The San Clemente surf artist had a huge task — set the vibe for this year’s Lexus U.S. Open of Surfing.
Not a bad gig for a teenager.
Ryder Biolos, 18, was selected to do artwork for this year’s mega event in Huntington Beach, with banners, posters and gear like hats, t-shirts and beach towels adorning her colorful creations.
“It’s a little stressful,” Biolos admitted on a recent day about being part of such a massive, iconic festival, which kicks off on Saturday and runs through Aug. 11.
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Biolos is no stranger to the surf world, daughter of surfboard shaper Matt Biolos, who makes Lost Surfboards for some of the best pro surfers on the elite tour.
“I’ve known the surfing world my whole life, so it’s not crazy to me,” she said. “But I’m excited,” she said.
As a kid, Biolos took a few art classes but liked to doodle on foam blanks sitting around her dad’s shop.
She was just 6 years old when her art caught the eye of Coco and Mason Ho, the Hawaiian pro surfing siblings who asked Biolos to adorn their surfboards and posted her creations on their social media, getting a huge response.
“I would just do them for fun, and I just kept doing it,” she said.
She’s made a name for herself in the surf world, so much so that she caught the attention of the U.S. Open event organizers who needed a fresh look for this year’s event.
World Surf League senior vice president Stefani Chinn said it was Biolos’ connection to the surfing community that stood out, and she delivered beautiful art that depicts the iconic Huntington Beach Pier and waves below.
“We love what she does,” Chinn said. “We’re huge fans of Ryder and the incredible art that she does on surfboards. And so we reached out to her.”
San Clemente artist Ryder Biolos, 18, created this year’s US Open of Surfing artwork, with her designs throughout the Huntington Beach footprint. (Courtesy of US Open of Surfing)
Biolos’ style typically showcases bright, bold colors, but she toned those down “to make it more Huntington vibes,” she said.
“The backgrounds are swirls and kind of trippy stuff,” she said. “And the poster is just a photo of Huntington that I painted.”
That’s one bit of advice she has for budding artists — use paint brushes, a technique that isn’t as common these days with all of the digital technology available, though she is interested in learning more about computer graphic design when she starts the Laguna College of Art and Design in late August.
While being the “official artist” will be great for the young artists’ resume, she had a few more big projects in the works, including two Lib Tech snowboards and a Carver skateboard that will be decked out with her art.
Biolos will be doing a live painting at the event on Aug. 10 at the WSL merchandise store on the south side of the pier.
For more information on the U.S. Open of Surfing, go to usopenofsurfing.com
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