Surf's Up!

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Isabelle "Izzy" Tihanyi and Caroline "Coco" Tihanyi have a simple enough business philosophy -- get wet, have fun. The fraternal twin sisters and lifelong beachcombers started out offering surfing lessons to other women, and built a pretty rad business along the way. Today, Surf Diva includes children's camps, international excursions, and even a budding line of apparel and surfboards. The Tihanyi sisters also authored a book in 2005 called "Surf Diva: A Girl's Guide to Getting Good Waves." So what's it like to run a business in paradise?

Izzy: "We basically grew up on the beach in La Jolla, California. We did everything there -- from homework to bodyboarding. I started teaching surfing in high school and even paid for some of my college tuition with the money. Coco and I went to UC San Diego, where we both majored in marketing. Then, after graduation in 1996, I was working in the surf industry doing some marketing, but I wasn't getting enough time in the water. So I started to teach again on the weekends. Before long, I got too busy, so Coco moved down from Los Angeles to help. It soon overtook our lives and we quit our day jobs to teach full-time. And it kept growing from there."

Coco: "One of our biggest challenges early on was finding enough qualified instructors, since there weren't that many women who surfed. When you went surfing 10 years ago, there was maybe one woman for every 100 men. Today, it's about one in three."

Izzy: "In the beginning, I would teach all the classes myself. Now, we have a good core of trained instructors. People need to know proper board techniques and etiquette to teach, or someone could really get hurt. We also work with the Red Cross to give our instructors training on CPR and lifesaving techniques."

Coco: "A newer part of our business is our surf school in Costa Rica. Izzy went on a trip there in 1988 and fell in love with the country. When she came back, she said, 'We need to open a school there.' Since she's the surfer and I'm the diva, what could I say? Our first planned trip was in 2004."

Izzy: "Costa Rica is a great place to travel to and to bring women surfers. Our trips include lessons, lodging, daily yoga, massages, and meals. It's so peaceful and comfortable."

Coco: "That's right -- surf trips, diva style. I think we've been so successful because we've introduced the sport and the spirit of surfing to all ages. We're one of few surf-related companies owned by women, and we like to give women opportunities to grow. We want to be the number-one surf school and brand for women and girls. That's why we introduced a line of surfboards last year along with some bathing suits and board shorts. Our goal is to eventually be known as a surf boutique, with more schools, apparel, and even restaurants and resorts."

Izzy: "We want to create a warm welcoming place where anyone can come in for answers, which you might not always get from a typical surf shop. One of the most popular things we're doing now are corporate team-building events. Surfing is replacing golf as the new networking sport."

Coco: "We love what we do. Our motto is that the best surfer in the water is the one having the most fun."

[via finance.yahoo.com]

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