For our 2020 Collection, we flipped the cameras to face our behind-the-scenes family, featuring the women who make Seea come to life every day and care relentlessly. Now, we shine a spotlight on the girls and kids in our extended family!
A lot has changed since we piled into our VW vans and played in the shorebreak at SanO here at home and collected party waves galore on vacation in Waikiki in Hawaii. But some things stay constant: being grateful for our health, staying connected with our community, and that sunny beach days with friends will come back soon.
We caught up with two of our favorite Seea Girls: Madeline (Maddie) Miller Rubalcaba and Luluhia Leleo Babe Blomfield Kane, both 14-years-old, to reminisce about Hawaii and how they are keeping their grommette fires stoked through the summer—even if it looks different this year.
Maddie wears the Maddie One Piece for Girls in Neo.
"Hawaii is a really special place for me and my family. My grandma has been going there since she was my age, and my mom started visiting there when she was 17 to surf. I just love the waves, there are so many different options to surf! Also the beautiful water and weather!" - Maddie
Luluhia wears the Lido One Piece for Girls in Neo.
This season we are celebrating our Seea community, like you! Tell us about your best surfing friends and why you love them.
Maddie: What I love so much about surfing is that I have made so many friends of all ages that surf. I like to go to different spots around San Diego and I love that there is much community. You can paddle out anywhere and have a friend in the lineup! It’s amazing how surfing can bring everyone together. I really love the Club Coalition contests that are held all throughout California. It’s a fun time to surf with friends I normally don't get to surf with.
Luluhia: My best surfing friends are my family and close friends. I surf with my brothers and sisters which is so much fun! It’s great to all be in the line up together, catching waves and having fun. I also surf a lot with a crew of girls who are like my older sisters, Brooke Dombroski Berry, Malia Murphey, Ari McNamara, Kehau Ai, Melissa Jasiny, Mahina Garcia and Roxy Facer. I love surfing with them! It’s such a good vibe! Encouraging, and full of cheering for each other, lots of aloha! When I surf with my cousin Honolua Blomfield, and my Uncle Kolohe Blomfield, I feel like I really gain confidence in my surfing.
From left, Maddie wears the Lido One Piece for Girls in Mesa and Luluhia wears the Lido One Piece for Girls in Neo.
Tell us about your style! Who inspires your surf style and what you like to wear?
Maddie: I really like vintage and thrift shopping. My favorite thing to find is old Hang Ten shirts or high-waisted vintage shorts, like Levi's. I am lucky to have a mom who is really good at finding cute vintage items that fit and I love. I am really inspired by the '60s and '70s eras especially the clothing and music.
Luluhia: My style is a mix of beach vibe, Hawaiian vintage sprinkled with bling. My mom inspires my surf style and what I like to wear. Love rocking her clothes :)
From left, Hazel wears the Chimi Jumpsuit in Neo and Annabel wears the Chimi Jumpsuit in Mirage.
Because we are trying to help save lives by reducing the spread of COVID-19, the beaches were closed for the past few months. How did it feel to be restricted from surfing?
Maddie: It was definitely hard not being able to surf but I took the time to practice guitar, listen to music, and ride my skateboard. It has really given me a new perspective to not take anything for granted.
Luluhia: In Hawai’i we can surf, swim and dive. The beaches and parks are closed, you have to go straight to the ocean and then leave. No being on the beach at all. The surf breaks have been extremely crowded and it feels pretty sketchy and weird to be in the line up with a lot of people during this time when we need to social distance. I have only surfed twice in the last 7 weeks because I don’t feel comfortable and can’t really practice social distancing in a crowded line up.
Has this experience changed the way you think about being able to go to the beach freely, being healthy, and the health of your community? If so, why?
Maddie: Yes, I feel like this has taught me to not take anything for granted, especially your health, surfing and all the little things that make up daily life, like getting a burrito at my favorite Mexican restaurant with friends! I also realized how important it is to work together as a community and support small businesses!
Luluhia: It has made me even more thankful to be from a family of watermen/women, with the lifestyle we live. The ocean and surrounding mountains are so much a part of our daily life, it feels surreal to not be able to be at the beach freely. During this time we are all trying to stay healthy, by eating healthier and staying at home.
Annabel wears the Chimi Jumpsuit in Mirage.
Are you worried about climate change? Why are a clean beach, clean ocean, and clean air important to you and what do you think you can do about it?
Maddie: With COVID-19, I feel like the one positive outcome is that the earth got a little time to heal. We only have one earth, one ocean. The ocean is the largest ecosystem on earth, it is our planet's life support system. If we do not start taking better care and thinking responsibly, what will be left for my generation and generations to come? I hope that the one thing people can take away from the Covid-19 is how important our Earth is and if we work together we can stop the worst effects of climate change.
Luluhia: I am concerned about climate change. I have been raised to always be appreciative of our islands, ocean, mountains, and nature overall. I have been taught to malama (to take care) of our environment. A lot of our North Shore community is about sustainability and protecting our oceans so there is a lot of awareness and the community is implementing eco-friendly alternatives to things like take-out plates, no plastic, beach clean-ups, composting, farmer's markets, etc. I come from a family of 12 and we try to do our part by recycling, limiting our plastic use, composting, growing vegetables and fruit trees and we also make sure to pick up opala (trash) at the beach or in the ocean when we see it.
Annabel wears the Doheni Rashguard in Mirage.
This summer might look different, but it will still be summer! What are you looking forward to?
Maddie: I am definitely sad that there is a possibility summer may be different, but I am looking forward to the day that I get to hang out on the beach with friends and surf all day! I will never take a cloudy, windy, not-so-great beach day for granted ever again!
Luluhia: This summer I am looking forward to diving, surfing and hopefully hanging out with friends and family at the beach.
