Conversation with High Riser Eveline Van Brande

Traveling the world can be an exciting array of different sights and cultures, but there’s always one thing that seems to remain constant: the beauty of the ocean. Our next High Riser, surfer Eveline Van Brande, hails from the country of Belgium but calls California her home ever since she moved here at the age of twelve. In fact, she learned to surf as soon as she moved. “My parents signed us up for a surf camp; we didn’t even speak English yet!” she recalled. You could say that maintaining an active lifestyle is a Van Brande family trait – Eveline’s mom is an ultra-trail runner, her sister plays water polo for the national youth team as well as collegiately, and another sister competes in bodybuilding and is a personal trainer.

Besides hitting the waves at local spots in Malibu and Ventura, she describes Noosa, Australia as one of her favorite spots to surf at outside of California “hands down.” Her love of surfing has led her on endless adventures to explore and travel. When asked about her guilty pleasures, her answer was simple: “the ocean!” Besides her love for the water, Eveline also admitted her affinity for ice cream and chocolate.

But Eveline doesn’t just limit her activities to the water – she loves to rock climb, hike, go camping, and get involved in “anything outdoors, adventurous, and that involves some sort of traveling will do!” Whenever ocean conditions aren’t the best for surfing, she keeps busy in the great outdoors.

Her inspiration to rise every day comes from Mother Nature herself. “Nothing really ever compares to that simple clarity you can get from just a few minutes of floating around in the water, or from a good hike in the mountains,” she shared. Besides working as an ocean lifeguard, Eveline also works as a hiking guide in the hills of Malibu. “I guess I don’t really have the right to ever complain about having to go to work,” she admitted.

Eveline has had so many experiences riding the waves that she doesn’t label them as bad or good moments. She shared that wisdom with Rise Bar: “I think every moment has had value, and whether good or bad, they have shaped me into the person I am today and I am very humble and grateful for that.”

Eveline is also working to pursue her passions through education. She recently graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and began an adventure guiding company with good friends. “Our company was born out of our love for the outdoors, and aims at sharing our passion for surfing, climbing, hiking, and backpacking with the rest of the world,” she explained. With her passion for connecting with nature, no matter what the landscape, there’s no doubt Eveline knows best.