We (virtually) catch up with longtime customer-turned-advocate, Krista Jaspers, and her good friend, Lisa Tirimacco, over in Hawaii. As active oceanwomen, keeping them out of water is pretty much nigh impossible. We loved hearing about what's happening in their neck of the woods and reading the resources they've shared with us. In their own words....

Photo credit: Chrissy Richards

Where are you from and what's the women's ocean community like there?

We both live in Honolulu, Hawai’i, but I am originally from Huntington Beach (Surf City!) CA, and Lisa is from Pennsylvania (super landlocked!). All of our friends are surfers, swimmers, and divers but we actually met at the Miss Hawai’i Pageant (you’ll just have to wonder what in the world WE were doing there). There is a great community of badass waterwomen in Hawai’I that we are fortunate to be a part of.

So things are a little crazy in the world, and particularly in your neck of the woods at the moment. Firstly, how are you doing?? And secondly, how is your community? I ask this as it seems we're right in the thick of serious cultural activism, change and in a real revolutionary moment. And what's going on in the States is having a ripple affect across the globe - highlighting a whole lot of social injustices and inequity long swept under the carpet in our own backyards. What is the general atmosphere like and what observations do you have at this time?

As an island state, Hawai’i is lucky and has been able to avoid the worst of the coronavirus by requiring all visitors and returning residents to quarantine for 14 days. Tourism right now is basically non-existent, which has devastated the economy, but has also inspired a lot of new ideas for a greener, sustainable economic future. Beaches were closed for a while but thankfully we were allowed to access the ocean (the only thing that kept us sane), and now that things are opening up, we are all appreciating a Hawai’i with so much less tourism, traffic, and crowds.

We both were able to participate in several paddle outs for Black Lives, and Honolulu hosted several marches for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Hawai’i is often referred to as a “melting pot” or “racial paradise,” but it suffers from the effects of colonialism and has a lot of very visible social inequities – for example, Hawai’i has the second highest rate of homelessness in the United States, and Native Hawaiians “suffer disproportionately from diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and high incarceration rates.”

We’ve included a few resources below for those who want to learn more:

Photo credit: Lisa Tirimacco

For us lucky enough to live in close proximity to the ocean and the panacea it is in our lives to the stresses of modern life, have you been able to jump in the ocean and just play? How does the sea influence your everyday life?

We are ALWAYS playing in the ocean! During lockdown, we were not allowed on the beaches except to access the ocean for swimming or surfing (the police presence and blaring sirens at the beaches was surreal). We didn’t want to go too far, so we explored closer to home in Waikiki and found some pretty cool spots that are usually too crowded with people or boat traffic to explore during “normal” times. Once everything opened up, we got back to freediving the rest of the island and have had so much fun practicing bubble rings, freediving through caves and exploring new depths, and shooting photos of friends. We have a pretty cool girl gang to dive with – we challenge each other but there is no competition, just fun and a lot of laughs. Freediving and surfing are good ways to connect with friends while staying “socially distant” and 6 feet apart.

Photo credit: Chrissy Richards

Style us out for the lineup, what would you have us wearing:

Krista: I am always covered up (my other best friend is a dermatologist, and her skin is PERFECT), so if I’m not wearing a shortie (wetsuit) I am in Salt Gypsy leggings and a crop rashguard, or my favourite Salt Gypsy Drifter Bottoms with the Luna top (the Watermelon and Hibiscus combo is my new favourite).

Lisa: My favourite (and most comfortable!) is the Luna crop in Eggplant or Hibiscus with the beautiful Drifter Bottoms in whatever colour I can borrow from Krista…(with a LOT of mineral sunscreen).

Photo credit: Chrissy Richards

Favourite surf (or dive) spot or destination:

Krista: It’s hard to pick just one dive spot (I love being underwater pretty much
anywhere), but two of my favorites are Electric Beach on Oahu, and Mala Wharf on
Maui. My favorite surf spot is at Ala Moana Beach Park in Honolulu, but I am not going to tell you the name or the Uncles will kill me!

Lisa: I’m with Krista.. just being in the water is my favourite. If I had to pick a place
around Oahu it would be north shore in the summer – so much to see, so many caves to explore, and the possibility of running into a few mammal friends out there!

Photo credit: Chrissy Richards

Words you live by:

Krista: "When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something." ~ Rep. John Lewis, American Civil Rights leader, who passed away July 17.

Lisa: Just try… if it doesn’t work out, try something else…

Normally we do a Top 10 essential surf travel items but in light of the last few months, what would be your Top 10 lockdown essentials:

Krista:

MY DOGS! How do people live alone without pets? I have 3 small rescue dogs and I love them more than anything. They’ve made staying at home, working from home, and social distancing totally manageable.
My new Indo Board balance trainer! I saw this on super sale right as we transitioned to working from home and had to get it. I turn my video off during Zoom meetings and try to balance on it for the length of the meeting, or use it while catching up on the news or watching movies in the evenings.
I love my Turkish Towels from Sweet Mango Hawaii. I use them as sarongs, scarves, wraps on chilly evenings, and they come in handy for sitting on dirty airport floors or throwing over your head for some shade or a nap!
I can’t live without my Rinse Kit, especially after diving at more remote spots without a public shower. I use the faucet attachment to fill it with hot water from the tap and it is such a treat to take a hot shower at my car after diving (awesome for post-surf in cold water, too).
THIS RECIPE for Vegan Giant Salted Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies. I must have baked them 20x over the last few months (when I could find enough flour).