#MOTHERMUSE Josie May Prendergast
7 days ago
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7 days ago
·Surfer, creative and lover of Mother Nature, Josie May Prendergast moves through the world with a sense of ease that feels almost ocean-taught. Born in the Philippines and raised in Byron Bay, her life is shaped by saltwater, sunlight and a deep reverence for the natural world.
Whether she’s longboarding at sunrise, exploring new coastlines or capturing quiet beauty through film, Josie embodies slow, intentional living — grounding herself in simplicity, ritual and the earth beneath her feet.
A muse for the calm, the conscious and the connected, Josie reminds us to honour nature, protect what we love, and live in rhythm with the world around us.
Looking back to when Billabong first approached you at 15, how did that moment shape your journey as a professional surfer and creator? Did you ever imagine your path would lead to launching your own collection?
It is still such a surreal experience for me. I actually thought it was a scam at first. Never in my life did I think I’d be able to do the thing I love the most and create a life around it. I’ve always dreamt of having my own collection so it’s wild to know that it’s come to life. I feel very grateful. This path has lead to many opportunities not only for myself but to help family and others where I can.
You’ve grown up between Siargao and Byron Bay, how have these two beautiful places influenced your style, surfing, and the designs in your new collection?
Knowing both cultures and having so much love for the two sides that make me, me is really special. I use to find being multicultural hard and a little confusing. But now I feel more confident than ever with my identity.
Being born on Siargao and going back all the time has given me love and connection. And growing up in Byron since I was 3, has given me these opportunities and shapes my surfing. The collection is inspired by my roots. Colours of home and shapes of suits that resonate with my surfing.
Surfing means lots of time in the sun, what’s your go-to skincare routine to protect and care for your skin, especially with such a busy outdoor lifestyle?
I’m super big on skincare. I love it.
Obviously taking care of my skin while in the sun ( even if I’m not surfing ) is super important but I also love to take care of it on a daily. I go through different routines but I always stick to non toxic products.
That’s why Mother fits in so well.
You took some of our Mother SPF products back to the Philippines to share with your local community. How important is reef safe sun protection in places like Siargao?
I think it’s so important and also important to open these conversations. Sometimes on little islands, access to certain types of information can be difficult so having open conversations is really helpful. Siargao is home to many many many water people. Fisherman, boatmen, surfers, ect. So having non toxic sunscreen is a must, not only here but everywhere.
What activity do you do which makes you feel most like yourself? .. although this one might be a little obvious!
Hehe! Definitely surfing. I do love Pilates, yoga and walking too. But if I don’t surf for 4 days I start to feel like a different person.
I think because I’ve been doing it for so long, it’s such a huge part of my life and mental health. It’s also connection for me. It is where I get to see some friends and have wonderful conversations with people.
I can be a bit of a homebody. So sometimes surfing can bring me out of my shell a little.
If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere with anything on it what would it say and why?
That’s a hard one. Maybe give love, gain love.
That’s something that I’ve resonated with. There’s no harm in being kind and giving love to others. It always returns back to you.
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