Surfer Style 101: Tag Along for a Beach Day with Billabong's Pro Riders
Say aloha to Hawaii's North Shore, where we hung out with Billabong's too-cool, globetrotting women's surf team. The occasion? The annual Pipe Masters, during which the men's division vies for the top title.
For the girls, it's a week when they get to chill, soak in some rays, and catch up (since they're based all over the world). But for Laura Enever, Felicity Palmateer, Alessa Quizon, and Frankie Harrer, it doesn't take long before they're behaving like BFFs... because they pretty much are. The girls travel together and share a serious love for the ocean. On the shore, they eat together, surf together, and hang almost non-stop. Though, of course, they've each got their own style, from Felicity's boho-cool vibe to Alessa's edgy sensibility. "We all have unique looks—they show who we are," says Alessa. "Laura is edgy, and Frankie is the young one, so you see her style change as she gets older."
Stoked to check it out for yourself? Click through to see the girls' style sensibility. Surf's up!
1/26These four A-list athletes can shred—that's for sure—but they've also got the most rad, relad aesthetic around.
2/26Felicity, 21, draws designs with watercolor and ink. This fall, Billabong will release a capsule collection of T-shirts featuring her art, including this pale pink tank. "I draw most of my inspiration from the ocean because I’m in it all the time," she says. "It’s also a nice link to the conservation work I’ve been doing. It’s a different kind of thing that no one’s really doing in the surfing world, and it’s nice to have on the side to take my mind off the pressure of competing."
Select items of Felicity’s artwork are for sale on Etsy.
3/26Bold black sandals with doubled tassels? Super sweet. Felicity’s favorite kicks come from Windsor Smith, an Australian line.
4/26When surfing's on the agenda, a floral-print romper makes for a quick, cute cover-up over a bikini. "I like to slather myself with sunscreen because I stay in the water for more than three hours sometimes," says Alessa, 19. "During the day, I really like comfortable clothes, but I like to show a little skin. So I wear a lot of crop tops and shorts."
5/26Edgy additions like leather and a hat amp up simple separates. "If I’m not on the beach, I’m in my boots," Laura says. "If I love a pair a boots, I’ll buy them three times. It sucks when you love a pair of boots so much and you wear them to death, and you don’t have anything else to back them up. So I’ve got like three of these pairs [she scored ’em on Sole Struck], and then I’ve also got another pair of boots I’m in love with right now. They sent them twice accidentally, so I was like, ’Perfect’."
6/26"I’m always on Style.com because I love to see the latest photos and try to mix and match everything that’s on the runway into my own style," Laura says. "There are so many women out there that are doing amazing things with fashion. I was just reading a great interview with Rihanna the other day. She starts the trends. She was like, ’I can’t follow trends.’"
7/26On the beach, the girls are totally in their element. "I think this year's been cool for my surfing because it's improved, and I've been working with a coach," says Frankie, 15. "I'm training a lot and competing in bigger contests. I think it's cool. My surfing is evolving into more my style."
8/26Felicity and Laura both grew up in Australia. "I love Dion Lee and Windsor Smith," says Felicity. "There are a lot of smaller boutiques too. I love Spell Design, which is up in Byron Bay. They sell really boho clothing."
What’s on Laura’s radar? "I love Josh Goot and Dion Lee," Laura says. "There are some small ones as well like Winston Wolfe, which is designed by one of the pro surfer’s girlfriends—it’s all leather garments. Its rad."
9/26From bright red to stark white, each girl personalizes her board a bit differently.
10/26"A lot of teenagers aren't confident," says Frankie. "You just have to be happy with who you are. It radiates good energy when someone is really confident and happy with themselves."
11/26"My best surfing moment was surfing in Iceland," says Laura. "I hate the cold, but I had to brave it. I had all the gear on: Booties, a full suit, a helmet, and a hoodie. You pretty much look like a seal, and it was just rad to go surf. Also to be with icebergs was pretty crazy."
12/26"Earlier this year, I went to the Galapagos Islands and teamed up with Shark Savers to count sharks," says Felicity. "You can be anywhere in the world and log on to this website, Shark Savers, and you record what you saw, like if you saw one whitetip reef shark. The purpose is to track migration and the numbers and stuff. It was really cool. They’re really majestic—swimming with them is almost peaceful. I thought I would be really scared but there were literally hundreds of them and it was beautiful. It’s something I’ll never forget."
13/26"All my surfboards are pretty bold in color, and I still go bold with my wetsuits," Felicity says. "I love Billabong’s Surf Capsule because it’s so bright. You stand out when you’re in the water. Make a statement—why not?"
14/26A gray cover-up with cut-out detailing provides cool contrast against Alessa’s Surf Capsule wetsuit top. She picked up the kimono-style topper in Hawaii.
15/26"I started surfing at the age of four," says Alessa, who grew up in Hawaii. "Just having my dad push me into little waves, and pushing me into bigger waves as I got older. I started to get competitive when I was 10 years old, and that's when I won my first competition."
16/26"My friend made this necklace," says Laura. "She's called Head or Tails? and she hand stamps them all herself. They're pretty cute. I'm lucky to have such creative friends."
17/26"Be yourself, and don't take life too seriously," Laura says. "Especially for us as surfers, we're always in bikinis and dealing with this and that pressure. You just have to not care and put it in the back of your mind. There is so much stuff out there that you think matters and it actually doesn't. I think sexiness shines through in personality more so than in looks."
18/26Salty air, ocean hair. "I spend so much money on shampoo and conditioner, it’s ridiculous," says Alessa. "My hair is so bad that I literally try everything just to keep it maintained and from frizzing out. It gets so bleached from the sun." Her brand of choice? Kérastase.
19/26"I always try to wake up early, around 6 AM," says Felicity. "I need a lot of sleep—I like to get nine hours. I'll always have a green tea first or lemon water and then I'll have a coffee. I really love my coffee. I've only started to get into it over the last year but I'll have a coffee with three shots. That wakes me up. I go check the surf and I'll probably just put on something really simple—either a crop top, maxi skirt, or just a basic little dress. I sometimes go check the surf in my pajamas."
20/26The girls get in most of their workout time in the water, but hiking calls for a whole new look. Alessa pairs a Free People bomber jacket with crisscrossed leggings she found at Fashion Island.
21/26A flowy Billabong tank stands out against the gilded popover.
22/26Our last stop? Shave ice, of course! For this the girls choose clothing much more neutral than their rainbow-colored deserts.
23/26Frankie plays with plaid in an Equipment jacket. "I shop online a lot," she says. "I really like Rag & Bone. Their jeans are my favorite jeans. I think they have the best fit. I wear them all the time."
24/26"I love to be edgy and bold and pretty crazy," Laura says. "I actually wore a pair of the Surf Capsule wetsuit pants to an event that we had in Sydney a couple weeks ago. They’re complete neoprene. I wore them with a leather top, a blazer, and some Alexander Wang heels. It was actually one of the coldest nights of the year so it was perfect."
25/26"A maxi suits my body because I have some curves, and I usually wear a crop top with it," says Felicity. "I really like those at the moment. And because I'm a little bit shorter, I'll tie a knot on the side to keep the skirt from touching the ground."
26/26"I’m in love with jewelry," says Alessa. "I always wear rings and cuff bracelets. I wear a stone ring; the stone’s like the ones you find in the ocean. I have one bracelet from Free People with a moon on one side and a sun on the other." All that, plus some killer temporary tattoos.
