Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Liquid Salt Magazine Article

Great new article on Liquid Salt Magazine.com


Mary Osborne / More Waves

Mary Osborne is a gifted California surfer and model who is super-stoked on life and adven ture. Her rela tion ship with Patagonia allows her to travel and be an ambas sador for the envi ron ment. We caught up with Mary to ask her about her busy life.

What was your child hood like?
I had an amaz ing child hood. I was raised at Solimar Beach with my mother and father (who are still mar ried), my three older broth ers, my grand par ents who lived down the street and an entire neigh bor­hood that was like family.

When did you get your first surf board?
When I was 15, I saved up babysit ting money and bought my first surf board at Waveline Surf Shop in Ventura. I was so excited and I wish I still had that board today.

What was the feel ing you had when you first stood on a surf board?
It was a big rush of fun! I was so excited that I was actu ally stand ing and rid ing a wave. I was so proud of myself and at that moment I fell in love with surf ing. I wanted more waves!

Who did you look up to and admire when you were a young woman?
My three older broth ers were my inspi ra tion. I wanted to as good as them in and out of the water. I also loved Jessica Little (who was our local pro surfer girl here in Ventura) and Matty Slater because she ripped in the water as well.

What is your rela tion ship with Patagonia like?
I am very for tu nate to be with a com pany like Patagonia. I am what they call an “ambas sador” for the com pany on and off for the last 8 years. I help with prod uct design, test ing and surf mar ket ing. Patagonia has taught me so much in so many lev els. As I have got ten a bit older, or shall I say “more wise,” I have come to real ize what com pa nies I really want to be involved in and work with. It’s not about hav ing as many spon sors as pos si ble or the biggest pay checks any more. Now, it’s about want ing to be a part of a com pany that is carv ing new paths for the future, using inno v a tive core prod ucts and giv ing back to our environment.

Patagonia’s core phi los o phy and envi ron men tal aspects have blended into my every day life. I am learn­ing how to be more eco-friendly and how to make ben e fi cial choices for not only myself but our future gen er a tions. Patagonia has taught me to open my eyes to the world, live sim ply, play hard, work hard and be thank ful for every thing I have. I am very for tu nate to be work ing with such a suc cess ful com pany and have them sup port me in my surf ing world. I hope to con tinue to work with Patagonia for future years to come.

Of all the places you have trav eled to, what place in par tic u lar stands out and why?
Every place I have been to has some thing spe cial about it. I was just in Fiji two weeks ago and it was def i­nitely amaz ing. The surf had great poten tial in the remote islands we char tered around, but the lack of swell equaled small waves. We were aboard the boat Tui Tai doing a surf-humanitarian trip with four other pro surfer girls. We ended up vis it ing a tiny vil lage that had never had vis i tors the entire time they lived on the island. We shared a mem o rable day together danc ing, talk ing, shar ing sto ries, eat ing coconuts and fruit. We brought them gifts each girl donated and the Tui Tai boat wrote the head of the vil lage a check right there on the spot. It was pretty amazing!

Who/what inspires you?
Anyone who takes risks, chances and lives a pos i tive lifestyle.

What is the great est thing you have learned in your life?
Everyone is dif fer ent in so many ways, so I try not to judge and get to know them. You never know what you might learn from another per son or when you will cross paths with them again.

Do you have any regrets or wish you had done some thing dif fer ently?
There are only a few regrets I have, but they are not even worth talk ing about The only things are sim ple things and, hon estly, they are things that I can still do in life. For exam ple, I was asked to work on a boat char ter in Mexico and I said “no”. I really wish I would have said “yes” so I could have surfed amaz ing surf and learned more about boats, how they work, char ter ing, etc. I love boats and this would have been a real treat.

What are you most proud of?
Being able to travel the world surf ing. It was once just a dream as a young girl. I am very proud of the hard work I have put into my surf ing career and all the great things I have learned along the way.

What mean ing does surf ing hold for you and how has it changed your life?
Surfing is my entire life now. I live every day in and around the ocean. Surfing has shaped me in so many ways. I have learned so much about life and other cul tures through surf ing and trav el ing. Every adven ture opens my eyes to new things. I am extremely grate ful for what I have and don’t have. The chal lenges and risks I take have only made me a stronger, more edu cated and all-around a bet ter person.

What brings you the most hap pi ness in the world?
My fam ily and friends. Also, warm, mind less, per fect waves—but fam ily always first.

Who are some of the peo ple you feel are shap ing the path for surf ing today?
There are so many young male and female young surfers who are tak ing surf ing to an entirely new level. The tal ented abil i ties, new inno v a tive tricks, rid ing big ger waves, and all of the new shapes of surfboards.

What is in your cur rent quiver? What is cur rently your favorite board? Your favorite surf spot?
Favorite surf spot is in Ventura. My quiver con sists of clas sic sin gle fin long boards, high per for mance long boards, quads, fun shapes—and they are all in cute col ors. (Laughs)

Right now, I have two favorite Patagonia boards that Fletcher Chouinard shaped me. One is what we call a “Fark” (quad fun shape short board) and the other I call “Pinky” and it is my tri fin all-around long­board. I ride Pinky all the time; it’s not only cute, but works amaz ing in all sizes of surf!

What’s your favorite meal?
A healthy salad or I like to indulge in Mexican food.

What are you cur rently lis ten ing to on your iPod?
Ray Lamontagne, Steel Pulse, Paulo Nutini, Natalie Merchant, Todd Hannigan I lis ten to every thing and anything.

What are you most grate ful for?
Health, fam ily and the ocean.

What causes/organizations do you sup port?
I am involved in sev eral non-profits. I believe it is extremely impor tant to give back. I love peo ple, chil­dren and help ing those in need. I am apart of Free Wheelchair Mission, Boarding for Breast Cancer, Women’s Sports Foundation and sev eral oth ers. Every year I help host a “surf ing cruise ship”; all the pro­ceeds go to var i ous organizations.

What’s next for Mary Osborne?
It’s non stop right now, which is excit ing, and a lot of new things are on the hori zon. Besides work ing closely with my spon sors (Patagonia, Bettybelts, Go211.com), I have started a new side busi ness Solymar Tan. I am set ting up surf camps and yoga retreats (www.mosurfcamp.com). Hopefully still trav el ing this upcom ing year, writ ing for var i ous projects, maybe film ing a new TV documentary/reality surf show and, as of this morn ing, maybe work ing with Panama Jack (www.panamajack.com) on a few dif fer ent lev els. This next year is going to be an excit ing one and I am really look ing for ward to it! New adven tures, learn­ing more, surf ing, and being healthy!

More infor ma tion about Mary Osborne can be found here. Photography by Tim Burgess.

1 comment:

Davis Miller said...

I like this place! I love the idea and wish there was a place like this in Astoria, Queens. I am a surfer and found a "real surfer bar" in Point Break NYC. I am kinda jealous ;0PIts filled with surfers, people who like surfers, people who like the beach and people who don't want to live close to town. I really like this place. You know what they have these real Proctor and Channel One surfboards on the wall. It's nice for coming any day of the week and eating a late brunch. The food was outstanding. The brunch and sides were prefect and tasty. It is a perfect "escape" from city living. It is probably one of the only places where you can get a nice frozen pina colada or margarita. The service was on hit. They came up and checked on us so many times and made sure everything was up to par. It gets very active and the bartenders keep everybody having a good time. The bartender was very accommodating. He was nice enough to make a drink, that wasn't on the menu, for me :0) Did I mention the bartenders are nice eye candy. It was amazing to see their “das boot” which is shaped like a boot filled with beer. Don’t get me wrong, I am not drunk…it’s an actual boot shaped beer container ready to be emptied. Try it ..You will love it!! Oh. How can I forget, they even have a wheel o' shots where you just have to spin it and have to drink whatever shot it lands on!! Now call that bar creativity at its best!!! And when I spill a tray full of shots on myself, the bartender so kindly remakes them for me? Good music, too, and the decor helped us weather an otherwise overcast and rainy day. You know that old song "Brandy"? It goes, "Brandy, you're a fine girl, what a good wife you would be. But my life, my lover, my lady is the sea." I believe Brandy works here. No reason, I just do. And that song happens to be a guilty pleasure of mine, so that's a plus in my book. You can simply waltz over to this colorful and warm establishment, enjoy some drinks with friends, and walk home. The bar is right at the center, so you can walk to either side for drinks, and the bartenders are friendly and at your service. There is a variety of seating, good music, and friendly neighborhood people to make your time more enjoyable. Not pretentious, very cozy, I think Point Break is a fabulous place to spend some time with friends.