differentiate yourself from the other stores in town that essentially carry the same brands?

My father has surfed the pier since he was twelve. My mom, brothers, and sister have all worked or are currently working at the store. We all share a deep love for the ocean, and for the most part all of us surf.

I think the fact that it is a family business sets us apart. We're very passionate about what we do. We also have a very knowledgeable and experienced staff. Many of our workers have been with HSS for 10, 15, even 25+ years. We care more about helping our customers than making a sale. The sale is just the fruit of our work.

We like to have our customers feel at home and we want them to have a positive experience. This is our 35th year in business and we are always finding ways to better ourselves!

Seea is a very grassroots, personal line. Why is that important for HSS to support those kinds of lines?

We love to be able to offer and support brands like Seea because of the unique nature and the passion. The passion shines through and has so much appeal. We love to be able to support brands that are motivated by the same thing as us: the ocean.

We want to offer our customers a variety, and really, there's no other brand like Seea that is so simple, fashion-forward, and functional. It seems like any girl that surfs has been waiting for something like Seea.

What's your favorite thing about Seea?

The simplicity! It's so refreshing. And the fact it's run by a power couple, Brian and Amanda. They have a true vision. The Palomar Crop Top and Leucadia Skirted High Waist bottoms are my absolute favorites!