Sun Kissed Beach Bum Chick Sticks Interview ~ Chick Sticks Girls Only!

http://www.sunkissedbeachbum.com/2012/10/chick-sticks-girls-only.html

 

http://www.chicksticksbylola.com

Chick Sticks - Girls Only

Monday October 22, 2012

I have recently been trying out lots of new surf boards, trying to find a shape and size that suits me - I want to find one that is good for my current skill level, but also helps me progress faster... much, much faster! It did not occur to me that I might consider looking for a board that was custom made for girls... until that is, I spoke to Lola Blake.

Lola Blake is the owner of Chick Sticks - the only surfboard brand in the US that offers performance boards specifically designed for women. Chick Sticks provides a whole range of shapes - a Grom Thruster, Competitive Thruster, Fish, Egg, Fun Shape and Mini Longboard shapes. And they all include a 5 fin option set up, for versatility.

Chick Sticks also produces skate boards for girls. Take a look at what they offer at the Chick Sticks website, and Facebook pages - Chick Sticks and Chick Sticks Bomb Squad.

I asked Lola why Chick Sticks Surf Boards are more suitable for girls than other brands... and here's what she said:

Chick Sticks starts with the highest quality blanks and offers the cutting edge board designs that the top guys' brands offer. Besides being Performance Shapes that cater to every wave condition and surf ability, from the beginner to the competitive surfer, Chick Sticks has made every board model 'Girl Friendly'. Softer noses, narrower tails for easier duck dives, a little more foam in all the right places for easier paddling and to get in to the waves. The deck widths fit a girl’s body better. My brand has been R&D tested by girls. My shapes were developed by me and my shaper. I’m a Girl brand making shapes designed for Girls and they work.

When did you start the business? What gave you the idea?

I started having custom boards shaped for me in 2010 - they were turning out really sick and working really well for me. I wanted the 5-fin egg shapes and the fun fishes, but the guys' brands I was buying were too wide, too big or too thin in the tail. I’m super petite and just carrying them was a drag.

My friends loved my boards and wanted them too. One thing led to another and I decided to offer other girls what I had figured out. Sick looking performance surfboards modified for Girls, so they are easier to surf and look awesome. It was never supposed to be a business, it became one officially January 2011. I am just super Stoked to share Chick Sticks with Girls wanting to get in to surfing or take their surfing to the next level. My brand is all about Girl Power, empowering Girls to be the best they can be through surfing and skateboarding.

How long have you been surfing?

I have been surfing only 5 years and am still a work in progress. I did my time on the long boards and learned to surf on my surf instructors 5.9 fish. Everyone told me I couldn't learn on a Shortboard but I could ONLY learn to surf on a Shortboard. The whole reason I started having custom boards made with all these changes was so that I could learn to surf on a shorty. And that's the whole motivation behind Chick Sticks and how it came about. You can learn to surf on all my boards except the Little Screamer. But I might have to take that back because I just had a 10 year old go from an 8.0 foamie to my Little Screamer and she is tearing it up in the white wash and moving to open face waves. She was up on it the first time out. That's what makes what I do so rewarding, my boards work. When I get an email from a girl thanking me it seriously touches me so much, because I love and believe in what I do with all of my heart.

Living at the beach in Costa Rica, I will not get a chance to try one of Lola's boards any time soon. So, if you've tried a Chick Sticks surf board I would love to hear about it - send us a message to tell us what shape you have ridden and what you thought!