Tia Blanco’s father was in the military, so her childhood was spent moving every three years. Luckily for Tia, and surf fans in general, her Dad was in the Coastguard and so always stationed near the ocean. Tia started surfing aged just three and it has remained the dominant passion of her life ever since.

Eventually, the Blanco's settled in San Clemente, one of the hotbeds of American surfing, and the light-footed natural footer was quickly earmarked as a future star. In 2015 she won the Gold medal at the International Surfing Association Games, and successfully defended the title in 2016. In both those years Blanco also came close to her ultimate dream of qualifying for the CT, finishing as high as No. 20 on the QS.

Out of the water, Blanco was always vocal about her veganism. Her social media feed provided inspiring health advice, yoga tips, organic at-home recipes, incredible surf action, and dreamy beach photos.

People responded to her positive energy and health-conscious outlook on life and admired her as a young and devoted athlete making major waves as a competitive surfer. No surprise then that she has amassed over 300,000 followers on Instagram alone.

In 2018 Blanco and her sister, Aja, launched Dear Self, a cruelty-free, vegan skincare line. She was also an early-stage brand ambassador for Beyond Meat, a plant-based food company, and appeared on MTV's The Challenge: Champs vs. Pros.

And while Blanco has carved out a successful business career by making good choices based on things that matter to her, her main goal remains to reach the upper echelons of competitive surfing. She’s come close a few times, and those experiences have only hardened her resolve. With her talent, experience, and belief, it is surely only a matter of time before the effervescent 24-year-old reaches her goal.

Instagram: @tiablanco