From a busted board to a world title: Anastasia Ashley's unique journey to surf superstardom

Anastasia Ashley is a name that resonates as much within the world of surfing as it does pop culture. From her time in on the World Surf League tours, to her appearances in shows like ‘Naked and Afraid’, it’s fair to say nobody has done it quite like Anastasia Ashley.

Anastasia Electra Ashley was born on February 10, 1987, in San Clemente, California. Growing up in Southern California, she was surrounded by water and surf culture – but this would not be where her surf journey would take shape. 

Following her parent's separation, Ashley would find herself on the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii at age 6. Surrounded by some of the world's best surfing conditions, it was here that she was inspired to take up the sport.

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At just six-years-old, Ashley was already competing in local surf contests. Growing up with little money, she would win her first surf contest on a run-down board that she found in a trash can outside of her house, as told by ESPN in 2012.

"I found an abandoned surfboard outside of our house in front of a trash can," Ashley told ESPN. "It was about six-feet-long, very beat up and super ugly. Boards are normally white, but this one was yellow from being in the sun and old. I tried to make it look nicer by cleaning it up and taking off some of the stickers. But I didn't care too much how it looked. It was my board."

Largely self-taught, Ashley caught the eyes of her surfing community with her natural prowess, and by age 7 she was a sponsored surfer.

"Generally, when people first start surfing, it's a process. They don't just stand up and catch waves, but for me, it came really easy," she told ESPN on her natural flair for the sport.

Image Credit: YouTube Screenshot @AustinKeen

Ashley would spend all her spare moments in the water – often at least 8 hrs a day if she didn’t have school, and the dedication started paying off as the surfing opportunities came in.

In 2003 – at 16 – she would win the Triple Crown Rookie of the Year award and win titles, including two National Scholastic Surfing Association championships and the Professional Surfing Tour of America championship. 

Outside of her time in competitions, she would also become a figurehead for the sport – regularly featuring in numerous surfing magazines and has graced the covers of publications such as Sports Illustrated, Maxim, and ESPN The Magazine.

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While surfing remains her primary passion, Ashley would also cross over into televisions work, including MTV’s “World of Jenks” and ABC’s “Shark Tank,” where she pitched her own line of surf accessories.

Her business acumen and ability to market herself have helped her build a successful brand, with endorsements from major companies like GoPro, Oakley, and Red Bull.

In 2017, Ashley would appear on the survival reality TV show Naked and Afraid alongside YouTuber Cory Williams, which saw the two try to survive in the jungles of Belize with nothing but their own set of skills.

Perhaps today she is best known for her thriving Instagram account, which boasts over a million followers, where she shares regular videos of her surfing exploits, as well as promote healthy living.

While Ashley isn't as focused on the competitive aspects of surfing so much in 2024, it still remains a huge part of her life, telling the blog First Light Surf in 2024 that she loves surfing more now than she did during the competition days.

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"I would say I love surfing more now that I don't compete just because I think every session when I was in competition mode was looking at it from how can I better my surfing? It's more fun being able to be more or less like a free surfer and surf when I want to and where I want to."

Image credit: YouTube @TheInertia