Made with Love: The Multidimensions of Ashley Lloyd

After a string of texts and emails back and forth trying to sync our schedules, Ashley Lloyd dropped by the shop to catch up on life, craft, and everything taking shape in her world. Carrying a warm, comfortable smile and an easy, relaxed presence, she shares her time and knowledge effortlessly. Sitting across from her, trading stories felt natural—marked by the kind of genuine kindness and engagement that defines her footprint in Santa Cruz.

Points, Foam & The Shaping Bench

Ashley’s relationship with the ocean began around age 11 in Malibu, paddling out into classic pointbreaks following her older brother. Immersed in Southern California's traditional single-fin log culture, her natural grace, timing, and nose-riding ability eventually carried her onto the professional longboard circuit. But while competing offered global travel and world-class waves, scraping by from contest to contest without major corporate backing ran its course. In time, she moved to Santa Barbara to pursue an education in music at Santa Barbara City College—stepping back from the contest trail to anchor her life around music, education, community, and board building.

Her journey behind the planer took hold in those early Santa Barbara years in 2002, shaping her first blanks under the guidance of friend Danny Tarampi. By 2005, she joined Bing Surfboards as both a team rider and shaper, developing two signature models for the brand while cultivating her own custom label out of Santa Cruz (which she has called home since 2005). Over the years, Ashley has continually refined her craft alongside respected collaborators—including Tyler Hopkins of Locus Surfboards—pushing the boundaries of shape and sustainable construction. Today, she works alongside Stretch Boards and Hotdog Glassing.

Her latest creation, the Odin model, is a scaled-down noserider featuring a subtle nose concave designed specifically for smaller or younger surfers. It holds a deeply personal origin: Ashley shaped the prototype right alongside her son, Odin, who rides one himself.

EcoBoard Innovation & Ocean Stewardship

Before "sustainable surfboards" became a marketing buzzword, Ashley was questioning the environmental toll of traditional board building. Roughly 14 years ago, she began experimenting with cleaner alternatives to standard polyurethane foam and polyester resins. Today, many—though not all—of her shapes are built with lightweight EPS foam, bio-based epoxy resins, and natural flax cloth, earning official ECOBoard verification through Sustainable Surf.

To bridge the gap between classic single-fin glide and modern eco-materials, Ashley uses flax cloth to reduce the chatter often associated with EPS foam. The flax fibers act as a natural vibration dampener, restoring the smooth, heavy, glass-like glide traditional loggers love.

The Custom Board Interview

When you order a custom shape from Ashley, the conversation goes far beyond height, weight, and skill level. She wants to know what kind of waves you like to ride, what you are currently riding (what works and what doesn't), and which surfers inspire you and why. From there, Ashley crafts a board that mirrors your style and supports where you want to take your surfing.

Pivots & Unfurling

Like many independent shapers, the pandemic brought a sudden surge in demand, backing up Ashley's order queue nearly two years out. But as the initial wave subsided and cheap imported foam flooded the market, order books dried up, forcing a couple of lean years across the industry.

Ashley met the shift with characteristic adaptability. She expanded her private Surf Guidance sessions—focusing on energy efficiency, wave judgment, and helping surfers find ease in the lineup by breaking down mechanics and building technical confidence.

She also launched Unfurling, a lifestyle brand of ethically crafted, organic wraps and hand-dyed apparel sewn locally in Santa Cruz and San Francisco, rounding out a creative ecosystem built entirely around her love for the coast.

Songs & Soundtracks

Ashley's creativity flows naturally between the shaping bay and the stage. A trained musician with a degree from Santa Barbara City College, her voice carries a sultry soulfulness paired with an intriguing, creative songwriting style that blends sunny, oceanic folk with back-porch grooves.

You can catch her performing live every 3rd Saturday at Discretion Brewing—a favorite spot tucked at the north end of 41st Avenue—where she shares her original tunes with the community.

Adding to her musical journey, Ashley recently recorded a new album dropping this November. The project features a 5-song vinyl record titled Ashley Lloyd, Recordings at Wax Feet Studios, marking another soulful extension of her creative work.

Women on Waves & The Spirit of the Lineup

For Ashley, being in the water today is as much about community as it is about wave count. She is genuinely just as stoked to run into a friend and catch up between sets as she is to set an edge on a set wave. What she loves about Women on Waves is its foundational focus on fun, camaraderie, and celebrating style.

Sunny California is stoked to carry boards made by Ashley Lloyd. Stop by the shop and check them out if you are in the area. If you want to order a custom shape or get in touch with Ashley, you can get more info at ashleylloydsurfboards.com.