Girl Gone Wild: Stephanie Schechter

Like most teenagers, Stephanie Schechter loves bikinis, the beach and trying new hair products. Unlike most teenagers, she's a stylish competitive and sponsored surfer (Axxe Classic Wetsuits, Wonderland Sun Optics, Kevin Connelly Surfboards, Insight, Hansen Surf Shop) with one of the raddest internships out there.

I met Stephanie last year at Shaper Studios, a do-it-yourself surfboard shaping workshop in San Diego where she interns. While I was interviewing some better-known female surf talent who frequented the shop, she bounded in and stole the show with her epically long hair and bubbly attitude, quickly introducing me to the entire staff and showing me some of her quirkier surfboard designs (she's notorious for doodling Pokémon and monocle-clad octopi on her friends boards). Needless to say, the girl is going places.

How did you learn to surf?
My father has been surfing since a very young age and taught me and my brother how to surf as soon as we could swim. Around age three, he would take me out on the nose of his longboard and by six or seven I was catching my own waves.





How did you get your internship at Shaper Studios?
When I first inquired about the position, the hours were built more towards a college internships, so we designed a high school-friendly internship where I could still learn about shaping, marketing and the surf industry while leaving plenty of time to study and surf.

How do you manage to juggle school, work and training for competition?
I have contests almost every weekend. As an AP student, I have several hours of homework and studying every night, and I surf everyday. I don't have much free time! When the waves aren't good I'll cross-train by running, hiking, swimming and the occasional dance party in my room.

Salt and sun take a toll on hair and skin. What do you use?
Sunscreen is SO important. I always wear it, even when it's a cold or overcast day. I tend to stick with Neutrogena skin products because they don't make my skin oily. Girls always ask me where I got my ombré done, to which I reply, "The sun!" My hair is very sunkissed, but I keep it healthy by using lots of conditioner. I'm a huge fan of Bumble and Bumble's Quench line. The leave-in conditioner is a great detangler for my long mane and it smells awesome.

And how do you care for your boards?
My surfboards are like children to me. I'm so proud of my quiver and appreciative of my amazingly talented friend, shaper Kevin Connelly, for his support. I keep them in protective board bags at all times when I'm not surfing. When my wax is dirty, I carefully use 'The Pickle' board cleaning product, a wax comb and some Chief Firewater (Orange Oil works, too) to clear off all the old wax.

What's the ideal beginner board?
All beginners should start out on a foamie surfboard. Any foamie should work, as long as its between eight and nine feet.

Most annoying kook habit?
More than anything, I cannot stand when kooks just sit and watch as you surf towards them. I mean, come on and get out of the way! They give me the deer in the headlights look, and are always sitting in the exact spot I want to make a turn or nose ride!

You have a killer bikini arsenal. Which suits are you favorites?
I have an obsession with bikinis, and it's tough to find bikinis that are fashionable but still tough enough to handle the waves. I've figured out cheekier bottoms take the cake for surfing. Speaking of cake, my sweet-as-sugar friend Vy Nguyen's delicious swimmie line, Lolli, has some of the most adorable bikinis in the world. There is one style of top that is both fashionable and sporty, and won't ever fall off in the ocean. Her cheeky boy short bottoms are super flattering and always stay on when I surf and a famous bows on the tush are an added bonus!

When you aren't in the water, what do you like to do?
I love to hike and walk on the beach with friends, family and my dog Sandy. Also, I love to ski. My favorite place is The Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah.

What's the dirtiest you've ever been?
When I was hiking through rain forests with my family on a trip to Costa Rica. It was misty, muddy and sweaty. We had to wear special galoshes because the mud was so thick. It was so much fun to get really into nature and I love the feeling of being all dirt. We came back from the hike totally caked in mud!

Most adventurous thing you've ever done?
My family loves to travel. We've been on surf trips to Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru and Indonesia. We're not exactly Club Med types, so we always find a way to go to the most remote places possible. We always get into some sort of crazy adventure, usually involving a search for a secret surf spot or ancient ruin. I'm so appreciate for my parents' adventurous spirit and grateful to see the world. My next out of country adventure is to Taiwan.

What are your plans for college and beyond?
I'm so glad you asked that, a lot of people forget that surfers can be nerdy, too! I'm applying to several schools on the California coast, so let's keep our fingers crossed. Overall, my goal is to major in business, marketing or communications and possibly minor in art or graphic desing. I eventually want to work in marketing and advertising, hopefully in the surf world!

Thanks Stephanie! Keep an eye on this one Darlings...she has a blog in the works.