Surf Sister Austrailia CHICK STICKS Interview

 

 

Narani Henson Producer 0410 837 854 (02) 6685 9651 narani@surfsister.com.au We Love To Surf www.surfsister.com.au

 

Surf Sister Magazine

Chick Sticks ~

 

SURF SISTER:  Can you tell us the story behind the start up of Chick Sticks?  You talk about your boards being " A full line of girls and womens Performance surfboards with girl friendly shapes" can you talk about this in more detail please?

 

LOLA:  I was always buying ‘guys’ boards because I wanted a performance board.  The selection for girls is terrible.  All the girls’ boards I saw had no shape whatsoever and you can barely turn on them and they weren’t even cool looking.  When I was first starting out everyone was trying to put me on a 9.0 longboard, which I did and I hated it.  I’m five feet tall and a little over a hundred pounds and when I stopped listening to everyone and starting riding the little fishes and thruster shapes the guys were riding I finally felt in control.  I got sick of being stuck on the inside with a huge heavy board.  Once I learned how to duck dive on the smaller boards Surfing got really fun and started to feel more comfortable to me. 

 

When I stopped buying used boards and I started having customs made I knew what I wanted.  I wanted a board with a little more foam so I could catch waves easier, not as wide so I could carry it, a softer nose and tail so it was more forgiving and easier to ride and definitely some rocker so there’s less pearling.  The boards I was having shaped were working so well, I was learning to surf on little 5.6 to 5.9 short boards.  I never planned on Chick Sticks being a company but once I started making them for myself, and my friends loved my boards it was like, I have to make these for other girls.  I started my business officially last year and its growing like crazy. I have shops carrying them and sales reps and I consider myself so blessed to be doing what I’m doing.  Of course I’m not the shaper, Luiz Masuzzo is my shaper.  He and I took thruster, egg, fish, fun board and longboard shapes, literally every shape you can make a surfboard and with my input made them girl friendly and easier to ride.  My board models are all my own programs, my own shapes.

 

And by super performance, my shorties are the same shapes the guys who rip surf.  Five of my eight board line up are five fin options including my 7.0, 8.0 and 9.0 Bad Betty longboard.  I just love my boards, they are Awesome!!  And they all come with full paint and you don’t pay extra.  I’m getting into some tomboy designs this year, I design my own paint sprays it is so fun to be creative.  I have models for the Grommie Girl, a total beginner just starting out, intermediate, advanced competitive surfer girls on up to 3 sizes of longboard.  I truly make a board for every girl and every level of surfer.  

 

SURF SISTER:  How long have you been surfing/skating/snowboarding for?

 

LOLA:  I’ve been Skateboarding my entire life, that's my first love actually. When I was a kid I skated after school with my friends and all day on the weekends. I Love Skating, it’s so fun!! And you can basically do it anywhere. I grew up in Santa Barbara close to the beach and I surfed a couple times but really only got in to Surfing 4 1/2 years ago. I’ve had my share of accidents out there, stitches in my head from the fins, broken bones, blown out knee so my surfing progression has been slow and Ive been out of the water because of injurys several times unfortunately but I’ve always Loved the sport. I’ve always seen it as a beautiful and sexy sport that is so unpredictable because every day the conditions are different and every wave is different.  I Love to be out in the water and a pod of dolphins comes by.  I can’t think of a more beautiful place to be.  I’m not a huge snowboarder because even thou the drive isn’t that bad to get to the mountains in So Cal I don’t get to go very often.  It is important to me to take my trademarked concept of Girl Friendly Surfboards and Skateboards and make the progression to manufacturing Snowboards.  I have a shaper and will be introducing Chick Sticks Snowboards this Fall.  I’m really excited!! 

 

SURF SISTER:  Can you tell us a bit about surf culture in CA?

 

LOLA:  I honestly think that is so accepted here to be a Surfer that its not uncommon for me to see guys, young and old, arrive down at my Surf Spot in their business suits on their lunch break heading out for a Sesh and then quickly changing and going back to work.  Also, its tough getting boards made when theres swell LOL shapers, glassers, painters, they are pretty much going to get a surf in no matter what.  And I love to see families out with their little ones, teaching them how to surf.  It’s awesome to live in a place (Southern California) where the climate and the breaks are so mild you can literally surf every day if you wanted to.  And there’s literally a Surf Shop on almost every corner, I love it.   

 

SURF SISTER:  How many ladies are in the water at your local break?

 

LOLA:  I do see more Girls down at my break during Summer.  The Girl there that is the most rippingest and surfs almost every day I recruited to run my Chick Sticks Surf School!!  I love my break because on one side are the Warm Water Jetties where the pros come to surf when they are in town and to the South is Terramar a nice longboard break and then my friends and I surf in the middle.  Just a mellow break, although it can get really huge during winter swell.  I Love small waves, I just want to have fun so when it’s really big I stay out and like to take pictures of the Rippers doing their thing.   

 

 

Your Bio:

 

Lola Blake

Owner, Chick Sticks

Chick Sticks Factory

3052 Industry St, Ste 106

Oceanside, CA USA 92054

www.chicksticksbylola.com

chicksticksgirl@aol.com

(760) 908-8600