Kassia Meador is a world-renowned professional surfer whose elegant style has been instrumental in shaping the growth of women’s longboarding since the early 2000’s. Because of her signature flair on a longboard—a combination of grace, maneuverability, and power camouflaged by a laidback ease—Kassia is often referred to as the “Queen of Nose Riding.” Everyone who knows surfing has known about Kassia for the last two decades. But it all started with the very first wave her father helped her catch when she was 13-years-old. 

By the time she was a teenager in 1995, Meador had spent so much time boogie boarding in Southern Californian surf she’d practically sprouted gills. But she was determined to stand atop a surfboard on a “green wave,” a swell that has yet to rear up and break. She paddled out with her father at La Conchita Beach in Ventura, California, propelled herself in, stood up on the glassy roller so clear she could see the ripples in the sand underneath it, and flew down the line of the wave seamlessly, as if surfing was innate. This natural ability and Kassia’s communication with the ocean has been the keystone of a professional surf career that has spanned more than 20 years, impacting countless other professionals and amateurs alike. 

That influence is where Kassia now focuses her attention, spreading the same stoke she felt as a kid (and still feels every time she surfs, which is to say every day) to beginners and the greater surf community. “I love surfing so much,” Kassia says. “You never stop learning, and you can always get better. But sharing it with people is even more meaningful.”

Kassia’s proficiency on a longboard is unmatched. “My nose riding is what I was known for when I was younger,” Meador says. “I was doing pretty technical stuff like hanging heels, pushing different elements within women’s longboarding that people weren’t really doing at the time. But as I’ve gotten a little bit older, I really think that a lot of my surfing has to do with style, power, grace, and flow. My turns have gotten a lot stronger since I’ve gotten older, so now along with that nose riding element, I am putting it all together.”

Today, Kassia focuses on empowering others through her immersive surf retreats, Salty Sensations, and crafting sustainable, high-energy surf gear with her brand, Kassia+Surf. Says Kassia: “I want to expand my surfing and continue to support people. The more I teach, the more I learn different ways to teach, and the better I get at teaching, it all goes back to feeding my surfing and the surf community. It’s all evolving and collaborative with people. It’s really full circle and that’s super beautiful.”