Talking Story With Sonja Vahasaari

Meet Sonja Katariina Vahasaari - artist, surfer, model, designer, author and all-around creative powerhouse.

From the forests of Finland to the shores of Australia’s Mid North Coast, Sonja lives and breathes creativity, connection and ocean-side joy. We asked her about her daily rhythm, surf style, artistic work and what makes life feel good.

Where are you from and what's the female surf community like there?

Hiii! I am Sonja Katariina Vahasaari, a Finnish artist, surfer, model, designer and author living in Australia.

I have actually never surfed in Finland! I grew up swimming in the lakes of Finland and I always loved playing in the water, trying to swim like a dolphin or like a mermaid. That’s actually all I wanted to be as a kid - a dolphin or a mermaid and swim in the big blue with my fish homies! H2O was my favourite show ever!

I remember watching some TV shows and seeing people surfing and I was confused how it can be possible. You know, skating on a wave?! In the ocean?! Like WHAT! I was immediately intrigued and drawn to surfing after seeing that so it was just a matter of time when surfing would introduce itself to me. First I picked up skating (ice skating and skateboarding) and then surfing!

We only get wind swell in Finland during autumn storms and the conditions look heavy! I’ve seen some photos of people wearing thick steamers, gloves, booties, hoods and getting out there in the cold autumn storm, it looks wild!

Where are you currently based? What's daily life like for you there? (work situ, surfing etc)

I am currently based in the Mid North Coast of Australia. I live in a cute rural, coastal town and it is so beautiful here. I’ve been living in this area nearly three years now, I love it.

My favourite thing to do is to get up an hour before the sunrise and go for a walk or a run under the stars and watch the sun slowly paint the sky with all the tones of blue, purple and red - its like poetry in motion. Ah I get goosebumps thinking about that feeling.

I run/walk to check the waves, and if it’s working I go back home, do a little yoga flow to ground myself and head out! And if its not on, I’ll spend the day making things/working!

I am a freelance artist so work for myself and it is one of the best things I have ever chosen to do. It has taken me years of finding a balance between working and surfing because when it’s pumping you know what I’ll do. I just want to surf! And when the waves aren’t working that’s when I buckle down and get my work done.

I am a multidisciplinary artist; I model, paint, write books and poetry, design fashion and graphics. I LOVE fashion and styling, sharing my personality through colour because to me, fashion is an extension of my personality! That’s why I love modelling too, I love sharing a story with modelling. I am also a creative director, I make prints, sow, record podcast episodes, capture little magical moments with my film and digital camera, film little clips and make short films with my little price possession that is my handycam. I do so much! And I love doing many things, I love learning and teaching! My art is my self-expression that I love using to tell stories, heal, connect people in Australia and globally.

And if I’m not surfing, working/creating, I am lizarding in the sunshine, deep in a rabbit hole researching about a topic that I am fascinated by. I love mathematics, quantum physics, languages, biology, neuroscience, geography, nutrition. I love understanding how this existence works and I love teaching how we can create our realities with our minds and beliefs. It's cool. Life is fascinating. I see the world in a unique way and I love sharing the way I see it!

If we came to visit your home, where would you take us? What would we do? And where are the coldest beers at??

Finland is SO beautiful, so etherial! Especially in summer and winter, it looks like the whole place is glistening in fairy dust hehe!

In summer, I would first take you around Helsinki, visit my mom’s beautiful food garden, walk around the old town and look at the beautiful buildings. I love old architecture, it inspires me so much. All the streets in old town are oozing with romance, colourful buildings with cute squiggly window seals, intricate details and arches. I love getting lost in the beauty of design. Then get lunch and a beer in a cute little restaurant in Helsinki. There are so many cool places so I can’t choose one!

After that I would take you to my dad’s summer house that is by a beautiful lake in the middle of a forest. It is STUNNING! We always go to the forest and pick yummy berries, mushrooms (you must try Kanttarelli mushrooms!!) and make delicious dishes out of them. And of course, you have to try a Finnish sauna followed by a sunset swim in a lake!

And if you would come visit in winter I would take you to my grandmas and grandpas place in northern Finland to hang out with them (they’re incredible, my grandma is one of my creative inspirations) and to see the northern lights! And I would take you figure skating! I figure skated for 6 years growing up and I miss it so much.

What inspired you to write ’The Little Tail’ book and what makes it such a big milestone for you?

’The Little Tail’ is my little children’s book that I wrote and illustrated. Actually I did the first draft of it when I was doing my Bachelors University degree in Design and Visual Communications in Byron Bay!

The tale of the Little Dolphin invites us to embrace, love and celebrate our uniqueness and the little things that make us US!

Quite often the things we are insecure about are actually our MAGIC and we should celebrate them! So this book is an invitation to remember how to love ourselves and our unique little traits.

This book handles themes of insecurity by having “popular groups” (they’re the cool dolphins that wear caps and chains and you know, the cool things) around us that some of us may compare ourselves to, universal love and self love, inner child healing, community and connection.

I wrote this book not only for the children, but also for the adults and who ever is reading the book for the child so they can hear the message as well. I wanted to pick a theme that I feel like many of us, no matter what age we are, experience some times. And I definitely did too. I’ve felt like the 'Little Tail' many times in my life. I’ve experienced hard times, being misunderstood and being bullied for who I am. But now I can see that my insecurities were always the things that made me ME, so I wanted to design and write a book to help everyone who might experience these emotions. I love this book so much!

I launched a pre-sale for this book few weeks ago and the official launch is coming super soon, I am SO FRIGGIN EXCITED IIIIIIIIHHHHHH!

Any big projects or trips lined up for 2025?

Ohhh so many, where do I start! I am currently working on an art exhibition. The theme of it is interconnection, celebrating the connection between us and everything around us and portraying that we are all made of the same matter; I am you, you are me. We are the skies, oceans and the trees. My dear friend Albert Falzon recently lent me his twinny to surf and there is a quote on the bottom of the board that I love! “You are not a drop in the ocean, you are the whole ocean in a drop”.

Currently I am woven together my passions of modelling, fashion, design and surfing and I am choosing to let them take me around the world. Who knows what projects that will bring, I am so excited!

My vision is to inspire and be inspired, bring healing and creative joy to everyone and teach that anything is possible. We are boundless, limitless, anything is possible. I feel like my work sits at the intersection of art, communication, education and emotional wellbeing. So I want to continue developing larger scale, meaningful, joyous creative projects that contribute to cultural and creative identity both in Australia and globally.

Style us out for the lineup, what would you have us wearing?:

Omg what a fun question!! I LOVE styling and I would love to style you for the line up!

I do feel like style is an extension of personality, which is why I love seeing everyone's different styles and chosen colours in the water!

But If I were to style you in the new Salt Gypsy Vacay collection (which is by the way so delicious!), I would wrap you in The Low Rider Rashguard and Drifter 2.0 Bottoms in Pink (and this combo in Black and Merlot are also super yummy!!). I am also in love with the Tankini Surf Top in Merlot and Baby blue with matching short bottoms. Obsessed!

”I love surfing because..."

Because all of it! Surfing for me is art, a form of self expression, meditation, a playground - all beautifully intertwined together as we are connected with the ocean, each other and everything around us. I love learning and surfing different boards for different feelings. I love all of surfing! There is nothing better than surfing pumping waves with friends and fiZzing our heads off!

Favourite surf spot or destination:

I love surfing everywhere. I love my local breaks, they’re definitely some of my favourites but I would have to say that my favourite surfing spots are ones that I have never surfed before. I don’t know if that’s a weird answer haha but my favourite thing to do is to paddle out in a new place and take a moment to just sit out there and watch the scenery in awe; listen to the birds and the sounds around me, feel the water, study the landscape and its details. Those moments make me feel so humble, inspired, so grateful and I feel like I am living in a movie. I also love figuring out new waves!

Words you live by:

My dad has integrated 3 words into my DNA haha! He has always said to me that if there are three things I should embody and live by, they are: “Be curious, be brave and network”. My dad is so smart! So I wanted to share this smart advice with all of you! And my personal daily favourites I live by are: authenticity, joy, passion, creativity and a loving state of being.

Top 10 essential (surf) travel items:

This is fun. My 10 items I MUST pack:

I carry a hairbrush EVERYWHERE and I brush my hair about 333 times a day because my hair dreads constantly so this has to be the number one! I have this magical wet hair brush that is the best, I need to share you the name when I find it!
I mean a surfboard would have to be the number one, either a single fin middy, a pintail log or both hihi
Handycam
Film camera
Bikinis and more bikinis
Wetsuit if it’s a cold destination
Zinc (One of my favourites is Surf Paste!)
Face oil! I make my own with almond kernel oil, liquid coconut oil and castrol oil! So moisturising after a full day of surfing!
I never leave anywhere without a journal! I love drawing, writing poetry and things that inspire me. And writing down my daily rabbit-hole research! Journal or blank note book is a must.
A book for the trip! (I’d love to get myself a kindle! I love books!)