Champion Mary Osborne teaches surfing and Diane Loring helps people to relax

Mary Osborne is the co-author of “Sister Surfer: A Woman’s Guide to Surfing with Bliss and Courage.”

Mary Osborne surfs in Indonesia in 2006 as part of the Patagonia Team.

Mary Osborne is longboarding at the small Sunset Beach on the North Shore of Oahu.

Mary Osborne surfs at Leo Carrillo State Beach in Los Angeles County.

Mary Osborne was 14 when she first took up surfing because she “wanted to be better than the boys.”

Now 27, the Ventura resident currently ranked fifth in the world as a longboard professional surfer has grown into one of the world’s top female athletes.

“No matter what happens, I will continue to love the ocean and surf lifestyle till my end of life on Earth,” said Osborne, co-author of “Sister Surfer: A Woman’s Guide to Surfing with Bliss and Courage.”

In 2003, she was nominated for a Teen Choice Award as “Best Female Athlete,” and was named the first “Action Girl of the Year” by Action Girl Inc.

“I hope to continue to grow, learn and experience new things,” said Osborne, who is most widely known for winning the longboard division of MTV’s Surf Girls. “I want to continue to surf, travel, share life with interesting people and live every day to its fullest.”

In her latest endeavor, Osborne has come closer to home to join Spa by Diane Loring Inc. at the Historic Love House in Ventura to teach surfing lessons and offer spray tanning.

“Women love surfing and love being in spas,” said Osborne, who has a side business called Solymar Tan, a mobile airbrush tanning business that provides a natural-looking tan without the harmful effects of the sun.

“It’s a great combination,” Osborne said. “I take the ladies surfing, and then we head back to the spa for relaxing beauty treatments.”

The partnership creates a unique business relationship that brings a world-class level of expertise and professionalism to the Ventura County community and beyond, said Diane Loring, owner of Spa by Diane Loring Inc.

“Clients from around the world will now be able to enjoy and appreciate Mary’s skills as a world champion,” said Loring, who noted the spa is just one block from a famous surf spot, Surfer’s Point. “Mary will also teach clients what it takes to be a champion and how to become the best surfer they can be.”

The idea for the “surf ’n’ spa” partnership began with Loring, a big fan of women’s sports and the founder of Women Involved in Sports Evolution — WISE — an athletic training program composed of trained professionals who are high-performance athletes.

“Diane had asked me about a year ago to do this, but I was traveling too much then to commit,” said Osborne, a Santa Barbara native who has lived in Ventura most of her life.

“Now that I have been home a bit more, it’s the perfect opportunity to do this,” she said. “Diane’s place is warm and comfortable, and l love the vibe in there. She is real, nice and motivating to be around, which is very important to me. We are a great team together.”

The “surf ’n’ spa” packages are catered to males, females and couples of all ages.

“We can basically host anything our clients want from private single surf sessions to large groups,” Osborne said. “If there is a large group, Diane can offer private Sundays where she will lock down the house and open it specifically for our group’s needs.”

As far as the lessons are concerned, Osborne takes students to the best location for their abilities, depending on weather and swells.

“We have private instruction on the sand, going over safety, skills, surf language,” said Osborne, who has taught surfing for more than 12 years. “From there we enter the water, work on catching waves and understanding the power of Mother Nature.

“Every client is different, everyone’s skills are different, and I make sure everyone is up and riding,” she said. “I understand the fears, desires and abilities to learn.”

Ultimately, Osborne wants to share the “stoke” of surfing with others so they can love the water and local environment as much as she does.

“We live in such a beautiful town with great people and the perfect location for surfing,” she said. “Many people around here have never even tried to surf, and it’s in their backyard. I want to share surfing with everyone. It is such a fun, healthy sport and lifestyle.”