We love chatting with female surfers from across the globe and next up in our SurfGirl Meets interview series we catch up with Ming Hui Brown from California to talk all things surfing and find out what life is like as a Californian State Lifeguard.

Name: Ming Hui Brown Age: 26 Location: Ventura California Occupation: behavior technician Social Media: mingschwing
Ming tell us how you go into surfing… I’ve always been drawn to the ocean and surfing is just another way for me to enjoy and experience it! I started surfing at around the age of 10 (16 years ago!) and quickly fell in love with the feel of riding waves. As a preteen and teenager, I competed in surf competition up and down the California coast. As an adult, I enjoy mainly soul surfing and competing here and there. When I’m not surfing, I’m either working or out at the Channel Islands fishing or hiking around.

How did surfing come into your life? My first friend that I made when I moved from San Francisco to Ventura surfed every day after school, and she invited me to go with her. I automatically loved the feeling I had while surfing. 

What’s life like as a California State Lifeguard? Being a California State Lifeguard is so much fun. Everything summer since I was 16 was spent guarding my local Ventura beaches. I have gained a sense of pride knowing that I have saved lives and educated many people on ocean safety. What are the highs and lows of life as a lifeguard? I have met so many amazing people and experienced so many situations while lifeguarding. The highs are hanging with my lifeguard friends and talking about all the funny and crazy things that we saw and felt with while guarding. There are not too many lows.
Do you have a crew that you surf with? I have a what I like to call my ocean family; they are people in my life that have the same love of the ocean as me! They are people that I have to know forever, and we usually do all our catching up in the lineup.
How does surfing make you feel? Surfing is many things for me. It is a form of relaxation and a common interest for my boyfriend and me. I get exercise from it, time in nature and with friends. I also get to tap into my competitive side as well. To keep it simple, surfing makes me a better person.
When you’re not in the water how do you like to spend your time? I have many fun hobbies but the main ones are fishing with my boyfriend, hiking our local coastal trails, spending time with my nephew, and most recently I have taken up roller skating with one of my girlfriends.
Where’s your favourite wave? If crowds were not an issue, it would be Malibu. Have you travelled much? I have travelled a little and would like to travel a lot more. Most recently I was in Hawaii!
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What do you love about women’s surfing? There are so many women out there who are setting an excellent example of what the spirit of surfing is. I love the direction women’s surfing is going, and I hope that the right attention is given to the right people.
Your board of choice? I ride for Williams Dennis Surfboards and mainly ride longboards. I’m so lucky to have a shaper who is local.
What does equality in surfing look like to you? Equality in surfing can be looked at in many ways. We can be comparing longboards to shortboards, where there is more way more attention on short boarders than longboards. We can compare men and women, the way they are treated in a professional setting and a non-professional setting. I think in the sport of surfing we have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.
Share some advice to women wanting to get into surfing? Find the balance of being confident out in the lineup and knowing your limitations.