Talk with surfer girl Lydia Ricard. (FR/EN)

The first time I saw Lydia was on an impromptu trip to Tofino several summers ago. I was joining a friend who was spending summer there and we decided to go for a walk on the beach to take some pictures and watch the waves. That day, it was quite rainy and we decided to stay warm rather than go into the water. The moment was mild and the waves followed one another naturally. There was no one in the water until we saw a small group of girls descending stairs, wetsuits on & longboards in hands, entering the water so gently and in harmony with the swell. From a distance, we observed the girls chaining the waves, dancing on their boards and laughing. There was definitely an ease in their style but one girl with long golden hair stood out among them all, who danced particularly well and whom my friend then pointed out to me: "She's Lydia, pro surfer who has been living here for several years now and who devotes his life to surfing. She is talented and so natural in the water.

The first time I saw Lydia was on an impromptu trip to Tofino several summers ago. I was joining a friend who was spending the summer there and we decided to go for a walk to the beach to take some photos and watch the waves. That day it was quite rainy and we decided to stay warm rather than go in the water. The moment was gentle and the waves followed each other naturally. There was no one in the water until we saw a small group of girls coming down the stairs, wetsuits on & longboards in hand, entering the water so gently and in harmony with the swell. From a distance, we watched the girls ride waves, dance on their boards and laugh. There was definitely a remarkable ease in their style but, standing out among them all , was a girl with long, golden hair , who danced particularly well , and that my friend pointed at me: “She is Lydia, a pro surfer who has lived here for several years already and who devotes her life to surfing. She is talented and so natural in the water. I would like to surf like her. »

We have always dreamed of having an Othersea Ambassador who could excel in a sport, especially surfing. This lifestyle close to the ocean, in harmony with the elements, has always joined us.

A few years later, life officially introduced us and a nice collaboration followed.

Today, we are lucky to have Lydia in the Othersea ambassadors team and above all, to see her evolve in her sport and in her life as an entrepreneur.

If her story still hasn't crossed your path, here is how to summarize her journey:

After first surfing in Costa Rica about 10 years ago, Lydia never stopped surfing. Originally from Quebec, it is the ocean and the lifestyle that surrounds surfing that brought her to the West Coast of Canada, to Tofino where she now lives.

Big dreams and many sacrifices later, she is now a full-time surf coach and owner of the “GOOFY CLUB” clothing line.

We always dreamed of having an Othersea Ambassador who could excel in a sport, especially surfing. This way of life close to the ocean, in harmony with the elements, has always joined us .

A few years later, life officially introduced us and a lovely collaboration ensued .

Today, we are lucky to have Lydia in the Othersea ambassador team and , above all, to see her evolve in her sport and in her life as an entrepreneur. 

If his story has still not crossed your path, here is how to summarize his journey: 

After surfing for the first time in Costa Rica about 10 years ago, Lydia never stopped surfing. Originally from Quebec, it was the ocean and the lifestyle surrounding surfing that brought her to the West Coast of Canada in Tofino, where she now lives.

Big dreams and many sacrifices later, she is now a full-time surf coach and owner of the “GOOFY CLUB” clothing line. 

Just to know her better, here are some questions we were dying to ask her. :) 

To get to know her even better, here are some questions we couldn't wait to ask her.

Q&A

How do you like to describe yourself? // How do you like to describe yourself?

I would say that I am determined, driven and passionate about what I put my head into. When I have a goal in mind, I will not let go until it is reached, and will pour my whole heart into it. I am very loyal and caring to the people that I love, and very honest (a little too much sometimes!) 

I would say that I am determined, motivated and passionate about the things that inspire me. When I have a goal in mind, I will not let go until it is achieved. I am very loyal and caring to the people I love and very honest (a little too much sometimes!)

Your biggest dream? // Your biggest dream ? 

It keeps evolving and changing, but I think that all I can dream of is a mix of travel, surfing, friends & family, love, delicious food, a beautiful home. All I want is a meaningful life where I feel that I am making a difference in people's lives.

It's something that continues to evolve and change, but I think all I can dream of is a mix of travel, surfing, friends and family, love, good food and a beautiful house. All I want is a life where I feel like I'm making a difference in people's lives.

Your favorite thing about what you do in life? // Your favorite thing about what you do in life?

When I am coaching surfing and I see a spark in people's eyes when something just “clicked” and they look back at me saying “I did it!!”. That's a very special thing that never gets old. It warms my heart and makes me so happy. It reminds me that I am meant to be where I am. :)

When I'm coaching surfing and I see a sparkle in people's eyes , when something just “clicked” and they look at me and say , “I did it!!” , it 's a very special moment that I will never forget . It proves to me that I'm in the right place.

Favorite place? Your favorite place?

I do love where I live. Tofino is so very special. It has mountains, forests, oceans, and lakes. It pretty much has everything I could ever dream of. (if only it was a little warmer it would absolutely be perfect ;)!). It is the place where I discovered my best self and created a life around the ocean. I still haven't found a place that I would rather be. Every time I travel, I am happy to come home and that says a lot. I have traveled to a lot of places and every single time, when I am driving home, I am always in awe of the landscape.

I adore the place where I live. Tofino is so magical . The mountains, the forest, the ocean, the lakes, it's pretty much everything I could dream of. ( If only it was a little warmer, it would be absolutely perfect ;)!). It's the place where I discovered the best in myself and created a life around the ocean. I still haven't found a place I'd rather be. Every time I travel, I'm happy to come home, and that says a lot. I have traveled to many places and , every time I return home, I always fall in love with my paradise again .

Most inspiring woman? // The woman who inspires you the most? 

There are quite a few women who have inspired me to do what I do now, but for the past 7-8 years, there are two women who inspired me to be who I am now. I am lucky enough to now call them friends. There is Krissy Montgomery, owner of Surf Sister Surf School, who took me under her wing and who could see my potential from the very beginning, and always supported my surfing. And on the other hand there is Laurie Boudreault, owner of Merge Goods, who has such a beautiful eye for quality items and design. I think those two have a lot in common and I am so grateful to have them in my life. Both of them have successful businesses but also have a great work/life balance. They put their heart and soul into their work but they also take time to have fun with friends and travel. On top of that they both are great surfers ;).They are both very caring people who will always take time to help. Laurie & Krissy are living their lives the way that I hope to live mine. Doing what you love (& working hard at it!) and having fun.

There are quite a few women who have inspired me to do what I do now but , in the last 7-8 years, there are two women who have inspired me to be who I am now. There's Krissy Montgomery, owner of Surf Sister Surf School, who took me under her wing, saw my potential from the start and supported me in my progress. And the second is Laurie Boudreault, owner of Merge Goods, who has such a great eye for quality items and design . I think these two women have a lot in common, and I am so grateful to have them in my life. They each have successful businesses, but also have a great work/life balance. They put their heart and soul into their work, but also take the time to have fun with friends and to travel. On top of all that, they are both good surfers ;). Laurie and Krissy live their lives the way I hope to live mine. Doing what I love in life (and working hard at it!) while having fun!

What makes you feel pretty? // What makes you feel pretty?

Here in a rainy surf town, you will find most of the people in comfy clothes that are easy to get in/out, with wet hair and no makeup. I do have to say that I am very happy that the surfing lifestyle brought me the confidence to be natural and happy with the way I look with or without makeup. That being said, I do love an opportunity to dress up, and wear makeup and clothes that are not baggy once in a while haha.

Here in a rainy surf town, you'll find most people in comfortable clothes that are easy to put on and take off, with wet hair and no makeup. I have to say I'm glad the surfing lifestyle has given me the confidence to be natural and happy with the way I look with or without makeup. That being said, once in a while I love occasions where I can dress up nicely, in clothes that are less baggy, and wear makeup. Haha

Your favorite Othersea piece? // Your favorite Othersea song?

For surfing I really liked the Gaia top and the bottom Sun Break. I feel like it was the one that was staying in place the most while keeping me cute 😉 I also do love the Pictou bottoms, they make me feel sexy and confident with my curves.

For surfing, I really liked the Gaia top, and the Sul'side bottom. I feel like it was the one that stayed in place the most while still making me feel good about myself. I also love the Pictou bottom, which makes me feel sexy and confident with my curves.

What makes you feel comfortable with your body? // What makes you feel comfortable with your body?

For me, the mental side of things is huge. If I am active and eat well, I will feel good about my body. And if I don't take care of it, I will instantly feel less confident. Even if my body is the same one week from the other, when I am active and take care of myself, I will look at myself in a much more positive way. To be quite honest here, I also have gained quite a bit of weight in the past year or two and I have struggled with being confident in my body. But brands like Othersea and others that represent women of all shapes, really help me realize that all bodies are beautiful and that mine just looks the way it does and it's totally fine. :)

For me, the psychological side is what really makes the difference. If I am active and eat well, I will feel good about my body. If I'm not careful, I'm instantly less confident. Even though my body looks the same from week to week, when I'm active and taking care of myself, I see myself in a much more positive light. To be completely honest, I have gained weight over the past two years and have had a harder time accepting my physique. Companies like Othersea, which represent women in all their forms , really help me realize that all bodies are beautiful and that it's okay for mine to change over time . 🙂

What's your biggest fear? Your biggest fear ?

My biggest fear is to live my life without a purpose and to see it fly by wondering where did time go? Am I happy? Am I being the best version of myself? This is what drives me everyday. To do what feels good because we don't know what tomorrow will bring and I want to live my life, so if I die tomorrow, I will be happy with the life I lived.

My biggest fear is living my life without ambition and watching time pass and wondering where it went. Am I happy? Am I using my time in the best way? This is what drives me every day. Doing what makes me feel alive, because we don't know what tomorrow will bring.

How has surfing impacted your life? // What impact has surfing had on your life?

How can I say this in a simple way... Surfing changed everything! It changed the way I see life, the way I treat my body, the way I think, it gave me purpose and goals. I always ask myself what kind of person I would be if surfing did not take over! Surfing is just the best thing that happened to me.

How to put this in a simple way... Surfing changed everything! It changed the way I look at life, the way I treat my body, the way I think, it gave me a purpose in life. I always wonder what kind of person I would be if surfing hadn't changed everything. It's simply the best thing that ever happened to me.

What change would you like to see in the surfing industry? // What change would you like to see in the surf industry?

The change has already started but I would love to see more longboarding been put on the front lines, and taken seriously. It has been quite challenging being a longboarder AND a woman, which brings me at the bottom of the line for surfing's priorities. In contests, we always get the least amount of money (if we even get any), the worst times to compete, and are often not taken seriously because longboarding is “for beginners” or “just for fun”. Although I have to say that there has been quite some changes in the last 5-6 years with Devon Howards being in charge of the Longboard Tour, the WSL definitely stepped up their game in valorizing Traditional Longboarding, and to make it equal prizes between women and men, which influenced surfing communities all over the world. There is still a lot to improve but at least things are moving in the right direction.

The change has already started but I would like to see more longboards brought to the forefront and taken seriously. It's been pretty tough being a longboarder AND a woman, which takes me to the bottom of the surfing priority list. In competitions our prizes are always smaller (if we have any!), we have the worst times surfing and we are often not taken seriously, because longboarding is "for beginners" or "just for fun ". Although I have to say there have been quite a few changes over the last 5-6 years with Devon Howards in charge of the Longboard Tour, the WSL has definitely improved the conditions for longboarding. There's still a lot of room for improvement, but at least it's moving in the right direction.

If you could give advice to beginner surfer girls, what are the 3 most important things you wish you would have known? // If you could give advice to girls getting into surfing, what are the 3 most important things you wish you knew?

1) Get out there - Practice makes perfect. The more time you spend in the ocean, the quicker you will learn. And if you can't get in the ocean, there is a lot of land exercises you can do in the meantime. Watching videos help a lot too!

2) Ask for help - We can all learn it all by ourselves, but you will save SO much time by asking for feedback. You can ask your friends, or paddle to the best surfer you can see out there and ask them if they can give you one tip. Sometimes they might paddle away, but sometimes you will find people who are willing to help. I would simply not be where I am now if I did it all by myself. I am now here for you, don't be shy!

3) Get the right equipment - getting a longboard to start with will allow you to catch so many waves, which will make your progress way quicker. I see a lot of people trying to start on shorter boards and that will slow down your progress. Bigger board = more waves = more progress. It's that simple!

1) Go to the water. The more time you spend in the ocean, the faster you will learn. And if

you can't go into the ocean, there are plenty of exercises you can do on dry land. Watching videos helps a lot too!

2) Ask for Help – We can all learn on our own, but you will save SO much time by asking for help. You can ask your friends or swim to the best surfer and ask them if they can give you a tip. I simply wouldn't be where I am now if I hadn't sought help from more experienced surfers. It's my turn to help you, don't hesitate to ask me any questions! :)

3) Get the right equipment - getting a longboard to start with will allow you to catch as many waves, speeding up your progress. I see a lot of people trying to start on shortboards and it's slow their progress. Bigger board = more waves = more progress. As simple as that!