About Mimi Miller

For Business inquires email : MsMimiMiller@outlook.com

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So this is how I got to California and started living the Surf life

Growing up in the Midwest, I dreamed of one day having a beach life but I never imagined that I would end up being a Surfer in my 40's after becoming an empty nester after raising children. I certainly never thought I'd be defying ageism and the beauty standards of what a typical surfer portrayed in California is supposed to look like.

But here, I am at 55 living proof that anything is possible with consistency and a little bit of courage. 14 years ago, I relocated to SoCal to work behind the scenes as a hairstylist for a couple of reality show personalities and as a brand ambassador with a popular hair company. Initially starting in Las Vegas where I had lived for a few years after relocating from Detroit.

I was at a point where I really needed to be near the beach, to find something that would make my heart light, a question I've asked myself moving through my personal milestones. This search was to celebrate my mid life evolution.

That's when I discovered the spiritual experience of being in the vastness of Mother nature by paddling out into the Ocean. It gave me the freedom, escape, renewal and moving mediation that I was looking for. On top of I caught a few waves too. I was hooked and became apart of a world that was completely different than my Midwest roots.

Growing up, we only had access to a community pool that was created from what looked like a customized garbage truck. It was actually pretty dope, it had a very big pool with a deck and safety ladders. I had no real athletic background but I learned to swim on my own.

Having the opportunity to spend time regularly learning how to surf opened up more of my motivation for living an active, healthy lifestyle. Now with it being my 10th Anniversary and fully emersed into the culture with knowing at least a handful of Surfers up and down the Coast at almost every beach, I've definitely put in a lot of water time through the years and it's been a wonderful journey that's always evolving.

Through my blogs and content I create on my socials I'm committed to the cultural representation of this surf lifestyle. So here you will find travel stories, culture, sustainable beauty and my experiences with being a creative entrepreneur for the past 30 years. I am here to inspire and educate by providing useful information, engaging topics on health, fitness, hair, hair and beauty by utilizing my professional experience of being a licensed Cosmetologist, and my passion for beach culture.

I'm glad you're here and welcome to the She Surf movement. Because we are out here!

alt="Mimi Miller who is a Black Surfer riding a waist high wave down in the Ocean"

Re-imaging the Culture

"Our Stories - Our Narrative - Thru Our Lens "

Back in 2013, I picked up my first wetsuit, bodyboard and fins to learn how to swim in the Ocean after moving to California 2 years prior. I was dating this guy who I asked to teach me about the Ocean, he told me he was going to put me in rip currents, undertow and the impact zone. He would teach me how to get out of danger, study the conditions and then we were going to ride some waves and some have fun.

When I tell you, how shook I was... you don't even understand the fear, anxiety and bewilderment I felt but at the same time I was not going to live a Coastal City around all this water and not learn how to swim in it. At least I'd know how to survive if I needed to... I just didn't know it was going to be so literal.

Teaching myself how to swim in the Midwest

Growing up in Detroit made me a little rough around the edges but this was a completely different challenge. However, I remember a swim truck used to come down the block (back in the 70's) about once a month in the summer time because we didn't have pools in our neighborhood...

All the boys would dunk the girls and they'd be screaming for their lives. I was terrified but I also didn't want that traumatic experience so I jumped in and taught myself how to swim from watching the boys. I held my breath and submerged my head in the water and realized it wasn't so bad. Those boys never bothered me.

When I got in middle school and moved to a different place the School I went to had a swimming program but I never recall learning anything. The teacher wasn't really interested in teaching, so all I remember is having to jump off the diving board a lot.

Then we moved to Corpus Christi, Texas for a very short period of time and my Step-father would take me out to a section of the Gulf and we would swim together. He'd get me all the way out there then take off fast back to shore. I'd be terrified that he did that but had to keep up. Then one day as usual he did it, I beat him back to shore, I had become a strong swimmer. But we only lived there for 3 Months then moved. So that was that.

Years later, as an adult I was obsessed with watching synchronized swimming on television so I joined a local gym where I could be in the pool regularly.

Moving to California

Fast forward, here I am after raising 3 Children (sidenote; taught them how to swim when they were babies), an empty nester in my mid 40s ready for my mid life evolvement because I had done too much inner work to call it a crisis. This was paradise living in Los Angeles, the place my Step-Dad and I used to watch on TV in the 70's like the documentary Black Woodstock (Watt stacks) as well as Soul Train and the Hippies and Roller skaters on Venice Beach.

It was no turning back now, I was meant for this and the Universe put this dude (a Bodyboard Champion) on my path to guide me on the path. So I embraced the fear, the excitement, the unknown dimensions and headed into that Ocean...

4 days a week for the first 2 years I paddled out into the blue waters, feeling baptized, renewed and healed from any leftover residue that wasn't. My life transformed, I forgot I liked drinking, dancing in clubs and smoking a fatty.. This was my ultimate high, my balance and my peace.

Before long, I sought groups where I could get a deeper connection of community and realized how few we as (BIPOCs) are in this environment. It's very special and quite significant to break the generational handicaps of being near and in water knowing our Ancestors had faced being kidnapped into lifelong bondage and the horrors that happened near it.

It incited fear and they had no choice but to stay far away from it. On top of not being able to fully feel comfortable wearing our natural hair in the workplace to keep our corporate jobs in addition to overcoming past financially oppressive laws that kept us from being able to have recreation and leisure in outdoor spaces..

Now, we were here, we outside, creating our lifestyles around it, honoring our Ancestors, naturally drawn to this surf life.. I use my voice and my vlogs to transcend our paradigms... Reimaging the Culture, our stories, our narratives, thru our lens...