Artist Sonja Katariina Vahasaari shares her design journey shaped by ADHD, dyslexia, sustainability, surfing, and building community through Savari.

Artist and designer Sonja Katariina Vahasaari shares her passion for sustainable fashion and her journey on Depop – from decluttering her wardrobe to building a vintage shop that celebrates circular fashion, colour, and sustainable style.

Explore Sonja Katariina Vahasaari’s Cat Faced Moon podcast — on creativity, surfing, art, neuroscience, and transforming life through self-expression.

Every September, surfers from across Australia gather on the Mid North Coast for the Old Mal National Surfing Titles — a celebration of surfing’s history, its community, and the timeless joy of riding waves. The event pays homage to the 1960s era of surfboards, while also embracing the new generation with divisions for both classic mals and modern logs.

This year, I had the privilege of being part of the Old Mal in more ways than one. Not only did I paddle out and compete in the Women’s Logger division, but I was also asked to create the trophies: over 200 hand-painted fins, each one carrying its own story. To see these fins handed out to surfers I admire, and to later hear that many have found homes on walls around Crescent Head, was such a surreal and heart-filling moment.

For me, the Old Mal wasn’t just a contest — it was a living reminder of what surfing means. It’s the way it connects us through tradition, creativity, and play. Being able to contribute both in the water and through my art was a true honour, and a perfect reflection of how my worlds of surfing and creativity continue to flow together.

The Little Tail - A dolphin story of embracing our uniqueness.

Discount Codes for Brands I Love | By Sonja Vahasaari.

Green Space | Art & Surfing Exhibition by Sonja Vahasaari. Article written by Sam Rapp-Jones.