Surf Instructors

Meet some of our BCASI certified Instructors. We’re friendly, down to earth, and really fun to learn from!

Krissy

Krissy is the Owner and General Manager of the Sisterhood. Krissy’s been surfing since before she was ‘legal’ and enjoys riding fishy shaped boards the most. Her fav’s include her 5’8 “On” and 6’2 “On” board and she has also been known to longboard from time to time when the waves are smaller. Krissy has surfed in Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Mexico, Hawaii and California. Aside from surfing, Krissy’s interests include but are not limited to golf (popular belief is that this is just because of golf carts and cheap beer on Mondays), shooting things with pellet guns, Nintendo Wii RockBand (she got 100% singing “Run to the Hills”), mentoring the rest of the staff in dancing skills and Karaoke and hanging out with her dog Mr. Shakes.

Steph

Steph is an Assistant Manager and surf instructor and has been around for the past 7 years. She has been surfing since 2003 and currently rides a 5’11’’ thruster and a 5’9 fish with a neon monster on it. Occasionally, Steph will also surf her 9’2 longboard. Surfing has taken Steph to Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Hawaii and California. When the surf is flat Steph likes skateboarding at the park, painting monsters on stuff (most recently her surfboard), yoga, cookies, and squishing her dog, Penny. Steph’s current life-goal is to learn Spanish fluently and become semi-retired before she turns 30. Donations welcome.

Rhiannon

Rhiannon is an Assistant Manager and surf instructor and was imported from the UK 7 years ago, when she started with Surf Sister. The UK does not want her back, so now she can be found surfing her 6’0 thruster in Canadian waters. Rhiannon has surfed in France, the UK, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Mexico, Morocco, California and quite possibly other countries as well. Aside from surfing, Rhiannon excels at the art of sarcasm, chopping wood, and dog training/whispering. She also has a degree in Sports Science.

Lily

Lily is a long time surf instructor with Surf Sister, having been here for the past 7 summers. She completed her degree in Biology at the University of Victoria and her passion is the ocean and everything in it. Ask her a question about sea anemones; she likes those too. One time Lily found a giant squid on Long Beach. Lily has traveled to Australia, Costa Rica, Hawaii and Nicaragua in search of perfect waves and marine life, and currently rides a 6’0 fish. She also enjoys sunset beers, reading at light speed, yoga, cookies, snowboarding and dancing to Reggaeton.

Tia

Tia has been a surf instructor with Surf Sister for the past 7 years and counting. She is by far the most enthusiastic staff member and hands down knows the most random facts about squids, probably even more than Lily. Tia has traveled to Indonesia, Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, Australia, New Zealand, Oregon and California in the pursuit of waves, Indo being her all-time favourite. Out of the water Tia enjoys Dancehall music, extreme hula hooping, tattoos, reptiles (she has two) and marine mammals. She lives full time in Tofino with her husband , kid and their dog, Captain Triptonic the Ninja Dog. Tia currently rides a neon pink shortboard with seagulls on it.

Dominga

Dominga has too many nicknames to list. Hailing from hippy parents, Dominga spent her teen years surfing in Mexico in the winter and living on a farm in the Okanagan in the summers. Dominga has been a part of the sisterhood for about 6 years and could teach you in English, Spanish or French, your choice. Dominga has surfed all over Mexico, Central America, Hawaii and Indo. When she is not shredding on one of her million shortboards, Dominga can be found playing paddle bats, golfing poorly with Krissy, skateboarding or walking her ‘ruebanesque’ dog, Arena.

Devo

Devo has been living and surfing in Tofino for about 10 years, although she claims the first 2 years of surfing where more like floundering. We have been lucky enough to have her teaching for us for 4 years. Besides having super instructor skills, Devo is also a certified kayak guide, jewelry designer, world traveler, force to be reckoned with at Wii Rockband, and some how she knows how to race tarantulas. Devo’s short term goals are to learn to burlesque dance and win the Masters Division in the next surf comp.

Emily

Aka ET is basically the Doogie Howser of Surf Instruction. Emily has been teaching for us for almost 5 years despite the fact she’s only 20. Born and raised in Tofino, Emily is one of the few girls who grew up surfing here. She has surfed in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and California. Emily prefers to shortboard, but can also be seen rocking a long board when the occasion is right. Aside from surfing Emily enjoys baking cookies, screaming, and busting out amazing dance moves.

Kate

Kate is another UK transplant and has taught surfing at Surf Sister for 5 seasons. When Kate showed up in town 5 years ago she was a shoe-in for the job here not only because of her surf skills, but because she actually listed ‘various dance moves’ as one of the skills on her resume. Kate has surfed in the UK, France, Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Indo. Kate usually surfs a 6’1 shortboard, and sometimes can be found riding a soft top or a horse. Kate has a hippy streak and has been spotted doing hippy things like spinning poi when she is not surfing. Kate loves noodles more than the average person and insists she loves horses best of all the animals.

Karley

Our sweet Kar Kar arrived at the sisterhood 5 years ago and has been a part of the team ever since. Karley gets around…the world that is. She used to work on yachts and has traveled extensively through Africa, Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Mexico, Morocco, the Caribbean and Europe. Karley usually surfs a short board and occasionally a quad fish or longboard. Fun facts about Karley are she has 3 legged cat named Lewis, she plays the mandolin in a bluegrass band, she’s a wicked photographer and she loves cereal more than you do.

Tessa

Stobbe, as we call her, is the most stoked staff member, possibly of all time. Stobbe spent part of every winter growing up in Mexico with her family and started to surf down there. She can’t get enough of surf instructing, and this winter she is also teaching at Las Olas in Sayulita. Stobbe’s love for surfing borders on obsessive compulsiveness and has taken her to Indo, Australia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico.
When not surfing, Stobbe can be found hanging out wearing neon, hula-hooping wearing neon, or dancing wearing neon. Or sleeping wearing neon. Or surfing wearing neon.

Aynsley

Ayns is our resident instructor/ yogi health girl. Having spent winters in Mexico with her family, it was a natural progression that she would start to surf eventually, and she’s been doing it for about 8 years. She still spends her winters down south, now teaching yoga. Aside from surfing Aynsley is into yoga, Mexicans, Salsa dancing and Spanish.

Laura

Not much is known about Laura Wilson…..at 5’4, 115lbs and 22yrs old, “The Hulk” is a surf instructor in the summer, professional wrestler the rest of the year. Seriously though, Laura is currently attending Simon Fraser University on a full wrestling scholarship, so don’t mess with her. She’s tougher than you are.

Leah

“Garbo” will finish your dinner if you can’t. Leah has been teaching for Surf Sister for 3 years and in the winter she relocates to Whistler for the season, squeezing a tropical surf trip or two in there as well. She’s traveled to Australia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and most likely other tropical locales as well for surf. Leah’s non-shredding abilities include painting (she is a very talented artist), neon zinc, river tubing, and making fun of things.

Lauren

Lauren has been teaching at Surf Sister for 6 seasons, and is good at a lot of things, surfing being one of them. Other skills include skiing, mountain biking, boating, intertidal foraging, interior design, and art. She has also been sighted rollerblading!? Being the most accident-prone Surf Sister, it is ironic that Lauren holds safety certificates in everything from lifesaving to avalanche rescue. She often works ski patrol in the winters as well. It is rare to find Lauren without some sort of disgusting oozing scab or injury. Be careful, Lozza.

Tessa

This will be Tessa’s 5th summer teaching for Surf Sister. Originally from Field BC, Tessa grew up as a snow bunny, but saw the light and now is another surf addict. Tessa has shredded the shores of Mexico, Australia, Costa Rica, and Hawaii. When not surfing or skiing, Tessa can be found massaging (she is a certified massage and body worker), skateboarding, dancing, crocheting and being boy crazy.

Amber

Slamber aka Shaniqua also has a bunch of ridiculous nicknames. Like Tessa, Amber is a masseuse and the staff constantly hound her to fix their ailments. We recruited Amber from the neighboring surf shop 6 years ago because she was too awesome not to have on staff. Amber has surfed all over the place too, and dreams of driving her wood panelled station wagon named Steve French to Mexico to find her a sweet Chihuahua puppy to love.

Roslyn

We stole Ros from another surf school a couple of summers ago so we could complete our army of rad surf chicks. Ros is our resident master baker and like most of the rest of the staff is totally over qualified for her job cause she’s a super smarty pants….but lucky for us, she’s totally addicted to surfing. Ros has the travel bug hard and has been there, surfed that.

Hanna

Hanna appeared suddenly out of the gnarly swirling vortex of 2010 (Land of Gnarnia) bringing with her some sweet skid-rock fashion sense, a home-made haircut and a ton of stoke for pretty much anything and everything good and gnarly in life. She’s pretty much been travelling in Central America and Mexico since graduating from high school a couple years ago, surfing her way up and down the coast. Some of Hanna’s non surf-related skills include speaking Spanish, skateboarding, being lactose intolerant, home-made tattoos and humming random songs to herself pretty much all the time. Never seen without a smile, Hanna loves sharing her passion for surf with everyone, and her stoke is contagious. But won’t give you a rash. Hanna also claimed first place in both the Longboard and Shortboard divisions of the Queen of the Peak – Womens Surf Contest!!

Nicole

The lovely Nicole has finally returned to Tofino and surf instructing after a few year’s hiatus. She’s been travelling, learning and spreading her talent for healing via massage and yoga all over the place, and if you have the pleasure of surfing with her, she’s sure to brighten your day. Nicole has been teaching surfing off and on for the last five years and we’re stoked to have her on the team!

Lisa

Lisa is the poster-girl for the addictive qualities of surfing and how it can totally change your life. About 10 years ago, Lisa took her first surf lesson with Surf Sister and instantly caught the bug. She surfed as much as a girl living in Vancouver could after that, taking lots of warm water trips to fine-tune her skills. Then, one fateful day, she decided that she had had enough city living. Just like that, she and her husband sold their condo, she quit her job at Canada Post and, making literal the term “going postal”, she packed up and moved them to Tofino to fulfill her dream of teaching surfing, spreading the stoke the same way she caught it. On top of that, Lisa is also an environmental activist, has an adopted llama called Starman, and is the singer in a metal band. Watch out, it could happen to you!

Mary-Lou

Originally from Quebec, ML is our second tri-lingual wonder-instructor. When she’s not teaching people to surf, she moonlights at the rental shop across the street, Long Beach Surf Shop. Whether you want to learn to surf in English, Spanish or French, ML’s got you covered. She’s also into mountain biking and snowboarding, and in the winter can typically be found up high somewhere where the snow is falling. Mary-Lou has travelled all over and learned to surf in warmer climes but keeps coming back to the cold water waves of Tofino.

Jordan

Jordo has been part of the sisterhood for the last four years or so, and now heads up our Ukee branch, teaching at Wick Beach in the summer months. Originally from Ontario, Jordan grew up snowboarding and eventually found her way to Whistler and then, inevitably, to surfing and Tofino. We’re stoked that the beach won out over the mountain, because Jordan is uber-stoked and always up for a dance party or surf adventure and Surf Sister wouldn’t be the same without her.