Girl Gone Wild: India's First Female Surfer Ishita Malaviya

This post originally appeared on GrindTV.com.

When Ishita Malaviya, 24, first paddled away from shore on a surfboard, she had no idea she was the first female Indian surfer in history. In fact, she's still one of the only women in her country to venture near the water—India sees over 75,000 drowning deaths every year, a heavy deterrent even for those willing to try the sport. Now, she's hoping her role in "Beyond the Surface"—a new documentary directed by Dave and Crystal Thornburg-Homcy and starring fellow surfers and environmentalists Liz Clark, Lauren Hill, Emi Koch and Kate Baldwin—will encourage more Indians to get into the water and bring a new wave of ecotourism and hope to her country.

When did you first realize you could possibly be the first female surfer in India?
I started surfing in 2007 with the Surfing Swamis and they were the ones who initially told me I was the first Indian girl to start surfing on home shores, but I just couldn't believe it at the time. It felt too unreal. Two years later on a surf trip I would find out it was true. We had decided to travel along the entire South Indian coastline to meet other Indian surfers. I asked them if they knew of any other girls who had started surfing and they said," No Ishita. You really are the first one!"

The Look: Climbing Rope Bracelet Arm Party

Photo by Erin Yamagata

This is a guest post by Darling Ambassador Lizbeth Hernandez.

Being fashionable isn't something some have and others lack—it's about finding what works for you. I'm in awe of how some women can always rock the latest trends and styles, but then I realize it's all about being confident, stepping out of your comfort zone and not caring what others think. You don't need to own expensive jackets or heels to look good...work with what you have already!

One of my favorite on-going trends involves stacks of bracelets and cuffs, and has been dumbed the "Arm Party." But if silver and gold aren't really your thing (who has time for them when you're hopping between shoreline and summit?), opt for an assortment of unique bands that are more personal. In fact, the Arm Party trend is a perfect one for Dirtbag Darlings, since we're always finding handmade friendship bracelets on our travels or making knots in our climbing rope. Take a piece of your outdoor life with you when you head into the city for a night out with these climbing-inspired bracelets. Get creative and keep on stacking.

Our way: Handcrafted Anchor rope bracelet: Dowling Brothers, $11.95, esty.com; Maine rope bracelet: Splendid Maine, $25, etsy.com. 

Fashion Editor Lizbeth tries out the arm party trend with some outdoor-inspired additions. Photo by Erin Yamagata. 

Have a fashion-related question for Liz? Tweet us @dirtbagdarling!

Introducing Our Surf And Swim Ambassador: Rhea Cortado

Dirtbag Darling's newest Ambassador Rhea Cortado. She knows how to live out of a van, so she got the job.

The newest Dirtbag Darling Ambassador to join our ever-growing team is Rhea Cortado of the Surftorialist, DD's newly appointed surf and swim expert. You can read all about her HERE.

When I say Rhea is dialed into everything surf and swim, I mean she is DIALED IN. Whenever there's a new swim designer on the scene or a snippet of women's surf news floating around, Rhea is sure to have heard of it first. She knows how to live out of a van or a suitcase, makes salty hair look dinner appropriate and if there's a beautiful break out there, she's probably surfed it. Best of all, she's the kind of girl you want as a friend. Welcome to the team Rhea!

Get Gear: Roxy Outdoor Fitness

All photos by Dirtbag Darling

If you associate Roxy with surf and sand, you're not wrong—but don't count the brand out for your next on-land adventure. The beloved surf gear and apparel brand recently launched Roxy Outdoor Fitness, their first outdoor apparel collection...and it's awesome. Offering everything from water shoes to sports bras to windbreakers, there's something for almost any type of excursion you have planned (and it's all cute...obviously).

As a style-minded lady who loves a good romp through the woods, I can attest firsthand to how difficult it is to find that elusive blend of cute and functional, but Roxy seems to have cracked the code. The designers obviously did their research in the field, offering items like the Atmosphere jacket—a super light-weight, water-repelling shell that packs down into its own little package to—and the Momentum bag, a neoprene backpack ideal for short day hikes and beach trips.

Get Gear: Consurfvation Tees

Photo by Dirtbag Darling

Whenever I'm near the ocean, I pretty much live in soft T-shirts, bikinis and baseball caps. I've amassed quite the collection of surf-inspired tees, but my latest obsession is Consurfvation. First of all, the story behind this line of do-good tees is so inspiring: Founder Robert Lipton was injured during a diving accident in 1992 and became a C-7 quadriplegic, but he didn't let that stop him! Instead he learned graphic design, which eventually let to the creation of Consurfvation. Remembering his love for the ocean, Liption donates a portion of all sales to a list of ocean-minded beneficiaries including Project Save Our Surf, Waves 4 Water, LA Waterkeeper, 5 Gyres and Gulf of Mexico Foundation.

These tees are incredibly soft, really cute and roll up small for tight suitcases and beach bags. Get one for yourself before your next beach trip!

Get Pretty: Lindsay Perry's Beauty Secrets

I'm always amazed at a surfer's ability to keep her skin and hair in pristine condition. I spend a weekend at the beach and I look like someone dropped me off in the Sahara for a week. So when I had a chance to chat with Billabong surfer and musician Lindsay Perry a few weeks ago, I grilled her for some of her trusted beauty tips. Here's what she told me:

1. Always drink lots of water.

2. Wear sunscreen: "I'd like to pretend I wear sunscreen a lot, but sometimes I'm bad about it because it clogs my pores. But this great up-and-coming Florida company called Raw sent me some completely raw and organic sunscreen and I've really come to like it."

3. Invest in quality skincare products: "I have a travel face kit from a company called Korres. The leave-on mask is such a lifesaver for me on photo shoot trips. It comes with six different lotions, serums and a face mask. I don't think it's very costly either."

4. Try a hair serum: "For hair, I'm not always the best at taking care of it. I use this aloe-vera hair serum and it works wonders. I try to use good shampoos and conditioners, but they can get super expensive."

5. Prevent tangles: "Braiding my hair before bed helps a lot—otherwise it can become pretty messy."

Well, there you have it. One part product and two parts amazing genes. Thanks for you tips Lindsay!

California Tour: Day 9 San Diego

All photos by Dirtbag Darling

Sunday was decidedly a fun day. We skipped the whirlwind tour in favor of some well-known surf and a tourist attraction. In the morning, we hopped over to Sunset Cliffs on the trail of a hopeful forecast of some 5-7 foot waves. It was a little powerful for me, so I sat on the cliffs, soaked up the sun and played cameraman while Brandon surfed. 

What I love about the San Diego coastline is the clash of people. You've got your shirtless old-man surfers in Uggs, your jogging yuppies, your dedicated dog walkers and your salty dogs. I love chatting with people on the cliffs, it's seriously such good therapy.

California Tour: Day 8 Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

All photos of Dirtbag Darling by The Corporate Dirtbagger

Our vacation-slash-work trip hadn't been quite as magical as we'd planned thanks to a break in and some bad luck, so we decided to mentally make a change and just have fun. After managing to make a flight from San Francisco to Los Angeles (turns out if you don't have photo ID, TSA just requires some sort of alternate identification—for me, a prescription—and an extra pat down), we took a day off and went to Disneyland. It was a nice refresher to just escape reality for a minute and, please, who doesn't have fun at Disneyland?

This weekend we drove down to stay with friends in San Diego and took a day trip out to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The park is the largest state park in California and the second largest in the country. I'm guessing that's because there's literally nothing out there. It's bone-dry sand, a few cacti and a scattering of lizards and beetles. And it's hot—even in February. Here's a tip: When packing for a vacation, make sure you pack some light-colored hiking clothes. Oops.

Sliding through canyons with my new Roxy Outdoor Fitness bag. I love that thing!

DIY: Shell Mobile by The Surftorialist

Photos by Rhea Cortado 

This is a guest post from Rhea Cortado of The Surftorialist. Read more about her here!

Materials:
-Shells
-Driftwood
-Other flotsam and jetsam you want to put in there (I used rope scraps that I found on the beaches south of Hossegor, France and a souvenir glass buoy we found in the fishing village Bermeo in Spain.)
-Thin craft string to use for hanging the shells
-Thick rope to hang the entire mobile from the wall
-Hook in the ceiling of the wall
-Electric drill with a 1/8-inch diamond tip
-Glue gun

California Tour: Day 3/4 Napa Valley

All photos by Dirtbag Darling

Thinking back, Monday started off like it was going to be a great day. And for the most part, it was! After work we drove out to the Monticello Dam near Napa Valley and opted for an extremely steep mile hike over the more moderate four-mile loop—it was already getting darker and we didn't want to leave our car alone for that long.

So off we went, scrambling up a 2,000 foot elevation change that was killer on the buns and thighs. It was beautiful! We hiked along the ridge to see both sides of the mountain and got some great practice in varying our jump shots:

See? And even though boyfriend forgot my candy bar reward for reaching the top, I had a great time and was feeling so happy to be able to work from such a beautiful place. Until we got back to the car...

Travel Guide: The Perks of Couch Surfing

That's one way to couch surf...photo via Pinterest.

This is a guest post from our resident Couch Surfing Expert Ambassador Lea Gall.

The first big trip I ever took was a two-month holiday to Australia and New Zealand. Being that I didn't have much experience yet, my cousin and I decided to break things up to prevent jet lag. Didn't work, but good idea, right? We decided that flying out of Philadelphia and spending a week in Los Angeles was the first leg of our trip, and when we got to LAX, we hopped on a bus that would take us to a Venice Beach hostel.

Then something funny happened. We started chatting with a guy named Julian on the bus and when he offered to let us crash at his place, we said yes (I'm not sure why). We went to his condo in a very nice area and rented a car with all the money we saved. I'll never forget that first night—we started getting nervous, so we locked the door and piled some luggage in front of it. I think we may have even taken turns sleeping!

California Tour: Day 2, Kirkwood Mountain

All photos by Dirtbag Darling

Remember how I said I love California? Well, I really do. It's just so cool to be able to go from coastline to snow-covered mountains in just a few hours. The terrain out here is so diverse and everything is so huge! Why didn't I appreciate it more when I lived here?

We spent Sunday snowboarding at Kirkwood Mountain, near Lake Tahoe. The drive is was nothing short of terrifying. Snow chains were required but since we were in a rental, we didn't have any. Luckily we made it through the check point. Luckily? Not so much...the roads were covered in an inch of ice that made any uphill ascent an adrenaline rush, and not the good kind. Before we even go to the resort we saw multiple cars in ditches.

California Tour: Day 1, San Francisco

All photos by Dirtbag Darling

The end of January—it's the time of year when most East Coast natives are about ready to hang up their fleece hats and migrate to some sunnier shore (one without ice-coated windshields). Luckily for me, I work from my laptop, and my laptop can be anywhere I want it to be. So for the next two weeks, it'll be hop-scotching around California with me as I reconnect with business contacts and explore my favorite coast.

Day 1: San Francisco
Our trip out West started off with some hiccups. My boyfriend and I both forgot we had water in our Nalgenes and had to be escorted back through security. An inch of snow in Philadelphia meant a two hour delay in order for the plane to be de-iced, meaning we missed our connection in Dallas. But everything worked out in the end and we made it to San Francisco.

Lesson 1: Double and triple check your liquids are empty or in a travel-sized clear container before you get to the security line.

Base Camp: Do You Want To Have a Good Time or a Bad Time?

At the top of Pharaoh Mountain in the Adirondacks. It was cold.

When I was a kid, I suffered from some major mood swings. One second I'd be a happy-go-lucky five-year-old and the next you'd think someone canceled Christmas. I guess my parents got tired of it because whenever a case of the grumpies would attack my brother and I, my dad would always pose this question: Do you want to have a good time or a bad time?

Simple question, quick results. Whether it was because his logic rang clear to five-year-old me or because I was just scared I wouldn't get whatever toy/candy bar/Disney ride I was promised, I'd always adjust my attitude immediately and force a smile until I was actually having fun again.

Fast forward about twenty years to a campsite in the Adirondacks. I'm frustrated because my camping party is moving at a snail's pace to accomplish even simple tasks and I'm not one to wait around. I look over at my friend and ask (like a brat, I might add), "How are we ever going to do anything when we're on our trip out west this summer? It takes an hour just to break down a tent." Before the words were even out of my mouth, I knew what she was going to say: "As long as everyone stays in a good mood, we'll be fine."

Bam! Just like my dad's magic back in the day, her logic just automatically transformed my attitude. It was the reminder I needed that your outlook on a situation is crucial to its outcome. It's going to rain when you wanted sun. Your car's going to break down five feet from the gas station. You're going to spill wine on your wedding dress. If you whine and complain, you're going to have a bad time. If you force a smile, you're going to have a good time. Just fake it until you make it and pretty soon your smile will be real!

Press: My "One Little Thing" on Her Packing List

Swing on over to Her Packing List today little monkeys to check out an interview I did about my "One Little Thing." I love my Pray for Surf hat! Oh, and get ready for some of the best packing advice you've ever seen—Brooke is running an incredible blog over there.