Welcome to Part III of Foam Magazine’s feature on inspirtional women in surfing. This week, check out Kassia Meador and Holly Beck. Read on for more!

Ocean Stylin’
Multitalented Kassia Meador holds the world — and ocean — in the palm of her hands
Words: Carly Milne/FOAM

Name: Kassia Meador
Age: 24
Hometown: Oceanside, CA
Occupation: Roxy longboarder (known as “the stylist”), founder of her own production company, host for Fuel TV

Ask Kassia Meador how she knew the surfing life was for her, and she’ll tell you her answer is totally cliché. “As corny as it sounds, I knew this was what I wanted to do the first time I stood up on a wave that didn’t break,” Meador says with a laugh. “I was hooked. I knew I wanted to surf for the rest of my life.”

But what she didn’t realize was that she could surf for the rest of her life, for both business and pleasure…which she did until a foot surgery sidelined her for six months. So, instead of surfing, Meador took photography classes and also launched a production company with a couple friends. She made two movies — Fashion and Heart — and moved on to hosting duties with Fuel TV. Which begs the question — does she ever sleep? “My head is spinning, for sure,” she jokes, but adds that surfing is her first true love, even though she’s not really big on the contest aspect of it. “Surfing is expressive and free, but it’s the exact opposite in contests — you have a time limit, you have to wear a jersey, do certain maneuvers to score…it’s so constricting. But I just try my best to go out there and have a good time and surf like myself.”

Next up for Meador? Downtime. After just returning from the road, Meador wants to do some events and take off to Hawai’i for the winter. Whatever her plans, the ocean factors heavily into them.

Hey, Ladies!
Leading by example, Holly Beck brings surfing to women everywhere
Words: Carly Milne

Name: Holly Beck
Age: 26
Hometown: Palos Verdes, CA
Occupation: Body Glove surfer, NSSA Champion

When Holly Beck started her surfing career, she was balancing the ocean and the classroom in order to graduate with a Psychology degree in just three years. She didn’t anticipate becoming one of the key ambassadors to the sport.

“When I graduated college and had nothing to do but surf, I didn’t know what to do with myself,” Beck admits. “Rochelle Ballard, Layne Beachley, Megan Abubo, and some others founded International Women’s Surfing, with a goal to have a women’s union. Within months, the founding members voted me in as President and stepped away to tend to their own careers.”

Beck’s dedication to the IWS turned it into a nonprofit member-based organization to benefit girls who were trying to travel and compete without sponsorship, plus it supported women’s-only surf contests. Beck also raised awareness through ESPN, MTV, and the WB’s Boarding House, presenting herself as a role model for like-minded women.

But this admitted tomboy — who bucked her mother’s wishes for a frilly dress-wearing, dance lesson-taking daughter — has a soft spot for charities too. Beck works with Paul Mitchell hair care for their water conservation causes, as well as Simple Shoes, who work to lessen the ecological footprint by using recycled materials. Her sponsor is even making an eco wetsuit with nonpetroleum-based neoprene.

Beck is now busy writing — a fiction book about being on tour, for various magazines, and her blog, hollybecksurfs.blogspot.com. Whatever the future holds, it’ll be beach related. Says Beck, “I feel suffocated inland. The ocean makes me alive.” Sounds like a lifer to us.