Have you seen her on Swell.com and runways for some of the hottest bikini brands?
Yes, she is Natazha McDuffie from San Diego, California.
Surf Mei Mei first started paying attention to Natazha when she started popping up everywhere on the internet while we were shopping at swell.com, a popular surfing related apparel site. Her infectious smile, beautiful face (half Asian half Latin) and at 5”10 how can anyone forget her perfectly proportional and toned body. No wonder she represents many major bikini & clothing brands.
I was researching a great surfing/Spanish/photography school at School of the World at Costa Rica, when I found out not only that Natazha is the wife of the founder of the school but Natazha is a Surf Mei Mei! (She surfs, standup paddle boards and skateboards!)
I had the honor to interview Natazha and share her outlook on life, and how she balances work, travel and play like a true Surf Mei Mei, while simultaneously enjoying the facilities of School of the World in Costa Rica.
1. Can you tell Surf Mei Mei’s readers who you are? And what your lifestyle is like now?
I am an international model, wife, passionate traveler, gypsy mermaid soul. I live a very healthy and active lifestyle. I love to travel and experience new cultures, meet new people, and discover new things about myself. I am happiest in a warm climate next to a body of water.
2. When and how did you start surfing/skateboarding and/or any other active sports?
I have been active my whole life. As a kid I loved sports and played almost all of them. Skateboarding is something I have been doing since I was a kid. It was the easiest way to get around! I love standup paddle boarding in Costa Rica. I am pretty new to surfing. I have only been doing it the past couple of years.
3. Why do you like surfing? And how has surfing and your career affected your life?
I enjoy surfing because I get to be in the water, and it is exercise for your soul as well as your body. You also really have to be present, which is a great reminder how to live our lives.
I met my husband through a dear friend that had a life-changing experience at School Of The World. Zach was looking for someone to help him host a pilot for a travel show about learning vacations and she said I was the perfect person for it… neither one of us anticipated it when we met for lunch but we fell in love right away and have been inseparable from that first encounter. We were both travelers and didn’t even live in the same country when we met, but we made a plan and despite everyone thinking we were crazy, we made it work. We now split time between Laguna Beach, CA and Costa Rica.
4. What do you think about School of the World, from a female point of view?
The School of the World is a great place for female travelers for a lot of reasons. For starters it is a safe, comfortable and beautiful home base in Costa Rica. It is also a great place to meet other travelers from around the world that are also there to get better at something that they love.
Playa Jaco at Sunset. Photo by a photography student at School of the World (SOTW), Cassandra Farthing. SOTW has Spanish, photography, surfing, yoga and, now, GoPro classes available everyday
5. Where is your favorite wave?
I like surfing in Costa Rica because the water is always warm! I am still new to surfing so I like the friendly waves in Jaco. Jaco’s gentle wave is great for surfing, standup paddling and other sports. Also, I want to go back to Bali! I loved it there (I was with Zach there last Fall).
6. Anything you want to tell our readers?
Ummm, let’s see. I guess my best advice is to stay positive. If you nurture the positive things in your life that “recharge your batteries” you will shine brighter, have better relationships, and get more enjoyment out of your days.
Surf Mei Mei loves to see girls embrace their feminine side while simultaneously not being afraid to get down and dirty and enjoy life as a whole when the situation arises. Not only does Natazha have a great career, she also manages to balance her professional life with an equally rewarding active lifestyle. We are very happy to show all of our surf mei mei readers in the world that it is possible to have it all!
Love Natazha’s gentle spirit and positive outlook in life? Want to see more of her traveling and modeling pictures with and by her hubby?
Follow the duo on instagram @ZplusN (http://instagram.com/zplusn)
Check back to surfmeimei.com for the review of School Of The World, a boutique hotel that offers learning vacations and provides instruction on everything from surfing to speaking Spanish.
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