Surfing is so many things; it is the ocean, the boards, the swell, but more than anything else, surfing is about the people. Kate Merrick surfed and grew up with the best of the best in the industry. She married Britt Merrick, son of Channels Islands Surfboards founder Al Merrick, and current owner and head shaper at Channel Islands. For Kate, surfing has not only been about tucking into perfect barrels and getting to travel with WSL Championship Tour, it has been about family, friendship, and the deep emotional relationships she builds through a common love of surfing.
Kate exudes so much love and kindness it is truly contagious. You see it in her relationship with her 10 year old daughter, Fifi ,in the way she talks about her husband, Britt, and the friendships she builds in her community near Carpenteria, CA. To be so full of love and life is rare. From the second Eva, Cara, and I met Kate, we felt at home in her welcoming environment. Kate makes it feel safe to be human, raw, and open.
Kate and daughter Fifi surfing Rincon together. Kate is wearing the Kat Bodysuit in Black. Fifi is wearing the Maddie One Piece.
Her key to acceptance and a fulfilling life? Investing. That doesn’t mean putting money in the stock market, it means investing in your relationships. Kate says, “Invest in your community. As far as your friend groups, those are the people who are going to get you through hard times.” Invest in your daughter and bring her out for a beach day, take time to get to know the new woman in the lineup and cheer her on when she catches a wave. Invest in relationships that are difficult; support a friend through loss or hold a loved one’s hand when they need a pick-me-up. Those small acts of kindness will come back ten fold because kindness is contagious, and Kate is living proof of that.
Throughout her time at Channels Islands (CI) and before, Kate invested in the people around her, and she learned this lesson from her mother in law Terry Merrick. “My mother in law invested in me, and spent time with me, and it was so special.” For Kate, CI is a family, and she chooses to hold her mother-in-law’s legacy high by being the ‘mom’ at CI. Kate is always asking everyone what’s going on in their lives, encouraging them to pursue their dreams, and lending a helping hand whenever needed. She wants everyone that works for CI and anyone who comes into the shop to feel welcome. “I tell them (the CI team) hey, every single person that walks through this door, you're gonna respect them, you're gonna say hello, you're gonna help them out. I don't care if you think someone's a kook. Without them, we don't have jobs and that's just not cool. We're not too cool because we work here.”
As one of the most famous surfboard companies in the world, CI has a stacked team of pro surfers including Mikey February, Lakey Peterson, Dane Reynolds, and Sage Erickson, but as long as you’re respectful, Kate believes that everyone deserves a spot in the lineup regardless of their prestige. “He (Britt) works with the top surfers in the whole world, but me personally, the people I love and the vast majority of surfers are not professional surfers. I think that's cool. I think there's space for everybody.”
Kate and Fifi running down the beach at Rincon, their home break. Kate is wearing the Kat Bodysuit in Black. Fifi is wearing the Maddie One Piece.
You don't have to have grown up in the ideal surf town, have started surfing when you could walk or have beachy blonde hair to be a surfer. You just need to be respectful, care about the people around you, and find the passion. Kate believes that if you see something go after it! Pursue your dream job, your crush, learning to surf! It is never too late and there is never a better time to start than right now. “Don't wait for it to happen to you. You just don't know. There's no guarantees in life.” You don’t have to be a professional surfer, if you’re 50 and have never caught your first wave, go to Costco and buy a foamy (even Kate still rides her foamy and loves it)! “Too many women get to be 40 or 50, and they're like, dang, if I only did this, this and this. But a lot of things, a lot of goals, take a long time. And so if you want to start surfing, girl, you get in the water today, you don't wait, because it's gonna be a few years before you can actually ride the whole wave.”
Kate in her garden and some local produce. Kate is wearing the Valentina in Mandarina.
But surfing is not Kate’s entire life. She can go weeks without getting in the water. “To be honest with you guys, I wish I had more time to surf. But I am also not that sad about it. I'm like, ebb and flow, ebb and flow.” Kate has other passions outside of the water. Five minutes after arriving at Kate’s modern farmhouse oasis she had already made smoothie bowls, pulled out her homebrewed kombucha, and taught us how to make sourdough discard crackers! You truly taste the love that Kate puts into everything she makes. It is clear that Kate loves working with her hands, whether it is in her garden that is exploding with squash or behind the chopping block, Kate is a maker. Kate loves cooking, but more than anything she loves her people and wants to see them fulfilled and happy. “Having children changed my relationship with surfing, and it wasn’t an obsession anymore. It was more of an accessory, something to make your life better, but not the thing that is your life anymore.” That is an important lesson for everyone; surfing is an accessory to life.
Kate and Fifi in their surfboard garage. Kate is wearing the Valentina in Mandarina. Fifi is wearing the Lido One Piece.
As much as it can be an obsession, what really makes surfing special are the relationships that we forge through time spent in the water. Whether you are strengthening your relationship with yourself, your friends, or loved ones, time spent surfing is about more than catching the ‘perfect wave’. The ‘perfect wave’ is few and far between. Unless you have the ability to quit your job and chase swell all year around you’re probably spending a lot of time riding small, choppy waves or waiting for the next swell to arrive. Which means, you need to find what makes surfing valuable to you! Is it time spent with friends, honing your personal style, or a love for the ocean and all its beauty? Whatever it is, hold onto that and know that this sport has space for everyone to find their own version of what makes surfing special.
“Be confident in who you are. When I was younger, I think I tried to surf like a man. I felt like I had something to prove, and it didn't take me too much longer to realize you don't have to be anybody else. You be yourself. And whether you have a very feminine surf style or a very masculine surf style, whether you shred waves, whether you are just learning, be confident. And I think that confidence is an encouragement in the water to anyone, no matter if they're an old guy or like you, just do your thing and be yourself.”
To everyone who surfs or wants to start, get inspiration from the people that have forged the path before you, but remember there is no one way to be a surfer. Your personal style is EVERYTHING, and it is what makes surfing so special. There is no goal in surfing, no ball that has to go through the net to score a point. The beauty in surfing is the creativity, the ability to use your board as a paintbrush and the wave as a canvas. “The more women that go into the water feeling confident, the more it's accepted, and the more it's celebrated, and the more it's welcomed.” Welcome everyone, and welcome personal style. The world and the waves are more beautiful with a little confidence, creativity, and style.
Kate and Fifi, like mother, like daughter. Kate is wearing the Kat Bodysuit in black (left) and the the Valentina in Mandarina (right). Fifi is wearing the Alya One Piece in Shortcake.
When you’re in the water, support your people! Hype them up when they get their first green wave, cheer someone on when they catch the wave of the day, and give a peer a helping hand when they fall. Don't just do this in the water, support your people in all aspects of life, even when it gets difficult.
The best advice Kate ever received was from her husband Britt, and it’s simple: “We are on the same team.” Kate’s life has been filled with so much beauty, but also hardship. She lost her first daughter to cancer, a heartbreak no parent should ever have to endure. Through this experience, she learned what it meant to be on the same team. Remember that even when life gets difficult or you are having a hard time, the people who love you and care about you, are always on your team and you need to treat them with kindness and respect. “Leave someone better than you found them.” We all have bad days, but the relationships we build are sacred, and fostering them is a choice we get to make every day.
Fifi cheering on her mom as she catches a waves. Kate is wearing the Kat Bodysuit in Black. Fifi is wearing the Maddie One Piece.
So, why do we love surfing? For everyone the answer is different, but for Kate it is clear. Surfing brought Kate closer to everyone she loves. Kate met her husband through surfing, many of her closest friends, and she has shared the water with her children and family. At 19, Kate was obsessed with surfing. At the time, maybe it was more of a selfish act, but soon all the peaks and valleys of life began to materialize and surfing became less about catching the biggest waves and more about the people that you spend your time with. “My life is infinitely more beautiful and more painful than I ever thought it would be when I was 19. But I wouldn't trade any of it. It's so much richer than I ever knew it could be.”
Thank you to Kate Merrick and her family for opening their hearts and home to Cara, Eva, and I. We are infinitely grateful for Kate’s kindness, vulnerability, and wisdom. She is truly an incredible human.
Check out Kate's Seea Selection!
More In the Studio With:
- Heather Hardison surf artist
- Lara Einzig writer and stylist
