Bailando Surf | Shonan Surf Lifestyle from Japan

OUR STORY

ROOTED IN SHONAN.
BUILT BY THE SEA.

Bailando Surf began in Chigasaki, Shonan — shaped by the ocean, surfing, and everyday life by the coast.

OUR STORY

ROOTED IN SHONAN.
BUILT BY THE SEA.

Bailando Surf began in Chigasaki, Shonan — shaped by the ocean, surfing, and everyday life by the coast.

About 25 years ago, I was walking by the ocean with my dog, Keaton,

when I happened to pass a surf shop.

Someone from the shop spoke to me, and that small moment became

the beginning of my surfing life.

At the time, I was an indoor person dreaming of becoming a stage actress.

Surfing felt like a completely different world.

But once I started, I fell so deeply in love with it that I even stopped worrying

about getting tanned.

That encounter with the ocean slowly changed my life

— and became one of the roots of Bailando Surf.

A WALK BY THE SEA
CHANGED EVERYTHING.

HOW IT STARTED

Keaton

My first

beach buddy ♡

My first

beach buddy ♡

As surfing became a bigger part of my life, I started looking for swimwear

that was comfortable, secure, and actually made for surfing.

In Japan, new swimwear was mostly seasonal, and the same major brands

appeared again and again. I wanted something different.

At first, I thought about making my own. But producing high-quality

swimwear in small quantities wasn’t easy.

So I looked overseas and asked myself:

What were women surfing bigger waves wearing?

That search led me to Dkoko, a surf swimwear brand from Costa Rica.

And that was the beginning of my shop — a swimwear store for women who surf.

IF I COULDN’T FIND IT IN JAPAN,
I’D LOOK BEYOND JAPAN.

THE SEARCH BEGAN

2019 -------—

BAILANDO SURF BEGINS.

A SMALL ONLINE SHOP, A BIG DREAM.

In 2019, I launched Bailando Surf as an online shop.

It began with carefully selected surf swimwear from overseas

— pieces I truly believed in and wanted to share with other women who surf.

One order at a time, the support and warm messages from customers gave me

the courage to keep going.

What started as a small online shop gradually became something more

— a place connected by the ocean and by women who loved surfing.

THE NEXT WAVE.

THE SHOP CHANGED. THE PURPOSE DIDN’T.

Surfing has brought so much joy, connection, and meaning into my life.

But one experience in particular changed the way I think about the ocean.

Losing someone from my surf community reminded me that the sea is

not only a place of freedom and happiness — it also deserves respect,

preparation, and care.

That is one of the reasons Bailando Surf was never meant to be just a shop.

I wanted to find and share things that could help women enjoy the ocean

with more confidence and for many years to come — reliable surfwear,

surf hats, and practical pieces that genuinely make a difference in the water.

After several years with a physical shop, I chose to take Bailando Surf

in a new direction.

Rather than staying tied to one place, I wanted to create more space

for what Bailando Surf had gradually become

— a way to share the surf culture,lifestyle, and values I had found in Shonan.

The shop changed its form, but the reason I started it never disappeared.

If anything, that feeling became clearer.

Surfing brought joy, connection, and meaning into my life. Losing someone from my surf community reminded me that the sea deserves respect, preparation, and care. Bailando Surf was never meant to be just a shop. I wanted to share reliable surfwear and practical pieces that help women enjoy the ocean with confidence for years to come. The shop changed form, but the reason I started it never disappeared.