We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Savannah Rusher. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Savannah below.

Savannah, appreciate you joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

IDEAL was something that was born out of the need to see more inclusivity, creativity, and awareness within the surf industry. Throughout my teens, I worked in a local surf shop in my hometown. Twenty years later, I walk into surf shops and see that not much has changed – same brands, same patriarchal narrative, and overall, a very limited cultural representation. I kept asking myself, “what would my ideal surf shop or surf brand experience be?”. The theme kept circling back to idyllic circumstances, as if this concept was *just* out of reach but still worth moving towards.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Savannah Rusher (she/her), I live in Oakland, California and I am 38 years old. I started surfing when I was 16 and have been an ocean enthusiast my entire life. I grew up in the land of seaside escapism in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and studied art and design in Charleston, South Carolina. I also lived in Brooklyn, NY for awhile, but that’s a different story. I moved to the Bay Area around 12 years ago and with the help of a friend, built up the courage to surf in a wetsuit and occasionally brave Ocean Beach (admittedly, I surf far more mellow waves these days). Being introduced to the Bay Area surf scene was very inspiring and healing for me. Upon moving here, I was exposed to so many different types of people, environments, surf breaks, and stories. The surf culture I had grown up around in the Southeast was very male forward and reinforced by marketing trends set by large surf brands. Google the “momentum generation surfing” and you’ll get the picture. I really longed to see more relateability within these brands, especially since I was so deeply in love with surfing. The way I felt in the water just did not translate to the vibe of being in a surf shop and that ultimately turned me away from surfing for a long time. In 2020, right before the pandemic, I decided to create my own surf brand and see how that materialized. By then, I had met so many cool surfers who shared my same laments about surf culture. The conversations we had were so powerful and generated many exciting ideas. Surf culture’s miss was an opportunity to create something new.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

While I do lean on Instagram as a regular marketing channel, I’ve also come to enjoy writing a monthly newsletter. It’s a space where I can do more long form writing and be more personal/candid. I also like to share coastal conservation highlights, playlists, exciting new products, or happenings in the surf world. A lot of people are eager to limit their time on social media these days but still be in the loop and I think newsletters are an excellent format to meet that need. Talking to people in person is also wonderful, which I get to do during pop-ups or whenever people come by the studio to pick-up orders.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

IDEAL has no investors, grants, or partners. I’m the sole employee and started IDEAL with $6,000 of my own savings. Kind of wild, but also an excellent way to maintain autonomy and authenticity. I’m a big fan of DIY brands and creative spaces.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ideal-surf.com
• Instagram: @ideal_surf
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/savannahrusher/
• Other: www.savannahrusher.com (personal site/portfolio)