Laure Mayer
A genuine artist of classic longboarding, a discipline which bases its aesthetic philosophy on a permanent search for balance from imbalance, Laure Mayer has found her rhythm and a perfect lifestyle between Australia and the Basque Country. From one hemisphere to another, in search of an endless summer, her passion for dance and fashion combines with her surf culture, and influences her trajectories and creations.
Waves and music need a living body to interpret and express their quintessential beauty. Dancing and surfing are works of art that are born and die in perpetuity, and draw their contours on the magic of improvisation. “I started flamenco dancing around the age of 14, before I took my first step on a longboard. In an unconscious, natural and spontaneous way, my choreographies probably inspired my style on the waves, and vice versa ...” Says Laure Mayer.
At the time, the teenager from Saint-Jean-de-Luz looked more willingly towards the Pyrenees and beyond towards the ocean. “I was fascinated, and still am, by Spanish culture and dances, and above all, I loved gliding on the mountains. My father was an excellent skier and my favorite sport was snowboarding. I was pretty gifted, but one fine day, surfing entered my life and this passion has never left me..."
Her BAC (baccalaureate degree) in hand, Laure began studying business in Bayonne, which would lead her to a Master’s in international and board sports management. During an Erasmus student exchange in Portugal, she spent a school year in Lisbon and discovered a cultural otherworld of waves and encounters that would profoundly change her path.
“Those few months were decisive in my life as a surfer. From then on, I had an overwhelming desire for freedom, travel, and the exotic.”
At 22, she flew to Australia for the first time to learn English. “I stayed 4 months in Sydney, with friends, then I discovered the magic of Byron Bay. It was love at first sight..." So much so that Laure now lives over six months a year in this cosmopolitan village, often described as "the coolest in Australia."
With 350 days of surfing per year, in a paradisiacal setting of warm, turquoise water, and dolphins and turtles, Byron's endless point break is one of the earth's most remarkable surfing paradises, especially for “Loggers”, classic longboard enthusiasts, among which are many girls, who adore the waves and the atmosphere there.
Laure has become an influential “Lady Logger” on two legendary spots for the international classic longboard community, Byron Bay and the Basque Coast. "It's not just a trend reserved for a nostalgic retro movement, or lovers of boards and vintage style... It is a very sophisticated surf discipline and culture, which is in constant evolution.”
In 2015, she embarked on designing surfing swimsuits for women and created the brand Lore of the Sea. "It happened naturally... In Australia, the tropical climate makes a swimsuit an essential piece of your wardrobe, but no designer brand spends 8 hours a day in the water like a surfer! I found the choice to be limited. I was looking to create cooler, more fashionable pieces that were both beautiful, technical and functional.” She taught herself to design patterns and sew, and invested in machines adapted to the stretch fabrics she chooses with care ... “The brand is enjoying some success, but for me, the real prize is having turned my passion into my lifestyle, to live it 'for real'. I am aware and grateful for how lucky I am to live this dream life. I made choices that make me happy. I'm comfortable with them and wouldn't change a thing for the world. I am head over heels in love with surfing ..."
