The Sea Kin: Lauren Hill

We recently chatted to inspiring eco-activist, surfer and writer behind The Sea Kin blog, Lauren Hill to find out more about what she does.

How did your blog 'The Sea Kin' get started?

Thanks to the Global Financial Crisis, I couldn’t get a job after graduating from university, so I began blogging about intersections of surfing, feminism, community and environmental issues. That was about 8 years ago now. I guess it started because I didn’t really see my experience of surfing in any of the surf media that was around at the time; it was all catered to a very narrow audience that often excluded women’s perspectives.

I wanted a place to read about surf culture as I want it to be--- about camaraderie, community, environment and respecting diversity--- so I started to create a small digital space for that to happen. That turned into The Sea Kin, which was just a blog at first, but now it's morphed into more of a visual Instagram thing.

What do you love most about what you do?

I love that play (via surfing) is an essential part of my work; it keeps me from taking life too seriously. Most importantly, it creates a space for spontaneity and creative inspiration. Play is powerful.

Where is your favourite beach and why is it special?

I’ve been to quite a few beautiful beaches around the world, but my favorite is still my home beach. I’m from Anastasia Island, a barrier island off the coast of Florida, and my home beach is called ‘Sea Oats’ because of the whimsical golden oats that line the dunes. It’s an unassuming beach, really, but it’s saturated with all of my earliest memories of surfing and learning to read the ocean.

Talk us through your perfect summers day…

In the ocean for sunrise and beach time with friends before it gets too hot, home for a big garden plucked salad lunch and homemade cherry guava cordial with Davey, then diving into a good book (which inevitably eases into a siesta). Then gardening or writing, maybe a heated match of badminton, before the wind switches offshore for sunset slides in the bay. Early to bed, early to rise.

What exciting things are on the horizon?

Photographer Ming Nomchong and I just started a travel series called Chasing the Sun, which was born as a way to share empowering, surf focused, eco-adventure stories and imagery. I’m really passionate about creating narratives outside of the hypersexualized version of women’s surfing; I find it quite boring. There are so many interesting characters and stories to be told in our culture, so we’re focusing on those as we travel to some of the most beautiful beaches and surf breaks in the world.

We just returned from an exceedingly excellent adventure in the Seychelles, so we’re back in the dreaming phase for the next instalment of ‘Chasing the Sun’ campaign.

(Photos are by Lauren's pal Ming who you might remember from our previous blog post)

xx TBP