“It was really kind of an organic question, does the universe want me to do this? I'm going to be open to try it out, not be afraid of failing, doing it very small, but courageously.” -Amanda Chinchelli, founder and designer at Seea (Hamburg, California) speaking about starting her women’s surf business on the Second Breakfast podcast by Surf with Amigas.

Episode: The Story of Seea: A Women's Surf Fashion and Culture Revolution

Amanda Chinchelli sews the first prototype of a surf suit in her garage in Hamburg, CA in 2011.

Photo Nick LaVecchia

Telling our Seea story and sharing the purpose behind our brand is something that Seea has always found important. When you wear Seea, you are wearing our history and the people behind our brand. We do not just make swimwear because it looks cool (which we believe ours does!), we make it because we want to create community and share the water. 

One of Seea's team riders Mele Saili in the Hermosa.

Photo by Mark Tesi

Our founder and designer Amanda Chinchelli sat down on Second Breakfast podcast with Holly Beck from Surf with Amigas to talk about just that. Who is Seea, and why do we care about all of you, the planet, and making surf wear that has a purpose. 

Amanda started Seea more than 10 years ago because just like many of you, she was in need of a swimsuit for her surf trip to Costa Rica that looked cool and performed well, and that’s exactly what she did. She made the surf suit, and Seea was born. 

Amanda surfing in California.

Photo by Connor Eck

Surfing with friends.

Photo by Filippo Maffei

In this episode on the Surf With Amigas podcast,  Amanda and Holly discuss everything from how Amanda started surfing in Italy, moving to Hamburg, the start of Seea, beauty expectations, the growth of the business while still staying true to Seea’s roots, Seea’s community, being a working mom, and sustainability. 

Jackie and Holly together in Seea. 

We are so thankful for all of you, our customers, surf sister, and friends in the line up. Community is everything, and Seea is so thankful for you support. 

“I think it's a gift. I can create something that's a passion for me, so I'm going to do something that I love.” -Amanda Chinchelli

Surfing with the Seea team in California.

By Connor Eck 

Mele Saili surfing.

Photo by Filippo Maffei

Julie works on her cross step, somewhere in Mexico.

As a young veteran of the surf community, most women (and men) surfers cross paths with Julie Cox sooner or later. She’s been a dedicated local in the waters of southern California, a former professional surfer for Roxy in the mid 2000s, an instructor for Las Olas Surf Safaris in mainland Mexico and researched surf legends as operations manager at the California Surf Museum in Oceanside—which is where we first met her.

The next place you might see Julie is up in Northern California. She lived up there during the time she was pursuing a degree at UC Santa Cruz and traveling to compete in surf contests, and has recently returned to the bay area to be the manager/buyer of Mollusk in San Francisco. She is also Seea's Northern California sales rep.

We talked to Julie back when she was studying women’s surf history for the “Women and the Waves” exhibit at the California Surf Museum. This time, we had a conversation with Julie about women’s surfing in the current era and her new adventures in San Francisco.

Shown left, Julie with Ashley Lloyd Thompson at the Logjam in Santa Cruz. Congrats to Julie for taking 2nd place and Ashley for taking 1st.

How did you come to work at Mollusk in San Francisco? 

Last year, I decided it was time to move away from Oceanside and explore the San Francisco Bay Area. I thought Mollusk would be a good fit and a good landing place for me. Thankfully, the owner did too and created some room for me within the company. Mollusk is similar to the museum in a lot of ways, but at Mollusk my job is pretty focused on a few things, whereas at the museum, I did a little of everything.

You went to school at UC Santa Cruz and have traveled around California a lot. Now settling back up in the Bay Area, why does it feel like the right place for you to be now?

It feels great to be back in the Bay Area. It feels right to be around the stunning natural beauty, the amazing restaurants, the progressive and artistic culture; the most sustainable city in the USA. I felt like I was ready to grow more and had always wanted to live up here. Timing felt right to take the plunge.

Even though surfing is a hobby of yours, working with people who surf, and brands that serve surfers is also a part of your career. What do you love about working with people who also surf and share the same kind of way of life as you?

I have surrounded myself with surfing for a long time, in many different types of jobs, but it comes down to being surrounded by good people. I feel lucky to have surfing be a part of my career path.

Angles and colors, Julie finds a photogenic spot to sit.

Who are some of the women surfers that are inspiring to you today and that you look up to? 

I look up to Ashley Lloyd because she is a great surfer, great shaper, great human. Bev Sanders (founder of Las Olas Surf Safaris for women) has always been supportive of me and of women learning to surf. Both of those women are putting such positive energy into surfing and women's surfing. Jeannette Prince is also really fabulous. She surfs great, is super creative, and has stayed stoked on surfing throughout her life it seems.... Donna Matson is another early lesser-known pioneer. She is a mentor to me because she has lived life on her own terms and has amazing stories about surfing, sailing, scuba and her business (Western Instructional Television).

During the 1990s, it was a big deal for Lisa Anderson to be the first woman on the cover of Surfer and it was still a very male-centric sport. How do feel it’s changed from when you were surfing professionally around that time?

I think there are many more women surfers now and Lisa Andersen, along with the surf industry's women's lines, have helped inspire more women to get in the water in the 1990s. I used to know just about every girl in the line-up, but now I don't. There are so many! It is rad.

You made a line of women’s surfboards with shaper Jed Noll. What are some of the differences in making a surfboard for women than for men?

Jed and I created the Jule Collection to help support women in surfing and give them some fun options for boards made with women in mind. Dimensions are created based on my surfing, Jed's shaping experience, and also my experience teaching women how to surf.  We make boards for a variety of conditions, body types and surfing styles. Guys like the Jule boards too, but our marketing and esthetics are focused on the women.

From seeing women surfers every day at Mollusk, what advice do they most frequently ask you for, and what do they want in surfing clothing and equipment? 

Women are really stoked on the Seea suits because they are so cute, the styles are refreshing, and they are functional. I hear that some women are looking for more surf buddies to go surfing with. I think we are more social and want that camaraderie and support.

Coming from Southern California, how is the surf culture in Northern California different? 

The surf culture is different up here for sure. The Santa Cruz surf culture is thriving and strong, but in SF it is more low key. There is just less surf industry, fewer stickers on cars—that kind of thing.

But the surfers up here charge! The waves are bigger and gnarlier and surfers are as dedicated and stoked. There are so many waves up here and lots of adventure to be had.

Julie in the Hermosa brown shell/navy.

Julie inside Mollusk San Francisco.

Photo of Lauren Hill by Swilly

We are continually inspired by intelligent lady gliders whose extracurricular passions include making art and doing good. Environmental activist Lauren L. Hill is wholeheartedly all of the above and more.

We were pen pals with Lauren before meeting her in person in Pisa, Italy after we came back from the girls surf trip in Sardegna.

Lauren currently lives between Florida (she was born in St. Augustine and grew up on Anastasia Island) and Byron Bay, Australia where her schedule is dictated by when’s the best time to surf. We caught up with Lauren to learn more about her many irons in the fire: a documentary surf filming trip to India; educating about gas drilling in Australia and her zine Sea Kin. The zine and website is a dense collection of stories and images compiled by famous surfers and relative unknowns that’s captivating from page to page. It swallowed up our afternoon in escapism like a good book while on vacation.

Read on to hear Lauren’s insight on the male/female dynamic in surfing cultures across the globe and what it means to label yourself as a feminist today.

Portrait of Lauren Hill by Takanami

You call both Florida and Australia your home. Besides the surf, what about the culture of those two places makes them home? 

I love the slow pace of Florida and, maybe more than anything else, I love the food: datil pepper sauces, lemony sweet tea, boiled peanuts and black bean burritos are basically a recipe for home.

Floridian surfers have exceptionally low standards for surf, and I take a bit of pride in that. Haha. We are born and bred with an appreciation for anything rideable, because the surf doesn’t get amazing all that often. 

In my experience, Australians are comparatively quite snobby when it comes to judging the surf. But they have every right to be. You have to be picky as a surfer in Australia, because you could spend every waking hour getting good surf, by Floridian standards. 

I love the beach culture of Australia. I guess it makes me feel less like a beach bum odd-ball when I’m surrounded by lots of others who really just want to be playing in the ocean all of the time. And they actually make it a priority. I also love Australian humor. They have a way of not taking things so seriously that is so very different from American culture. 

What does the day-to-day of Lauren Hill look like?

For the past few years I’ve had distinct 6-month spells that are starkly different. I try to spend the first half of the year in Australia and then the [second] half of the year traveling with Florida as a home base.

I’m a bit of a homebody, so I really love staying still for the first half of the year. If there is surf (and there usually is), a typical day revolves around swell, wind and tides. My favorite days are when I get to ride a shortboard at one of the punchier points in the morning, followed by a big lunch of veggies from our garden, a sunset longboard slide in Byron, and then just collapsing in bed from surf exhaustion afterward. In between surfs are for writing, reading, gardening, nap taking, or researching.

As a female, how do you find the surf culture different from the US versus Australia? Is the male/female surfing culture dynamic different in Aus? 

Photo of Lauren Hill by Swilly

Tell us more about your environmental activism work. What are your current projects and how can we get involved?

I’m working on a few projects at the moment:

1. The threat of Coal Seam Gas in our backyards here in Australia is really disconcerting, especially the inevitable poisoning of water that occurs as a causality of the process. Last weekend I visited another one of the exploratory drill sites in our area. It was perturbing to see drills already in the ground, hunting for gas so near to home, and so close to world class surf breaks. The local community there has been demonstrating for weeks, trying to ward off Met Gas Co. from carrying on, but to no avail. The amount of shortsighted greed and destruction involved in CSG in unthinkable. We must prevent these corporations from pillaging our homelands and waters. To get educated and involved read here. And watch: 101 East: Risky Business on Youtube.

2. I’m helping with The Economics of Happiness Conference here in Byron, held at the community centre March 15th-17th. It’s an amazing gathering of thinkers and activists from around the world who will speak and hold workshops about localization. All kinds of topics will be covered, including education, economics, art, surfing, health, community, and ecology, for example.

3. In April I’ll be traveling to India with a crew of four other lady sliders for the first all-female surfing/humanitarian documentary trip:

"With unshakable determination for a better world, we—Crystal Thornburg-Homcy, Liz Clark, Emi Koch, Ishita Malaviya and Kate Baldwin and myself—will travel through Southern India. Our goal is to document the ways that surfing, yoga, and ecological creativity are bringing hope and fueling change for local people and the Planet. We’ll be making a film of the journey. Help us fund the trip! 

The Kovalam Surf Club in India

What do you find are the biggest challenges when you are educating people about environmentalism? What is your approach to overcoming those?

I don’t really aspire to educate people, I just like to share what I’ve learned and experienced. Most people are more receptive to hearing first hand accounts instead of abstract facts and figures. And that’s the real strength and importance of surfers being environmental custodians—we’re canaries in the coalmine. We’re not in labs studying the slow decay of marine ecosystems, we get sick from ocean water filled with runoff and we are on the beaches that are littered with plastics. I appreciate book learning, but experiential knowledge helps bring environmental issues to life.

I tend to find trying to share ideas about gender much more challenging than talking about environmental issues. Most people can see the ways that we are altering our planet now, but it’s much more difficult for most to clearly see something as deeply ingrained as gender and how destructive rigid conceptions of gender can be for men and for women.

Photo of Lauren Hill by Swilly

You've said that you support feminist and ecofeminist issues--what does it mean to be a feminist today? Why is it important, especially as a surfer?

Feminism means standing up for equality and recognizing that the feminine has traditionally been overlooked and undervalued.

For example, women and men tend to surf differently. Instead of celebrating this, most people (women included) tend to judge women as inferior surfers. The way men surf has been accepted as the best way. In reality, women’s surfing tends to emphasize characteristics that are just different to the way men ride waves.

Feminism means that all people should have the right to choose how they want to be, unfettered by social impositions of how they “should” be.

Feminism is about supporting men AND women. Men have just as many crazy expectations placed on them as women—to look and act in certain ways—and men suffer from those pressures just like we do. Most men in western cultures have essentially been taught to deny any semblance of femininity. And that’s not fair, or possible, for any holistically healthy human, in the same way that it’s crazy to deny that all women also possess what we call “masculine” traits.

So many women of my generation and younger are terrified of the word feminist. They associate it with being angry, man bashing or think that it’s no longer relevant. It’s such a shame.

We need look no further than our own surfing culture to see gender imbalances at work. One of the founding missions of second wave feminism was to attain equal pay for equal work for women and men. Today in the US women still only earn .76 cents on the dollar for what a man earns for doing the same job. And if you want to see extreme inequality, look at the pay gap between women and men on the ASP world tour. Women are able to earn only a fraction of what men earn for winning contests. I don’t really follow contests or care much for them, but it’s still not fair, and it’s undeniable proof of the devaluation of women’s work and unique talents.

Sea Kin is a really impressive collection with a variety of stories and diverse contributors. How did you compile submissions? How did you choose what made it in the magazine?

Thank you. The Sea Kin ‘Zine is basically a compilation of surf culture the way that I see it. The articles and imagery are all by and about my friends, really. It’s filled with the musings of creative, passionate, and open-hearted sea kin, united by our love of the ocean and envisioning different paths for what it means to be a surfer.

Images from Sea Kin zine

What is your vision for the Sea Kin blog and website?

I’d love for it to be a hub for creative thinkers, sliders, and do-ers; a place to share the stories that are so often overlooked by mainstream surf media.

We know picking a favorite board is like picking a favorite child. But which boards in your quiver do you find yourself reaching for most often lately?

I see so many cute surf wetsuits, swimwear and lifestyle women’s brands come out of Australia! What is it about the culture and people there that is conducive to creativity and those products?

I think that the average Australian woman tends to be more fashion-forward than the average American gal. When you combine that passion for fashion with the outdoorsy nature of Australian life, it seems like we end up with some pretty innovative takes on surf wear.

Sometimes the more popular line-ups around here look like fashion parades—filled with women and men getting really into what they wear in the water. As long as people are having fun, it’s awesome.

What are some of the most valuable lessons that surfing taught you?

To be still and listen.

Photo of Lauren Hill by Dawe

All smiles, Amanda and Casey plan out a few "Special Projects" for the Fall...

Meanwhile, good friend & artist Colt Bowden lays out the new Thalia window display!

Opps! paints are cheap!! Colt picked up a great palate for just 50 cents each.

Sneek Peak!

Thanks again to Casey, Nick & the entire Thalia crew for the all the love & support - What a great Summer!!

Stay tuned for more Seea x Thalia goodness this fall!

I remember sitting in the shop after seeing the line, sort of in a daze, trying to wrap my head around what I had just seen... "Who is this girl?", I thought. "What is she doing??" I loved Amanda's designs, but simply put - I had never seen anything like SEEA before!

Since that day, Amanda and Summer have become good friends, and we've developed a great relationship with JP and the crew at Surfy Surfy. We are supremely stoked to introduce the Seea x Surfy Surfy collab project, and we are honored to be the only women's swimwear brand carried at the hub of Leucadia's surf culture!

Just a few days past our first anniversary, we couldn't dream up a better start! A heartfelt thanks goes out to Summer and JP for their support, and to Julian Mascuilli for creating these two video shorts!

Seea x Summer x Surfy Surfy = Love at first sight!

An section of oak flooring (left) and nicely weathered fence door (right), salvaged from an old house in Orange, CA

After a thorough sanding, boards were cut to measure against a simple redwood frame

The colors really came together on this one - dowels & bronze flanges complete the look

Dayton and Surfy Summer check out the finished display

Thanks again to Dayton, Elise, and the crew at Seaworthy for the prime window seat! Another great example of independent folk, working together to keep up the stoke!

Cindy gets cheeky on some classic California concrete

Amazing full pipe shot

One footed nose wheelie

Cindy hits the tiles backside with a stylish rail grab

Cindy on Seea:

"I've lived at the beach my whole life and not much surprises me when it comes to women's surfing whether it be wetsuits or swimsuits. But when I stumbled across this awesome new line SEEA, I was stunned. The retro styling, the attention to fabric & fit, as well as the cool print patterns, had me in a second."

To find out more about Cindy and her amazing work, check out her blog, or visit cindywhitehead.com.

From Seea with love,

Thanks Cindy!!