Winter Update

It has been a incredible 2010 winter and it's far from over. Hot weather, cold weather, snowfall, rainfall, and non-stop swells has kept me unbelievably busy. I haven't written a blog in quite sometime, which means there has been so many great events to share with the world. So here it goes...

December 2009:

I spent 10 days on a boat in the northern atolls of Fiji. Our crew consisted of Holly Beck, Jennifer Flannigan, Kaley Swift, Chandler Parr, three photographers, and a very friendly Fijian boat crew upon the gorgeous Tui Tai. Pictures and articles will be running nationally and internationally soon. Keep your eyes peeled.

January:

Great start to a new exciting year! 2010 here I come! I have been non-stop ever since the new year. I recently moved into a new office downtown Ventura where I run my surfing business, Mary Osborne Inc., and Solymar Tan. I am learning how to become organized. It's amazing what you can do when your in the country for more than two weeks.

Mid January- Scored perfect surf all over Ventura County and flew to Orlando, Florida for theSurf EXPO Trade show. I met with head people at Panama Jack, Maui Jim and a few other companies. Below are a few pictures from my friend Seth de Roulet @ Rincon. If your a surfer, well, I don't have to elaborate much. The surf has been incredible this winter. I been logging some serious miles on my Element searching for uncrowded surf as well as filming a lot with my friend Dave Nash.

On the plane heading East

My friend at Bing Surfboards

Surf pics by Seth D. @ Rincon

End January: I was invited down to Cabo, Mexico to teach my friend and owner of Her Energy drink how to surf. Unlike in California, the water was perfectly warm and weather very bronzable. Our surf sesson at Cabo Surf Hotel didn't last long because Brett managed to find a rock covered in sea urchins. His poor little feet. Thank goodness there is tequila in Mexico. Check this video for more: http://www.go211.com/u/maryosborne/videos/20591

February:

It is the month of red, flowers, chocolates and love. That's right, Valentine's Day has arrived for 2010. I personally have never had a big Valentine's Day nor do I honestly care if it is a good day or bad day. This year I surfed all morning by myself and it was fabulous. A few days prior I threw a big party in my office and Solymar Tan (my crazy fun side business) was rocking and rolling. Thursday February 11 was a fabulous and fun "Ladies Night" gathering. This evening consisted of 70 plus women consuming everything they possibly could like spray tanning, waxing, hair blow dries, Vodka Infusion martinis, food by the Greek restaurant, live music by Jimmy Z, three various jewelry companies, and much much more fun women's necessities. The best part was that we gave %10 of sales to Free Wheelchair Mission (the organization is in Haiti right now). Check out this video if you can manage the shakiness of my tiny video camera....

Not only did I host a big party the week of Valentine's day, but I managed to host a video for Haas Automation in Oxnard. My friend Dave Nash got me the gig as their host for the "how to videos." It definitely wasn't a easy job, considering the tech savvy language I had to learn... thank god for editing! Here are a few pix from the shoot.

Pix 1: Behind scenes

Pix 2: Dave n I

I also did a shoot for Season's catering and pretended I was a wife. Pretty fun dressing up as a bride!

This week I have been filming every morning, working on proposals, negotiating contracts and involved in several fun meetings. It basically has been non-stop, but I am loving every moment.

Just as things were slowing down, I found myself in the city of Corona at Fender guitars headquarters. The crew from the "Surf Cruise Cup" which consisted of Jesse Billauer, Jonathan Blake Salazar and Robert Crancer all met up for a afternoon of fun. I never knew how much work went into making a guitar. One of the most random things I saw at Fender was that they used HAAS machines...strange small workd right?I have a entirely new love for music.

That is it for now... ENJOY!!! Hope to see you all in the water soon.............

Fuel.TV Interview and

Check out two new FUEL.TV articles.

Interview with Mary O called "Girl Action"

~How many girls do you know that can model, write books, start business, teach surfing and still rip harder than you? Not many, right? I didn’t either until I met Mary Osborne, from Ventura, California.

We caught up at the Venice Grind café last month and I have to confess I was expecting to meet someone different… Maybe the typical model who happens to like surfing or maybe the surfer chick who is cute and does modeling on the side. I was definitely wrong! Mary’s got her own thing going on. She is creating a unique style that has been catching my attention since the first time I’ve heard of her.

If you don’t know who she is, here it goes… And if you already do, chances are you will agree with me that there's something about Mary!

If you figure it out, please fill the editor in...

Interview by Paulo Dias Click Here to read entire interview.

And somehow I made the "Hottest Girls in Surfing in 2009" Pretty random and funny!

Liquid Salt Magazine Article

Great new article on Liquid Salt Magazine.com

Click here to read online article!

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.

FUEL.TV interview

Great new interview for Fuel TV website....

Check it out at http://www.fuel.tv/paulodias/blogs/view/77434 or on the homepage at Fuel.tv.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Aryana first time surfing...

Aryana Ashlie, 5 yrs old, from North Carolina. Here are some clips I put together of her surfing for her family to take back home with them. She was so cute and had a blast!

A message from her Mother: At five years old Aryana Ashlie loves to move and is fearless so when the opportunity came for her to paddle out with Mary Osborne she jumped at the chance. Being no stranger to speed, Aryana was relaxed and took her cues from Mary out in the ocean. When asked how it felt being on the board she said, "It was so much fun and when we stood up we went fast, really, really fast. The goodest part was falling down at the end. You get your hair wet then pop right up and if a big wave comes you can jump over it. It was awesome with Mary and cool and funny. I was brave because Mary would never let go of me."

Check out my new surf camp website at http://mosurfcamp.com/Videos.html. It's a work in progress. I am teaching myself how to do websites right now.

Cheers!

Fiji...day one...3 hours...a long journey ahead

A women's soft voice whispered in my ear "Mary, wake up. We are here. We have landed."

I opened my eyes slowly and took a gaze outside my window. It was true. I had finally arrived in Fiji.

I remember boarding the flight in complete exhaustion from my busy week prior in Ventura. I walked down the aisle of Air Pacific's flight 811 where I found myself awarded the very last seat in the plane parallel to the toilets. A lovely Fijian woman took her seat next to me and began telling me her life story. Her Fijian accented voice was soft , subtle and sweet. Her green eyes were glowing brightly amongst her tanned sun-kissed skin. She had been visiting the US because one of her 5 children was attending University in San Diego. She proceeded to tell me how much she loved the US and how lucky we are to live here. I agreed with her but honestly all I could think about was how awful of a check in I had combined with the hustle and bustle of the LAX airport frenzy. As she continued to speak, I envisioned crystal clear water refreshing my pale skin, green palm trees blowing in the wind, perfect Fijian swells and the next 14 days of pure bliss aboard the Tui Tai. Our conversation banter continued about an hour before we finally lifted off the runway. The last thing I remember her telling me was, " Mary, you are going to the island of Nami. It is sacred, magical and identifies beautiful." Suddenly my eyelids began to feel heavy, my attention slowly faded and I was out like a light.

Our crew consists of 5 female surfers, two photographers (one from LA and one from National Geographic Magazine), Tim the tour guide, a female yoga instructor, one family vacationing with us and apparently 18 staff members aboard the 140 foot yacht known as the Tui Tai.

We are currently sitting in a local hotel getting to know one another, reading magazines, sipping on Fiji Water, cyber spacing, and killing time before we head onto our next adventure. Due to the large amount of surfboards and equipment we cannot take a small inter island flight to our destination. We will be enjoying our first sights of Fiji by a 3 hour taxi ride followed by a 13 hour ferry ride. If all goes as planned we will be boarding the Tui Tai sometime tomorrow morning, November 24th, Fijian time.


Check out the gorgeous boatt http://www.tuitai.com/


Ill try to email again soon but I doubt I will have much reception after this point.

Bula and Cheers!


Mary

Peirpont Hotel Surf Packages

I have recently teamed up Pierpont Racquet Club and Inn with Surf-Spa-Sleep packages.

Click here for more information

The Californian Need a little fun in the sun? Learn to ride the waves with surf lessons by professional surfer Mary Osborne and spend the day enjoying the sun, sand and surf that only California can offer. After a thrilling day at the beach, return to the Pierpont Inn for a restful nights sleep in one of our beautiful guestrooms and in the morning feast on a delicious breakfast while overlooking the ocean at Austen’s. One night accommodations Upgrade to an ocean view if available Breakfast for two in our ocean view restaurant 1 ½ hour surf lessons with Mary Osborne, professional surfer Board and wet suit provided $299.00 (double occupancy) Reservations need to be booked by calling the hotel. Two weeks advance reservations are required.

We also include full spa treatments. Please email or call for more information